Matter core concepts

Matter is organised around cases. Most other objects either describe the case, control access to it, or move documents through it.

Cases

A case is the working record for a matter. It holds the case details, linked contacts and organisations, notes, requests, files, and customer portal access.

Use the case as the place to answer: what is this matter, who is involved, what is needed next, and what has already happened?

Subjects

Subjects are the people or organisations the case is about. Examples include primary applicant, sponsor, employer, spouse, dependant, or client.

A subject can be part of a case without having portal access. That distinction matters. Being named on a case does not automatically mean the person can log in and see it.

Case access

Case access controls who can see the case in a portal.

For customer portal access, grant access only to people who need to act or view the case. In most migration workflows that means the primary applicant and the sponsor contact, not every family member listed on the application.

Document requests

A document request asks for a specific document or evidence item. It includes the request title, instructions, category, subject, upload rules, status, and any files attached to the request.

Requests are the main unit of customer action. If the customer needs to upload something, it should usually be represented as a request.

Files

Files are uploaded or shared documents attached to the case. Files can come through a request, be added by staff, or be shared into the customer portal depending on access and workflow.

Use Requests when reviewing what is still needed. Use Files when reviewing the file set that already exists on the case.

Notes

Notes keep a record of case work, decisions, and context. Some notes are internal. Some may be visible to the customer depending on how the note is created and configured.

Use notes for case history, not for replacing structured fields or request statuses.

Templates

Templates help a team start repeat work faster.

• Case templates define the starting case structure.
• Request library entries define reusable document request templates.

Templates are not the live case. After a case is created, adjust the live requests and access to match the actual matter.

Setup resources

Matter setup includes team access, portal branding, outgoing email, document storage, notifications, and advanced configuration such as case types and form definitions.

Most teams should only touch advanced setup when templates or data models need deliberate changes.