---
title: "Building a matter management system in Notion"
url: https://notionforlawyers.com/post/matter-management-system-notion
updated: 2026-10-17
author: Raghav Handa
---

# Building a matter management system in Notion

A matter management system in Notion is a Matters database with properties for type, stage, status, responsible lawyer and key date, linked to Deadlines, Actions and Time databases, and surfaced through saved views such as Active, Due Soon and by Stage. It tracks work and dates; it does not replace trust accounting or court-rules calendaring.

## Key takeaways

- Start with one Matters database and four or five properties; add only what you use.
- Relations turn a list into a system: deadlines, actions and time attach to the matter.
- Saved views (Active, Due Soon, by Stage) are what people actually look at.
- A weekly review keeps the data honest.

## The Matters database

| Property | Type | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Matter name | Title | Client surname plus subject keeps lists readable |
| Matter type | Select | Drives templates and reporting |
| Stage | Select | Intake, Active, Waiting, Closing, Closed |
| Status | Select | Open, On hold, Closed |
| Responsible lawyer | Person | One name, always |
| Key date | Date | The next date that matters |
| Client | Relation | Links to Clients database |

Each matter is also a page, so notes, key facts and links to your document system sit inside the record.


## Relations and rollups

Add Deadlines, Actions and Time as separate databases with a relation to Matters. On the matter page you then see its deadlines and open tasks, and a rollup can show the next due date or total hours. If you want to learn the mechanics, see /resources/guides/relations-and-rollups-for-matters and /resources/guides/notion-databases-for-lawyers.


## Views that make it usable

- Active: status is Open, sorted by key date.
- Due Soon: key date within the next 14 days.
- By Stage: a board grouped by stage, to see the pipeline.
- By lawyer: a filtered view per person.
- Closed: an archive you rarely open.

For date-specific views see /resources/guides/views-and-filters-for-deadlines.


## Starter or Pro for this

LawyerOS Starter ($19) gives you a Matters database (matter type, stage, key date, status) plus a Deadlines database and a home page showing deadlines this week and active matters sorted by key date. LawyerOS Pro with AI ($39) adds status, client, practice area and responsible lawyer on Matters with Active, Due Soon, High Priority and Pipeline (Stage) views, and the other databases. Both are one-time purchases.

Limits: A Notion matter system does not calculate deadlines from court rules, hold client money or provide an audit trail of its own. Verify dates against the rules and keep regulated functions in proper tools.


## FAQ

### Can Notion work as a matter management system?

Yes for tracking matters, dates, tasks and time in a small practice. It lacks built-in conflict search, trust accounting and court-rules calendaring.

### How many properties should a matter have?

Few. Start with five to seven and add one only when you will actually filter or report on it.

### How do I stop matters going stale?

Run a weekly review: update stage and key date for every active matter.

### Can multiple people use it?

Yes, using Notion's sharing and per-person filtered views. Permissions are managed in Notion.