Pages and databases
A page is a document: notes, a checklist, an attached PDF. A database is a collection of pages that share the same properties. When you open a row in a database you open a page, so a matter can hold its chronology, a draft email and a to-do list as well as its status and key date.
That is the main difference from a spreadsheet. The row and the document are the same object, so nothing about a matter lives in a separate file you have to remember to link.
The seven property types you will use most
| Property type | Use it for | Legal example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The name of the page | Orion AI Labs, LLM vendor contract |
| Select | One choice from a list | Status: Intake, Open, Waiting, Closed |
| Multi-select | Several tags | Topic: Tort, Contract, Procedure |
| Date | A point in time or a range | Key date, filing deadline, hearing |
| Person | A member of your workspace | Responsible lawyer, timekeeper |
| Relation | A link to a page in another database | Matter linked to its Client |
| Checkbox | Yes or no | Conflict check done, Invoiced |
Number and Formula properties come next: Number for hours and amounts, Formula for calculated values such as an amount from hours and rate.
Start with two databases, not ten
The most common mistake is building the whole system before using any of it. Begin with the two things you check every day.
- Matters: one page per matter, with status, practice area, responsible lawyer and key date.
- Actions or Deadlines: one page per thing that needs doing, related to its matter, with a due date and status.
Use them for two weeks. What annoys you will tell you which database to add next, whether that is Clients, Time or Invoices.
Design properties around decisions
Every property should help you answer a question you really ask. If you never filter by it, sort by it or read it, delete it. A short, consistent list of statuses is worth more than a long, precise one.
- Status: Intake, Open, Waiting on others, On hold, Closed. Five is plenty.
- Priority: High, Medium, Low. Decide what High means and write it down.
- Dates: separate the date something is due from the date you plan to do it, if both matter to you.
Names and IDs that stay tidy
Pick one naming pattern and keep to it, for example Client, then a short matter description. Notion also has an ID property type that numbers pages automatically and can add a prefix such as M-, which gives every matter a stable reference you can quote.
Common mistakes
- Using free text where a Select would do. Free text cannot be filtered reliably.
- Creating a property for every possible detail. Add one when you need it.
- Storing the same information in two places. Use a Relation instead of retyping a client's name.
- Skipping a pilot. Run a real matter through the system before moving the rest.
Where to go next
Further reading
- Relations and rollups: connect matters, clients, time and invoices
- Saved views and filters: deadline, overdue and waiting dashboards
General information only, not legal advice. Check the rules that apply to you.