Creating a New Matter

This section outlines the process for setting up a new matter within the Yao system.

Accessing the New Matter Screen

1. Select Matters from the main navigation menu, typically located on the left side of your screen.

   
   

   
   

1. On the main Matters page, find and click the New Matter button. This button is often situated beneath a list of your most recently viewed matters.

1. Clicking New Matter opens the dedicated matter creation screen.

Client Details

• Selecting the Client:

• Begin typing the client's name in the Client field. Yao will display matching contacts from your database. Select the correct one.

  

• If the client is new to your firm, click the relevant option 'Create a Contact' adjacent to the Client field. This action opens the contact creation form. Input the client's details and save the new contact record.

  

• Important: After creating and saving the new contact, you must return to the matter creation screen and select that newly created contact in the Client field.

• Adding Multiple Clients: If the matter involves more than one client (e.g., joint purchasers), use the Add Client button to add subsequent clients. Repeat the selection or creation process for each one.

• Removing a Client: If you add a client by mistake before saving the matter, click the red 'X' icon next to their name to remove them.

  

Case Contacts (Other Parties)

• Purpose: This section is for linking other parties involved in the matter who are not your firm's clients. Common examples include:

• Opposing solicitors

• Estate agents

• Lenders or brokers

• Expert witnesses

• Insurers

• Courts or tribunals

• Tenants

• Search providers

• Adding Case Contacts: Click the Add Case Contact button. Search for and select an existing contact from your database, or create a new contact record if they don't exist yet.

• Category: For each Case Contact added, choose a Category from the dropdown list which best describes their role in this specific matter (e.g., 'Lender', 'Counsel', 'Defendant'). This helps organise the matter information.

• Reference: If the Case Contact has provided a specific reference number for this matter (e.g., the opposing solicitor's file reference), enter it into the Reference field. This reference can often be automatically merged into letters or documents generated for this matter via Yao templates.

• Multiple Contacts: Use the Add Case Contact button repeatedly to add all relevant non-client parties to the matter.

  
  

Core Matter Details (Mandatory Fields)

These fields are essential and must be completed to save the new matter:

• Matter Name: Assign a clear, descriptive name which easily identifies the matter (e.g., "Sale of Flat 5, High Street", "ABC Limited v XYZ Trading Contract Dispute").

• Department: Select the appropriate legal department within your firm from the dropdown list (e.g., 'Conveyancing', 'Litigation', 'Private Client'). Departments are usually configured by your firm's Yao administrator.

• Matter Type: After selecting a Department, choose the specific Matter Type which corresponds to the work being undertaken (e.g., 'Freehold Sale', 'Debt Recovery - Defended'). The available Matter Types may be filtered based on the selected Department.

• Responsible Lawyer: Select the fee earner who holds primary day-to-day responsibility for handling the matter.

• Responsible Supervisor: Select the solicitor, partner, or designated individual who has ultimate supervisory responsibility for the matter within the firm's structure. This might be different from the Responsible Lawyer.

Optional Personnel Assignments

You can also formally assign other team members who might work on the file:

• Paralegal

• Assistant

• Secretary / Administrator

Select the relevant individuals from the dropdown lists if applicable.

Financial Settings

• Default Rate (Optional): If you need to apply a specific, uniform hourly rate for all time recorded on this matter, regardless of which fee earner records the time, enter that rate here. If left blank, Yao will use the standard default rates assigned to each individual fee earner.

• Financial Limit (Recommended): Entering the agreed fee estimate or costs budget in this field is strongly advised (e.g., £2,000). Yao utilises this figure to provide visual cues as costs accrue:

• An alert or colour change (e.g., yellow) may trigger when recorded fees reach a predefined percentage (e.g., 80%) of the limit.

• Another alert or colour change (e.g., red) may indicate when the limit is reached or exceeded (e.g., 100%).

• This helps you monitor budgets and inform clients about costs proactively.

• Matter Interest Rate (Optional): If you anticipate holding client funds where interest calculation under SRA Accounts Rules (or by specific agreement) is required, enter the applicable annual interest rate here.

Access Control

• Make it Private (Optional): If the matter is confidential and access should be restricted, activate the Make it Private toggle. When enabled, only users specifically assigned roles on this matter (Responsible Lawyer, Supervisor, Paralegal, etc.) can view or access it. Note: Users with high-level administrative permissions ('Super Users') may still be able to access private matters.

Additional Optional Information

Source of Introduction: You can select or enter how the client came to the firm (e.g., 'Referral', 'Website Enquiry', 'Repeat Business'). This aids internal reporting.

Linked Account: If your firm uses specific designated client accounts for certain matters (e.g., separate high-interest accounts), you might be able to link the relevant account here.

Correspondence Wording (Optional): Some Yao configurations might include fields to customise standard wording (like salutations or references) specifically for letters generated from this matter. The use of these fields depends heavily on how your firm's document templates have been set up. Check with your administrator if unsure.

Finishing Matter Creation

After entering all required and desired information, click the Finish (or Create Matter, Save) button, typically located at the bottom of the screen.

Yao will usually run an automated Conflict Check based on the client and case contact details entered. You will be notified if any potential conflicts are identified according to your firm's rules.

Provided there are no prohibitive conflicts, the matter record will be created, and you will typically be redirected to the main page or dashboard for that new matter.