Case Notes, Diary & Stages

Once a matter is open, keeping an accurate record of proceedings, court orders, client conferences, and milestones is vital for professional accountability.

---

The Matter Lifecycle Stages

MtaaLex organizes legal cases through standard progressive stages:

1. Intake & Instructions: Retainer signed, initial facts gathered, conflict check cleared.
2. Pre-Action / Demand: Notice of intention to sue issued, response awaited.
3. Pleadings Stage: Plaint/Petition filed, Summons served, Defense/Reply filed.
4. Pre-Trial Conference & Discovery: Witness statements, lists of documents, and issues framed.
5. Hearing & Submissions: Examination of witnesses, filing of written legal submissions.
6. Judgment & Ruling: Formal pronouncement delivered by the Court.
7. Execution & Closure: Decrees extracted, auctioneer instructions, fee note finalized.

You can advance the stage at any time from the status dropdown on the case overview banner.

---

Adding Internal Case Notes

Advocates often need to log privileged internal memos, client telephone records, and court attendance notes:

1. Inside the Case workspace, click on the Notes tab.
2. Click + Add Case Note.
3. Type your observations (e.g., "Court attended before Hon. Justice Mwangi. Mention scheduled for 24th Oct for directions on the interlocutory injunction application.").
4. Select note visibility:
   • General: Visible to all advocates assigned to the case.
   • Confidential / Private: Restricted strictly to Lead Counsel and Managing Partners.
5. Click Save Note. Notes are timestamped and attributed with the author's initials.