What’s the difference between legal matter, case, practice and document management?

Matter management focuses on organising and tracking the details of individual legal matters or client files. It ensures that every piece of information, from client instructions and correspondence to billing and payment details, is stored in a central place, making it easier to manage work efficiently and accurately. 

For example, a family law solicitor handling a divorce case will need to track multiple meetings, deadlines and documents specific to that client. Matter management software allows the legal team to capture all relevant details in one location, reducing the risk of missed deadlines or lost correspondence. This helps firms to improve client communication by keeping all matter-related information accessible to authorised team members, enabling better service and quicker response times. 

While matter management is focused on individual client matters, case management takes a broader approach to managing the legal workflow across a firm. Case management software tracks progress, deadlines and responsibilities across multiple matters, offering a structured view of the firm’s active work. 

For instance, a commercial law firm handling several property transactions simultaneously needs visibility of the stages each case is at, upcoming deadlines, and which associates are responsible for key tasks. Case management software allows the firm to monitor these efficiently, avoiding bottlenecks and ensuring consistent client service. Take a look at our comparison of case management vs matter management software to explore these differences in more detail. 

Our case management software comes in different forms: Access Legal Case Management Evo, our web-based case management software, and Access Legal Proclaim, our cloud-based case management software. Both tools help law firms to streamline processes, track case progress and manage resources effectively, but offer different benefits that may make them more suitable for your practice. Take a look for yourself to see how they compare. 

Understanding case vs practice management and their specific requirements helps legal firms to determine whether they need a tool focused on individual workflows or broader firm-wide operations. 

Practice management software supports the broader administration of a law firm beyond individual matters or cases. It covers financial management, time recording, resource allocation, compliance and reporting, providing a central hub for running the firm efficiently. This is particularly useful for managing billing for multiple matters, allocating tasks to different teams, and producing performance reports. 

As well as simplifying processes across your organisation, practice management software also allows firms to gain insights into profitability and areas for improvement to support strategic decision making. Our robust practice management software brings together operational, financial and client management tools in a single platform, placing all of your firm’s essential information at your fingertips. 

Staying on top of files and information is at the core of delivering effective legal services, making document management an essential function for law firms. Efficient document management systems allow you to organise, store and securely access legal files, contracts and correspondence, ensuring that teams can locate and share information quickly. 

Poor document management can lead to errors, duplication and compliance risks, all of which can impact client service and damage the firm’s reputation. By using integrated document management software, law firms can link documents to matters and cases, maintain version control, and enforce strict access permissions while tracking every change for accountability. 

Access Legal’s document management software simplifies this process, giving lawyers the confidence that all of their documents are accurate, secure and easy to retrieve. Features such as encrypted storage, secure access controls and audit trails protect sensitive client information and reduce compliance risks, giving you the peace of mind to focus on delivering excellent legal services. 

For firms looking to improve reporting and compliance, having a suite of integrated legal software that manages matter, case, practice and document management can provide significant advantages. Integrated systems streamline workflows and automate tasks such as data entry and document handling, reducing the time and effort spent on manual processes. This not only improves efficiency but also ensures that information is accurate, up to date, and consistent across the firm. 

By allowing multiple users to access and edit data simultaneously, integrated software enhances collaboration and communication, helping teams to work together more effectively. Real-time access to key metrics and insights also supports better decision making, enabling managers to allocate resources wisely and respond quickly to client needs. 

These efficiencies contribute directly to increased profitability, enabling law firms to optimise operations, reduce duplication, and free up time for high-value legal work. At the same time, clients benefit from faster, more responsive service that encourages repeat business. For firms considering digital transformation, having all four systems working together helps them to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving legal sector by ensuring that all operations run smoothly, enhancing productivity, and supporting scalable growth. 

“Firms that adopt an integrated legal software suite see measurable improvements in efficiency and client satisfaction. By linking case, matter, practice and document management into a single streamlined system, teams are better able to focus on delivering high-value legal work rather than getting bogged down in administration," says Clare Bonsall, Head of Product at Access Legal.  

Understanding the differences between case vs practice management, as well as the importance of matter and document management, helps law firms to choose the right tools to streamline workflows and deliver better client service. Each system serves a specific purpose, but must also work together to support smooth workflows and consistent client service across the firm. 

Access Legal offers a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to meet these needs. From modules including finance, accounting and business intelligence to learning, compliance, CRM and HR, our software is designed to help law firms to take control of their time, improve efficiency and maximise productivity. 

If you’d like to find out more about our solutions for matter management, case management, document management and practice management, simply book a demo or download our brochure to get started.