Related matters and opening an appeal

A matter's parent and sub matters are its family. Related lists the other matters it stands beside: an appeal and the matter appealed, a counterclaim, matters on the same transaction, suits consolidated, a file that succeeds another.

Link a matter

1. Open the matter, then Related, and choose Link a matter.
2. Search for the other Matter by its number or name.
3. Choose how This matter is related to it, for example Appeal of or Same transaction as.
4. Add a Note saying why, and choose Link.

Each side reads the link its own way. Linked as Appeal of on the appeal, the original matter lists it as Appealed in; Succeeds reads as Succeeded by; Counterclaim in reads as Has a counterclaim in. Related to, Same transaction as and Consolidated with read the same from both sides.

Two matters are linked once, whichever way and whatever the kind. A matter is never linked to itself. To link, you need to be able to change both matters.

Change or unlink

Choose a link to read it whole: the other matter, how they stand, the note, and who linked them and when. From a link's menu, Change sets a different relationship or note. Unlink asks for the reason, which the matter's history and the deleted records keep. The pair may be linked again later.

A matter you may not open

Where the other matter is behind an ethical wall, confidential to its team or outside what you may read, the link keeps its place as A matter you may not open. Its number, name, status and note are not shown, and a search never finds it by its name.

Open an appeal

From the matter appealed, open the matter's actions menu beside its name and choose Open an appeal. The new matter form opens with the client, the responsible partner, the kind of matter and the currency of the original, and names it as the appeal.

1. Check the Matter name, which starts as the original's name with "(appeal)".
2. Under The appeal, choose the Stage it starts in, the court the appeal is heard in, from the kind of matter's stage set. Left empty, it starts in the set's first stage.
3. Choose the Team: the fee earners on the appeal beside the responsible partner.
4. Choose Create matter.

The appeal takes the other parties of the original in their roles, such as the defendant and opposing counsel, and is linked to it as Appeal of. It opens as any matter does: its own conflict check, and the firm's engagement rules before work starts. The original may already be closed.