Automatic time capture

Automatic time capture,
with you in control.

Keep a reviewable record of matter-linked activity. Check the source and duration before turning a suggestion into a time entry.

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Encrypted in transit Documents and AI in Australia No lock-in contracts Guided setup available Your data exportable on request

Last reviewed

Does MatterFirst capture time automatically?

Automatic time capture generates reviewable suggestions from matter-linked meetings, sent and received emails, added documents and file notes. Meetings use calendar durations; other activities produce estimated durations for review. Time entries are created only after acceptance.

MatterFirst time suggestion: calendar source, reviewed hours, editable description and non-billable control
Current product · synthetic data. A 30-minute sample meeting is reviewed and adjusted to 0.4 hours, with Billable off. Add creates a draft entry only after acceptance.

Follow the review journey

  1. 1. Inspect the source

    Review the meeting, email, document or file note linked to the matter.

  2. 2. Check the duration

    Calendar meetings use their scheduled duration. Other activities use estimates: adjust them to the work actually performed.

  3. 3. Decide how to record it

    Mark non-billable where appropriate. Accept to create a draft time entry, or reject the suggestion.

  4. 4. Refresh and control

    Use Look again for recent activity or let overnight capture prepare suggestions. Set firm and personal preferences.

Included on Solo, Practice, Firm and Enterprise. View included users, extra-seat rates and AI allowances.

Inspect the synthetic product walkthrough →

Sources

Matter-linked work becomes reviewable suggestions

Automatic time capture generates reviewable suggestions from matter-linked meetings, sent and received emails, added documents and file notes. Meetings use calendar durations; other activities produce estimated durations for review. Time entries are created only after acceptance.

  • Meetings attended or created and linked to a matter
  • Sent emails and received emails filed or matched to a matter
  • Documents added by the user and file notes, including call notes
  • Client-uploaded documents are not treated as staff work

Capability 1 of 3

Sources you can inspect.

Review

You decide what becomes an entry

Review the source, adjust the duration, mark work non-billable, and accept or reject each suggestion. Capture runs overnight; use Look again for a manual refresh. Firm and personal controls let you turn capture off.

  • Inspect supporting activity
  • Adjust duration to actual work
  • Mark non-billable, accept or reject
  • Accepted suggestions create draft time entries for normal billing review

Capability 2 of 3

Acceptance comes before a time entry.

Controls

Capture overnight. Refresh when needed.

Overnight capture collects the previous day’s eligible activity using the firm’s calendar. Look again checks recent activity. Firm and personal preferences control capture.

  • Overnight collection
  • Manual refresh of recent activity
  • Firm and personal controls
  • Accepted and rejected choices are retained on recapture

Capability 3 of 3

A review queue that fits your work.

MatterFirst is an AI-native legal practice management platform for Australian law firms, focused on boutique firms of approximately 1–20 users, built by NorthCape Technology, covering matters, AI document work, configurable workflows, automatic time capture for review, Matti, built-in signing, trust accounting, billing and a client portal, with firm and matter visibility of MatterFirst AI usage charges.

For Australian boutique firms billing hourly or monitoring effort on fixed-fee matters. Evaluate the activity sources you use: MatterFirst captures matter-linked platform activity rather than monitoring time spent in desktop Word or Outlook.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does MatterFirst have automatic time capture?
Automatic time capture generates reviewable suggestions from matter-linked meetings, sent and received emails, added documents and file notes. Meetings use calendar durations; other activities produce estimated durations for review. Time entries are created only after acceptance.
Can I correct or reject captured time?
Review the source, adjust the duration, mark work non-billable, and accept or reject each suggestion. Capture runs overnight; use Look again for a manual refresh. Firm and personal controls let you turn capture off.
Does it monitor my desktop activity?
MatterFirst uses matter-linked activity in the platform, not desktop monitoring of time spent in Word or Outlook. It complements manual entries and timers.
Is time capture powered by an AI model?
Time suggestions use calendar durations and activity-based estimates rather than an AI model. Review the duration against the work you actually performed before accepting.
Which plans include automatic time capture?
Automatic time capture for review is included on Solo, Practice, Firm and Enterprise. Plan user limits and extra-seat charges still apply.
Where is my data stored?
The application runs on Fly.io in Sydney. Database and backups are hosted on Fly.io Managed high-availability PostgreSQL clusters in Sydney. Documents are stored in Amazon Web Services S3 in Sydney. Document extraction and matter questions run on Amazon Web Services Bedrock in Australia, and reading a scanned document runs in Microsoft Azure's Australia East region. These locations describe the application, document storage, database, backups and document AI services. The trust evidence page at /trust records the scope and dated evidence for each published control.
How much does MatterFirst cost?
Pricing is per workspace rather than per seat, starting at $199 per month for Solo. Each plan includes a set number of users, a monthly AI balance in Australian dollars, the client portal and automations. Extra users are billed only past the included seats. Full plan inclusions are on the pricing page.
Can I get my data out if I leave?
Yes. Your matters, contacts, documents and time records are exportable on request, and there is no lock-in contract. We would rather you were able to leave and chose not to.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, a 14 day guided trial on Solo, Practice or Firm. It is guided rather than self-serve because a practice management system tells you very little until it has your real matters in it, and we would rather help you load them than leave you looking at an empty workspace.
Who builds MatterFirst?
NorthCape Technology, a Melbourne-based software company. MatterFirst is built in Australia for Australian legal practice, with trust accounting and Xero as first-class capabilities. Available through coordinated setup: PEXA, InfoTrack. Coordinated manual setup is arranged with MatterFirst and the provider.
Is MatterFirst suitable for a firm of my size?
It is designed for solo practitioners up to firms of roughly twenty seats. Below that, Solo carries the full platform for one user. Above it, the platform works but you should expect to talk to us about migration and rollout rather than signing up online.

Reviewed by Nick Hallam

Co-founder and Operations Director, NorthCape Technology

Aerospace engineer by background, and the one who talks to firms about how they actually run. Reviews the pages that describe how a practice works day to day.

Last reviewed

Review the work. Capture the time.

Bring your billing requirements to a demo and inspect the suggestions, sources and acceptance controls.

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