Lead pipelines and workflows

From first enquiry to active matter,
one connected pipeline.

The lead workflow editor showing the Default Pipeline as connected stages, from New through Contacted and Qualified to Won

Every lead qualifies, every matter gets the right workflow, every task assigns itself. MatterFirst replaces the spreadsheet-and-email intake process with a structured, automated pipeline.

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Encrypted at rest and in transit Australian data residency Hosted on AWS No lock-in contracts Guided setup available Your data exportable on request

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What does client intake software do for a law firm?

It captures every enquiry in one place regardless of where it came from, qualifies it against your criteria, and converts it into a matter without rekeying. In MatterFirst the conversion also starts the matter's workflow, so the file opens with its tasks, roles and key dates already set.

Converting a qualified lead into a matter, with the matter type and workflow selected
The moment a lead becomes a matter. Choosing the type here is what starts the workflow, assigns the tasks and sets the key dates.

Intake sources

Every lead, from every channel, one place

Referral partners, web forms, direct entry or API: every new enquiry lands in a single, structured pipeline. No more leads lost in email.

  • Public intake forms configurable per matter type
  • Referral partner submissions, by API credential or public intake form
  • API and webhook ingestion for programmatic intake
  • Qualify, defer or mark lost in one action from the board

Capability 1 of 4

Every enquiry lands in one pipeline.

Lead pipeline

Qualify, nurture and convert, visually

Drag-and-drop pipeline boards give your team a clear view of every lead's status. Filter by source, type, date or assignee.

  • Kanban board view with custom pipeline stages
  • Priority, source, jurisdiction and follow-up date on every lead
  • Pipeline analytics: conversion rate, velocity, loss reasons and source performance
  • Automatic owner assignment through an automation rule

Capability 2 of 4

The whole pipeline, visible on one board.

Matter workflows

Lead converts. Workflow starts. Automatically.

When a lead becomes a matter, MatterFirst assigns the right workflow, creates tasks, sends emails and sets deadlines, all without manual intervention.

  • Visual drag-and-drop workflow builder
  • Sequential and conditional steps, with entry requirements that hold a matter until a named person signs off
  • Step-triggered tasks, emails and document generation
  • Template packs with pre-built workflows per practice area

Capability 3 of 4

Convert the lead, the workflow takes over.

Reporting

See where leads come from, and where they go

Pipeline conversion rates, matter source attribution, team workload and revenue in flight, all from real-time dashboards.

  • Lead source attribution and conversion tracking
  • Average time from enquiry to converted matter
  • Team workload by fee earner, and matter mix by type
  • Pipeline value across the active stages

Capability 4 of 4

Source to settlement, fully attributed.

MatterFirst is a legal practice management platform for Australian law firms, built by NorthCape Technology, covering matters, documents, trust accounting, billing and a client portal, with data hosted in the AWS region the firm chooses.

This suits firms taking enquiries through more than one channel: a website form, the phone, referral partners. It suits firms who suspect they are losing enquiries and cannot prove it, because the pipeline makes that visible. A firm whose work arrives entirely by repeat instruction from a handful of clients will get less from it.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Where can leads come from?
Public intake forms on your own site, referral partner submissions over their own API credential, direct entry by whoever answered the phone, or the API. Each source is recorded, so you can see which channel actually produces matters rather than which produces enquiries.
What happens when a lead converts?
It becomes a matter of the type you choose, carrying its contacts and documents, and the workflow template for that type starts: tasks assigned, roles filled, key dates set. Nothing is retyped.
Can we track why we lost a lead?
Yes. Leads close with a reason, and the analytics view breaks conversion down by source and by reason. It is the least glamorous part of this and usually the most useful.
Where is my data stored?
In the AWS region your firm chooses. Sydney (ap-southeast-2) is the default for Australian firms. Matter data, documents, extraction and matter questions all stay in that region. The one exception is the first step of Document AI, reading the document itself, which runs on Azure AI Document Intelligence in Azure's Australia East region. Both regions are in Australia.
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, which is why trust accounting and Xero are first-class rather than regional add-ons, and why PEXA and InfoTrack are on the roadmap rather than absent from it.
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

Ready to streamline your intake?

Book a demo and we will walk through your intake pipeline and the workflow that fires when a lead becomes a matter.

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