Plain-language definitions of terms you'll see around Matterly. Skim it once, or come back whenever a word is unfamiliar.
People and roles
| Term |
What it means |
| Super Admin |
The person who runs the whole platform: adds firms, sets plans and prices, and manages billing. Usually the software owner or reseller. |
| Firm Admin |
The owner or manager of a single firm. Full control of that one practice. |
| Staff |
A firm employee (paralegal, receptionist, accountant…) who only sees the menus their permissions allow. |
| Client |
A person or business the firm acts for. Clients can book consultations, pay, fill in Smart Forms and follow their matters in the client portal. |
| Impersonation |
When the Super Admin temporarily "enters" a firm to see and use its panel as that firm's admin. An orange banner shows while this is happening. |
Plans, billing and money
| Term |
What it means |
| Plan |
A subscription tier a firm pays for (e.g. Starter, Professional), with its own limits and features. |
| Subscription |
A firm's active plan: what it pays, how often, and when it renews. |
| MRR |
Monthly Recurring Revenue, the predictable subscription income the platform earns each month. |
| AI Credits |
A firm's balance for using AI tools. Each AI action uses some credits; when they run out, AI tools pause until topped up. |
| SMS credits |
A firm's balance for client texts sent through the platform's SMS account. Each SMS part uses credits; firms with their own provider keys use none. |
| Client invoice |
A bill from a firm to a client for work on their matter. |
| Platform invoice |
A bill from the platform to a firm for its subscription. |
| Coupon |
A discount code applied to platform invoices (not client matters). |
Practice areas and matters
| Term |
What it means |
| Practice area |
An area of law you offer (e.g. "Family Law") with a consultation fee and photos. |
| Matter |
A client's case file: who, which practice area, and the key dates. New matters get a reference like MAT-7K2Q9D. |
| Stage |
Where a matter is in your firm's workflow (for example Intake or Discovery). Stages are the columns of the matter board; the matter's status still drives billing and reminders. |
| Pipeline |
The ordered set of stages a matter moves through. Firms have a default pipeline and can add one per practice area. |
| Custom field |
A case detail your firm records on matters, such as the court or a case number. |
| Open / Active / Closed |
A matter's progress: accepted, under way, then finished. |
| Caseload |
The matters your firm is currently working on. |
| Case task |
A piece of work on a matter, such as a filing, review, call or court preparation, with an assignee and priority. |
Smart Forms
| Term |
Meaning |
| Smart Form |
A legal document with fields inside the wording that a client fills in and signs online. Also called LegalFrame. |
| Secure link |
A form's own web address, with a random 32-character code that cannot be guessed. |
| Access PIN |
An optional code the client must enter before a Smart Form opens. |
| Submission |
One client's completed Smart Form, with their answers, signature and a PDF copy. |
| Request changes |
Sending a submission back to the client, with the answers to fix flagged and an optional note. |
| Changes view |
The history of a resubmitted form: each request and every answer that changed, before and after. |
| Showcase form |
The Smart Form the homepage links visitors to (Try a live Smart Form), chosen by the Super Admin. |
Website, clients and messaging
| Term |
What it means |
| Website Builder |
The tool for building your firm's public website from drag-and-drop content blocks. |
| Slug |
The short name for your firm in web addresses, e.g. the sterling-whitfield in /firm/sterling-whitfield. |
| Client Inbox |
One place to read and reply to client messages from the website chatbot and WhatsApp. |
| Chatbot |
The AI assistant on your public site that answers client questions. |
| Knowledge Base |
The documents you give the chatbot (policies, FAQs, directions) so it answers accurately. |
Setup and technical terms
| Term |
What it means |
| SMTP |
The email-sending service that lets Matterly deliver confirmations and invoices. |
| Payment gateway |
A service (Stripe, Razorpay, PayPal, LigdiCash) that processes clients' card or mobile money payments online. |
| Pay at firm |
The client books online but pays in person at the reception. |
| Webhook |
An automatic behind-the-scenes message a service sends back to Matterly (for example, a payment provider confirming a payment). Usually set up once by a developer. |
| API key / token |
A secret code that connects Matterly to another service (OpenAI, a payment gateway, WhatsApp). Keep it private. |
| KPI |
Key Performance Indicator, a headline number like caseload or revenue shown on dashboards. |
| Demo mode |
A read-only trial mode where you can explore every screen but changes aren't saved. Off on real installations. |
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