What each row records
| Property | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Matter | Puts the document on the case page |
| Classification | Separates, for example, pleadings, correspondence and privileged material |
| Tags | Issues, parties or witnesses for filtering |
| Review status | Shows what nobody has read yet |
| File or link | Where the document actually is |
Running the register
- Log a document as it arrives, not at the end of the matter.
- Review the Unreviewed view each week.
- Add placeholder rows for documents you are waiting for.
- At closure, check privileged and sensitive items before archiving.
Limits
The register does not store files securely beyond what Notion provides, perform OCR, detect duplicates or enforce retention. Decide with your firm where originals live and what information belongs in Notion.
A worked example
Take an illustrative employment dispute. A client sends a contract, three emails and a payslip. You add four rows to the Evidence database, all linked to the matter. The contract is classified as a contract, the emails as correspondence, the payslip as financial. Tags record the issue (notice period) and the party. All four start as Unreviewed. You also add a placeholder row for the personnel file you have asked the employer for, marked Awaiting.
Next week, the Unreviewed view shows what nobody has read. After review, the status changes and a short note records what the document proves or undermines. The Awaiting row keeps the gap visible on the matter page instead of in your memory.
Mistakes to avoid
- Logging documents in bulk at the end, when the context is gone.
- Using too many classifications; five or six are enough to filter on.
- Treating the register as the document store when originals live elsewhere.
- Forgetting to mark privileged or sensitive items before sharing a matter with a guest.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Evidence test?
- Do you know what you have, its status, and what is missing?
- Does MatterOS read documents with AI?
- Not on its own. You can use an assistant of your choice and decide what to record.
- Can I use it outside litigation?
- Yes. Any matter has documents worth classifying.
- Should files be stored in Notion?
- That is a choice. You can store links to files kept elsewhere.
- Can the register show what is missing?
- Yes, if you add placeholder rows for documents you are waiting for and give them an Awaiting status. Notion does not detect gaps by itself.
- How many classifications should I use?
- Few. Five or six that you will apply consistently are more useful than a long list that nobody remembers.
About the author
Raghav Handa trained as a lawyer, then spent years building legal technology, from enterprise legal products to custom systems for law firms.
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