What's the Difference Between Active Status and Status on Matters?

When working with Matter records in Centerbase, it is important to understand the distinction between the two Status fields: Active Status and Matter Status. Though their names may seem similar, these fields serve entirely different purposes.

Active Status

The Active Status field indicates whether a record is active or inactive in Centerbase. This is a system-defined field that applies to all Item Types in Centerbase. Here are some key points about Active Status:

• Options: The field can only be set to Active or Inactive.

• Search Behavior: By default, inactive records are excluded from search results and item lists.

• Purpose: Marking a Matter as Inactive removes it from search visibility and item lists, effectively archiving it from everyday use without deleting it from the system.

Status (or Matter Status)

The Status field is a custom field designed to reflect the real-life status of a Matter. This field can be configured by your firm to align with your specific workflows. Here are some details:

• Customization: Each firm defines its own Matter Status options, such as "Open," "Pending," "Closed," or other relevant statuses.

• Display: The Matter Status will display tile on the Matter record when tiles are enabled.

• Independent of Active Status: Setting a Matter as "Closed" in the Matter Status field does not automatically mark the Matter as Inactive in the Active Status field.

Ensuring Matters are Properly Managed

To ensure Matters are removed from search results when appropriate, they must be set to Inactive in the Active Status field. This prevents timekeepers from selecting the incorrect matter in error.

If you need to deactivate multiple Matters, you can follow these steps:

1. Search for Closed Matters Still Marked as Active: Create a query to locate Matters where the Matter Status is "Closed" but the Active Status remains "Active."

   

2. Mass Update Active Status: Once the query results are displayed, you can use the Multi-Select Matters > Actions > Set Inactive option to set the matters as Inactive

Need Assistance?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to email support@centerbase.com. We’re here to help!