Creating your firm

Signing up creates two things at once: your own Mattersimple account and your firm. You become the firm's owner, which means you can do everything in it, and the firm starts a free trial with every feature switched on.

Sign up#

1. Go to the Mattersimple sign-up page.
2. Enter your first name, last name, email and a password.
3. Enter your firm name. You can change it later in General settings.
4. Check the firm timezone. It's filled in from your browser, but pick another if your firm works on a different clock. Every date and time in your firm (deadlines, reminders, invoice dates) is entered and shown in this timezone.
5. Choose a subdomain. Your website and client portal live at your-subdomain.mattersimple.com.
6. Choose your firm's Country and its State (US) or Province or territory (Canada), then tick the box confirming that your firm is based in and practises from there. See Where Mattersimple is available.
7. Accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If the platform has published a Data Processing Agreement, also accept it on behalf of your firm (click its name to read it). Then click Register.

The subdomain can't be changed after signup, so choose something short that clients can type easily.

Verify your email#

Mattersimple emails you a link to confirm your address. Click it to reach your firm. If it doesn't arrive, check your spam folder or click Resend verification email on the Verify your email screen.

One account, one firm#

Each person belongs to one firm at a time. To add colleagues, invite them from the Team page: see Inviting and managing your team. Someone who already belongs to another firm can't be invited.

What to do next#

The first time you open your dashboard, the Quick start opens by itself. Afterwards, click the Quick start button at the top right of the dashboard to open it again. It shows five steps, and each one ticks itself off once it's done:

1. Add your practice areas, the kinds of work you take on.
2. Add your first contact.
3. Open a matter with that contact as the client.
4. Review your General settings: timezone, currency, taxes and invoice terms. Opening the page ticks this step.
5. Invite your team and give them roles.

Click a step to go straight to the page where you do it. The step to do next is marked Next. Under When you're ready you'll find setting up online payments, customizing your website and going live. Remember to choose a plan before your trial ends.

The Quick start goes away once every step is done. To hide it sooner, click Dismiss. This hides it for everyone in your firm, and it can't be brought back.