Matters gives every matter a place to run a conflict check and record the result, so the answer is on the file if anyone ever asks.
Why record it on the matter
Clearing conflicts is best done before real work starts. Doing it early, and writing down what you found, means you are not relying on memory months later. The record lives in the matter's Conflict check section, next to the parties and court details it relates to.
What the check captures
The Conflict check section holds the full picture of the search you ran:
- Who ran the check.
- Whether the check is completed.
- The date and time it was run.
- The result and the outcome you reached.
- Notes, for anything that needs explaining.
- Any related matters that turned up.
How to run one
- Open the matter. Start a new file through Matter Intake, or open an existing one from All Matters.
- Run the check. Use the conflict check action on the matter. It reviews related matters, the parties, opposing counsel, and the client details already on the file, so you are searching against real records rather than a blank form.
- Read what comes back. Look over any related matters that surface. These are the files most likely to raise a concern, so give them a proper look before you decide.
- Record the outcome. Set the result and outcome, add notes for anything that needs context, and mark the check completed. Confirm who ran it and that the date and time are right.
Run the check during intake, before the file moves forward. A conflict found on day one is a quick conversation. The same conflict found after work has started is a much harder problem.
When something turns up
If the check surfaces a related matter or a party you already act against, do not simply carry on. Note what you found in the conflict notes, set the outcome to reflect it, and follow your firm's process for clearing or declining the file. The point of recording it is that the decision, and the reasoning behind it, stays with the matter.
If new parties join the file later, run a further check. Add a fresh note so the history of what was checked, and when, stays clear.
Where it shows up later
Because the result is stored on the matter, it travels with the file. Anyone with access can open the matter and see that the check was done, who did it, and what was decided. That is exactly what you want on hand if a regulator, a partner, or a client ever asks how the firm cleared the file to proceed.