Documents in Legal live inside matters. Before you can create or upload a document, you need an open matter to attach it to. Once attached, a document can be edited, converted to PDF, sent for signature, or reviewed with inline comments.
Step 1: Open or Create a Matter
- Go to Legal > Matters.
- If the matter already exists, open it. If not, click New Matter, fill in the title, description, matter type, priority, client, and assigned attorney, then save. The matter starts in Draft status.
Step 2: Add a Document to the Matter
- Inside the matter, go to the Documents tab.
- Click Upload to attach a file from your device. For large files, click Get Upload URL to upload directly to storage without routing through the browser.
- The document appears in the matter's document list with a type of
original.
Step 3: Create a Document from a Template
If you want to start from a template rather than uploading a file:
- Go to Legal > Templates and find the template you want to use.
- Click Render — Legal prompts you to fill in the template's variables (for example,
{{client_name}}or{{effective_date}}). - The rendered document is produced and can be saved directly to a matter.
Platform-provided templates cover common document types: NDAs, MSAs, engagement letters, BAAs, SOC 2 gap analyses, and more. They are available to every organization. You can fork any platform template to create your own editable copy.
Step 4: Set the Document Type
When uploading, you can set the document_type field. The default type is original. Other type values may be used to distinguish drafts, redlines, or final versions depending on how your organization classifies documents.
Step 5: Work With the Document
After a document is in a matter, you can:
- Generate PDF — produce a PDF version for sharing or signing
- Download — get a direct download link from storage
- Send for Signature — route the document to signers via the e-signature integration (see E-Signatures)
- Add Comments — leave inline comments anchored to specific text and manage a redline workflow with collaborators or attorneys
FAQ
Can I add multiple documents to one matter? Yes. A matter can hold any number of documents. Each document has its own status, version, and e-signature state.
What file types can I upload? Legal stores documents in Azure Blob Storage and does not enforce a specific file type. PDF generation is available for documents that support it. For best results with e-signature and PDF workflows, use standard document formats.
Can I version a document? Documents track an internal version field that increments when updated. To see and manage multiple drafts of the same document, create separate document entries on the matter or use template versioning (templates keep a full version history — see Document Templates).