MatterPhase

Description: Represents a phase or stage within a matter. Matters are typically broken down into phases to track progress and organize work.

Type Structure

Type Name: MatterPhase

Fields:

Id: String! - Unique identifier for the matter phase
Number: String! - Matter phase reference number (e.g., PH-2023-001-A)
Name: String! - Descriptive name of the phase

Example Usage

The MatterPhase type is typically returned as part of matter queries:


curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "query": "query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }"
  }' \
  https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql

Example Response


{
  "data": {
    "AllMatters": [
      {
        "Id": "5f8d0d5a7b3e4f1234567890",
        "Number": "MAT-2023-001",
        "Name": "Corporate Restructuring Project",
        "Phases": [
          {
            "Id": "5f8d0d5a7b3e4f1234567892",
            "Number": "PH-2023-001-A",
            "Name": "Discovery Phase"
          },
          {
            "Id": "5f8d0d5a7b3e4f1234567893",
            "Number": "PH-2023-001-B",
            "Name": "Implementation Phase"
          },
          {
            "Id": "5f8d0d5a7b3e4f1234567894",
            "Number": "PH-2023-001-C",
            "Name": "Review Phase"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Field Details

Id

Type: String! (Non-null String)
Description: System-generated unique identifier for the matter phase
Example: "5f8d0d5a7b3e4f1234567892"
Usage: Used for internal references and relationships

Number

Type: String! (Non-null String)
Description: Human-readable reference number assigned to the matter phase
Example: "PH-2023-001-A"
Format: Typically follows a pattern like PH-YYYY-NNN-X where YYYY is the year, NNN is the matter number, and X is the phase letter
Usage: Used for phase identification in documents and communications

Name

Type: String! (Non-null String)
Description: Descriptive name of the phase
Example: "Discovery Phase"
Usage: Display purposes and phase identification

Relationships

The MatterPhase type has relationships with:

Matter: Each phase belongs to exactly one matter (one-to-many relationship from Matter to MatterPhase)
Activity: Activities are associated with specific matter phases for time tracking

Best Practices

Phase Identification: Use the Number field for phase references in external systems
Complete Context: When querying phases, always include them within the context of their parent matter
Time Tracking: Associate time entries with specific phases for accurate billing and reporting
Progress Tracking: Use phases to monitor progress through different stages of a matter

Common Use Cases

Project Phasing: Break down matters into logical phases or stages
Time Entry: Record time spent on specific phases of a matter
Progress Tracking: Monitor which phases have been completed
Resource Allocation: Allocate resources based on current phase
Billing: Create phase-specific invoices
Reporting: Generate reports by phase for better project insights

Phase Examples

Typical Matter Phases

Discovery Phase: Initial research and information gathering
Analysis Phase: Review and analyze collected information
Implementation Phase: Execute the planned actions
Review Phase: Quality assurance and final review
Completion Phase: Final delivery and handover

Query Examples

Get All Matters with Phases

cURL


curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "query": "query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }"
  }' \
  https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql

C#


using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text.Json;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var query = @"
            query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }
        ";
 
        using var httpClient = new HttpClient();
        httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization =
            new System.Net.Http.Headers.AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN");
 
        var response = await httpClient.PostAsync(
            "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
            new StringContent(query, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
 
        var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
        Console.WriteLine(content);
    }
}

VB.NET


Imports System.Net.Http
 
Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim query As String = "
            query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }
        "
 
        Using httpClient As New HttpClient()
            httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = _
                New System.Net.Http.Headers.AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN")
 
            Dim response = httpClient.PostAsync(
                "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
                New StringContent(query, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json")).Result
 
            Dim content = response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().Result
            Console.WriteLine(content)
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

JavaScript


const query = `
  query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }
`;
 
const data = await request(
  'https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql',
  query,
  {},
  {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
  }
);

Python


import requests
 
query = """
query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Phases { Id Number Name } } }
"""
 
headers = {
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
}
 
response = requests.post(
  "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
  json={"query": query},
  headers=headers
)
 
print(response.json())

Get Complete Matter Information with Phases

cURL


curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "query": "query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Client { Id Number Name } Phases { Id Number Name } } }"
  }' \
  https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql

C#


using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text.Json;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
class Program
{
    static async Task Main(string[] args)
    {
        var query = @"
            query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Client { Id Number Name } Phases { Id Number Name } } }
        ";
 
        using var httpClient = new HttpClient();
        httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization =
            new System.Net.Http.Headers.AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN");
 
        var response = await httpClient.PostAsync(
            "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
            new StringContent(query, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
 
        var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
        Console.WriteLine(content);
    }
}

VB.NET


Imports System.Net.Http
 
Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim query As String = "
            query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Client { Id Number Name } Phases { Id Number Name } } }
        "
 
        Using httpClient As New HttpClient()
            httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = _
                New System.Net.Http.Headers.AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN")
 
            Dim response = httpClient.PostAsync(
                "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
                New StringContent(query, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json")).Result
 
            Dim content = response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().Result
            Console.WriteLine(content)
        End Using
    End Sub
End Module

JavaScript


const query = `
  query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Client { Id Number Name } Phases { Id Number Name } } }
`;
 
const data = await request(
  'https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql',
  query,
  {},
  {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
  }
);

Python


import requests
 
query = """
query { AllMatters { Id Number Name Client { Id Number Name } Phases { Id Number Name } } }
"""
 
headers = {
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
}
 
response = requests.post(
  "https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql",
  json={"query": query},
  headers=headers
)
 
print(response.json())

Integration with Activities

Matter phases are used in the CreateActivityForUserWithNumbers mutation to associate time entries with specific phases:


curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "query": "mutation CreateActivity($input: CreateActivityForUserWithNumbers!) { CreateActivityForUserWithNumbers(createActivityForUserWithNumbers: $input) { Id } }",
    "variables": {
      "input": {
        "UserEmail": "john.doe@company.com",
        "ApplicableDate": "2023-11-15",
        "MatterNumber": "MAT-2023-001",
        "MatterPhaseNumber": "PH-2023-001-A",
        "ActivityTypeNumber": "ACT-001",
        "UnitNumber": "UNIT-001",
        "Description": "Conducted legal research during discovery phase",
        "BillableQuantity": 3.5,
        "NonBillableQuantity": 1.0
      }
    }
  }' \
  https://sandbox.drivepractice.com/api/v1/graphql

In this example, the MatterPhaseNumber field specifies which phase the activity belongs to, enabling detailed tracking and reporting by phase.