Matter Type Identifier
This is a free tool for intake staff and general practitioners: describe a client enquiry in plain English, and the tool suggests a matter type, practice area, and the initial referral pathway — including whether the enquiry is likely in scope, out of scope, or conflicted out.
What this tool does
Intake is where most matter mis-classification happens, and mis-classified matters generate scope creep, conflict surprises, and write-offs later. This tool helps new intake staff and GP-style practitioners route enquiries consistently against a structured Australian practice area taxonomy.
How to use it
- Paste or type the client enquiry in plain English (3-5 sentences is plenty)
- Select the state or territory the client is in
- Review the suggested matter type, practice area, and urgency tier
- Check the "in scope / out of scope / escalate" recommendation
- Use the suggested intake questions to confirm the classification before opening the file
What you'll learn
- How to map a plain-English client enquiry to a structured matter type
- Which enquiries need escalation vs which can be handled by intake staff
- The urgency signals that should push an enquiry to the front of the queue
- Which jurisdictional factors change the classification
Interactive tool coming soon
The interactive Matter Type Identifier is currently in development. In the meantime, start a free Quillio trial — the time savings are real and measurable on your own matters within the first week.
Start free trialTool FAQs
Is this a replacement for a conflict check?
No. Conflict checking needs to happen against your own client and matter database. This tool helps you classify the enquiry so the conflict check can run against the right practice area filters — the two steps are complementary.
Does it work for every practice area?
The tool covers the most common AU practice areas: family, wills and estates, property, commercial, employment, personal injury, criminal, migration, and debt. Niche areas (for example, aviation law or native title) may need manual classification.
How does it handle multi-issue enquiries?
Client enquiries often span two or three issues — for example, separation plus property plus business partnership. The tool flags multi-issue matters and suggests which issue drives the primary matter type for billing and conflict purposes.
Can intake staff use this without legal training?
Yes — that is the main use case. The tool generates a classification and a set of suggested follow-up questions intake staff can ask, with a clear "escalate to a solicitor" flag for anything outside the routine patterns.
Does it identify urgent matters correctly?
It flags common urgency signals: impending court dates, recent family violence, approaching limitation periods, imminent eviction or repossession, and custody disputes. Urgent matters get a red flag and a recommendation to escalate immediately.
Is the classification taxonomy aligned to any industry standard?
The taxonomy aligns with Law Society of NSW, LIV, and Queensland Law Society practice area codes, and is compatible with the LEDES UTBMS task codes used by most practice management systems.
Test the savings on your own work
Quillio runs this classification automatically on every inbound email and enquiry, then suggests the matter open, conflict check, and next action. The free trial is where you see classified intake on your own enquiry queue.
This tool is an intake aid. Final matter classification, conflict clearance, and scope decisions are the responsibility of the supervising solicitor under the relevant conduct rules.
Stop estimating. Start measuring.
The free trial is the fastest way to know whether AI saves you the hours this calculator estimates. No credit card, no sales call — sign up and measure the difference in your first week.
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