Our product
Live nowMatterFirst: legal practice management software built by NorthCape Technology
MatterFirst is NorthCape Technology's live legal practice management platform for Australian law firms, designed primarily for boutique firms of approximately 1–20 users.
What it is
Practice management for boutique Australian law firms.
MatterFirst is legal practice management software: the system a law firm runs its matters, documents, time, billing and trust money through. NorthCape Technology designs, builds and operates it. It is designed primarily for boutique firms of approximately 1–20 users that do repeatable, document-heavy work with recognisable stages.
It grew out of our consulting work. Auditing and automating workflows for legal and conveyancing teams, we kept meeting the same problems: intake re-keyed into several systems, documents chased by email, and nobody quite sure where a matter stood. MatterFirst puts those pieces on one thread for each matter. It launched in 2026 and is live today.
What it covers
One platform from first enquiry to final bill.
These are the parts of a firm's day MatterFirst handles. Each is described in more detail on matterfirst.com, including trust accounting in MatterFirst.
Matters
Each matter holds its parties, key dates, documents, tasks, time and invoices, so the people working on it can see where it stands without asking.
Configurable workflows
A firm draws its process once as sequential and conditional steps, and every matter of that type follows it. A practice manager can maintain it without a consultant.
AI document work and Matti
MatterFirst reads parties, dates and figures from contracts and correspondence for a person to review. Matti, MatterFirst's AI assistant, is built into the platform.
Automatic time capture
Matter-linked meetings, emails, documents and file notes become time suggestions. Nothing is recorded until someone reviews and accepts it.
Billing
Invoices are raised from reviewed time and sync to Xero. The firm and each matter can see what MatterFirst AI usage is costing.
Trust accounting
Per-matter trust ledgers, receipts, withdrawals, reconciliation and disbursement records sit in the same platform as the matter and its bills.
Client portal
Clients see their matter's progress, documents and messages in one place instead of a long email thread.
Built-in signing
Documents go out for signature from the matter they belong to, without a separate signing service.
Integrations
What it connects to
Self-service today: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, Stripe. Available through coordinated setup: PEXA, InfoTrack.
Self-service connections are set up by the firm from inside MatterFirst. The others are arranged with the MatterFirst team during setup.
Hosting
Hosted in Australia
MatterFirst runs on Australian hosting. Where data is held and how it is protected are documented by MatterFirst itself, so the details stay current in one place: how MatterFirst hosts data in Australia.
Availability
Live, with a guided 14-day trial
MatterFirst is live and taking new firms. Each starts with a guided 14-day trial. Pricing is per workspace in Australian dollars and is published in full: MatterFirst pricing for Australian firms.
Founding 5, MatterFirst's founding firm program, is open until 31 December 2026 or until five agreements are signed, whichever comes first.
Who builds it
Built and run by NorthCape Technology.
MatterFirst is developed and operated by NorthCape Technology Pty Ltd (ABN 62 691 614 516), an Australian software company in Melbourne, Victoria, founded in 2025. The same team that builds MatterFirst runs NorthCape's private AI and workflow automation work for legal, conveyancing and matter-based teams, and what we learn in one feeds the other.
MatterFirst publishes its own account of the company, the product and the people behind it: About MatterFirst. More about NorthCape is on our company page.
Liam Killingback
Co-founder and Technical Director
Nick Hallam
Co-founder and Operations Director
Common questions
MatterFirst in brief.
What is MatterFirst?
MatterFirst is NorthCape Technology's live legal practice management platform for Australian law firms, designed primarily for boutique firms of approximately 1–20 users.
Who builds MatterFirst?
NorthCape Technology Pty Ltd (ABN 62 691 614 516), a software company in Melbourne, Victoria, founded in 2025. MatterFirst launched in 2026.
Who is MatterFirst for?
Australian law firms, designed primarily for boutique firms of approximately 1–20 users that run repeatable, document-heavy matters.
Does MatterFirst have a trial?
Yes. MatterFirst offers a guided 14-day trial. Pricing is per workspace in Australian dollars and is published on matterfirst.com.
What does MatterFirst integrate with?
Self-service today: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, Stripe. Available through coordinated setup: PEXA, InfoTrack.
Every matter, in perfect order.
See how MatterFirst would run your firm's matters, and start a guided 14-day trial when you are ready.