Working with Timers in Matters.Cloud

Introduction

The Timers feature in Matters.Cloud allows users to accurately track and submit the time they spend on matters. This guide walks you through how to start, pause, stop, and submit time using the Timer panel, as well as how to manage multiple timers efficiently.

Starting a Timer

1. Access the Timer from Your Dashboard:

On your dashboard, click the clock icon in the upper right corner near your name.

This opens the Timer panel, where you can view, start, or stop timers.

Shows the number of timers created.

2. Start the Timer:

Click New Timer at the bottom right of the Timer Panel to begin tracking your time.

A new timer will pop up immediately.

3. Link to a Matter:

Click the Edit button on the running timer.
In the edit view, select the appropriate Matter and Activity.
Optionally, add a Description of the task (e.g., “Call with client” or “Drafting contract”).

Note: Check Pending time before closing a Matter, otherwise it will not be included in the invoice.

4. Deleting a Timer Entry:

Click the Delete button on the running/paused timer if there's a duplicate entry, incorrect duration or details or simply just mistaken entry

Note: Deleted time entries are not recoverable. Make sure to double-check the entry before removing it. If you just need to correct the time or Matter, editing may be a better option than deletion.

Automatic Timer

The Automatic Timer setting can be found under Edit User Profile > Settings.

When enabled, the timer will automatically start whenever you open a matter. If you navigate to a different matter, the current timer will automatically stop, and a new timer will start for the newly opened matter. This ensures that only one matter timer is running at a time and helps accurately track time spent across different matters without requiring manual intervention.

Managing a Timer

You can pause or stop a timer at any time.

Pause: Temporarily stop the timer and resume later.
Start: Begin the time or continue where you left off.
Submit: Ends the timer session and saves the time as a time entry.
Submit and close: Saves the time entry and automatically closes the timer window or panel. This is useful when you’re done working and want to exit the time tracking view quickly.

Actions on the timer:

Choose Pause, Start, Submit or Submit and close depending on your action.

Note: If a User has multiple timers, only one timer can be running at a time.

2. When clicking Submit or Submit and close, a red warning message may appear prompting if an entry is invalid, therefore properly check the details.

How Time is Rounded During Submission

When a timer is submitted in Matters.Cloud, the time is automatically rounded to the nearest increment, as defined by the platform’s default settings (e.g., 1, 6, or 15 minutes). By default, Matters.Cloud applies a 6-minute rounding rule, which equates to 0.1-hour units.

For example:

A 5-minute timer would be rounded up to 0.1 hours under the 6-minute default.

What Happens to Timers the Next Day

At the end of each day, active or paused timers behave as follows:

Timers with recorded time: These will remain on their original date and stay in the active timer list until you manually submit or close them.

This allows users to continue tracking ongoing work while preserving the integrity of time logs for billing purposes.

Editing Timer Details

Once you've started a timer, you can customise and link it to the appropriate billing information by clicking the Edit button.

Timer Fields Explained:

Field

Description

Matter

Select the specific matter this time entry relates to.

Activity

Choose the type of work being performed (e.g., Meeting, Drafting, Research).

Rate

Displays the billing rate (e.g., 300 GBP/hour). This can be pre-set based on your user rate settings.

Hours/ Duration

Enter the time manually or allow it to auto-fill from the timer.

Billable Status

Choose whether this time is Billable or Non-billable

Narrative

A brief description of the work done — helpful for clients and billing notes.

Save

Save the entry as a draft to complete or submit later.

Submit	Submit the timer for approval (if workflow applies) or move it to billable status.
Submit and Close	Submit the entry and close the timer panel with a single click.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I run multiple timers at the same time?

No — only one timer can run at a time in Matters.Cloud. If you start a new timer while one is already running, the current timer will automatically pause.

2. What happens if I forget to submit a timer?

Unsubmitted timers will remain in the Timer panel. If the timer has recorded time, it stays on its original date. (If it has 0 recorded time, it will automatically be re-dated to the current day the next time you open it.)

3. Can I recover a timer that I deleted?

No — deleted timers cannot be recovered. If you make a mistake, it's better to edit the timer instead of deleting it.

4. How is time rounded when I submit a timer?

By default, time is rounded to the nearest 6-minute increment (0.1 hours).

5. What does “Submit and Close” do?

“Submit and Close” stops the timer, saves the time entry, and closes the Timer panel immediately — streamlining your workflow once you’ve completed your task.

6. Can I edit a submitted timer?

Yes, once a timer is submitted, it generates a time entry that can be edited. To make changes, go to Matter > Select the relevant matter > Time tab.

7. Will the timer keep running if I log out or close my browser?

Yes — timers run in the background on the server, so they continue tracking time even if you log out or lose connection. However, it's best to pause or submit timers manually to ensure accuracy.

Conclusion

Timers in Matters.Cloud provide a simple and efficient way to track your work in real time, helping to ensure accurate billing and time management. Whether you’re logging time as you go or reviewing entries afterwards, the timer tools are designed to be flexible and user-friendly.

Before finalising or deleting any timers, always double-check for pending time entries to avoid missing billable time or encountering issues with closing Matters or generating invoices.