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Every PI case has an Opening Documents section on the case overview. It tracks the three standard documents required to begin representation — the Retainer, HIPAA Authorization, and Letter of Representation — and shows whether each one has been generated, sent, and signed.

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The three opening documents

DocumentPurpose
Retainer / Contingency Fee AgreementEstablishes the attorney-client relationship and fee arrangement
HIPAA AuthorizationAuthorizes release of the client’s medical records to the firm
Letter of RepresentationNotifies insurers and other parties that the firm represents the client

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Generating a document

  1. Go to the PI case overview
  2. Find the Opening Documents section
  3. Click Generate on the document you want to produce
Matter Vault pre-fills the document with case data — client name, date of loss, attorney name, fee percentage, and firm information. The document is generated as both a .docx (editable) and a .pdf (ready to send). Generated files are saved automatically to the case’s Legal Docs folder in Google Drive and appear in the matter’s Documents tab.

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Downloading a generated document

Once a document shows status Generated, a download button appears inline on the Opening Documents card. Click it to download the file directly — no need to navigate to the Documents tab. You can also find the file in the Documents tab at any time.

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Document ordering matters

The Retainer must be generated and signed before the Letter of Representation is available. This ordering reflects the real workflow — you cannot notify insurers of representation until the client has retained the firm.

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Minor clients

For minor clients, the HIPAA Authorization is automatically adjusted:
  • The guardian is listed as the authorizing party, not the minor
  • The guardian’s address is used in place of the client’s address
  • The signature block reads “Parent / Legal Guardian of [client name]”
The primary guardian designated on the Parties tab is used. If no guardian has been added, the document falls back to adult phrasing — add the guardian before generating.

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Firm document templates

If your firm has uploaded a custom template for any of these documents (via Firm Admin → Document Templates), that template is used instead of the Matter Vault default. Custom templates are streamed verbatim — case data is not automatically substituted into firm-uploaded templates.

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Conflict of interest check

The Opening Documents section also includes a Conflict of Interest Check row. This runs an automated check against existing contacts and parties across all matters in your firm. The check must be cleared before the matter can proceed. To run the check, click Run check in the Opening Documents section.