> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.matter-vault.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Getting Around
> How to sign in and find your way around Matter Vault.
This page covers the basics: signing in, where you land, and how the app is laid out. A quick vocabulary note up front — Matter Vault has two sides. The general side calls each file a **Matter**; the personal-injury side calls each file a **Case**. They're the same kind of record underneath, just shown with the vocabulary that fits the work.
## At a Glance
Two ways in for firm staff, plus a separate login for clients.
Matter Vault sends you to the page that fits your role.
Home for the firm-wide picture, Firm Dashboard for daily work.
Your map of the app — Firm Workspace and Matter PI side by side.
## Signing In
Firm staff sign in at the firm login screen two ways:
* **Continue with Google** — use your Google Workspace or firm email account.
* **Email and password** — enter your firm email and password. You can check **Remember me on this device** to stay signed in.
The login screen also has links for **Forgot password?**, **Request firm access** (for someone who does not have an account yet), and a separate **Client portal** link for your clients. Clients and firm staff use different login screens — a client never lands in your workspace, and you never land in theirs.
## Where You Land
After you sign in, Matter Vault sends you to the page that fits your role, so you start where your work is:
* **Firm owners and admins** land on the **Home** overview — a firm-wide snapshot across both products.
* **Attorneys** land on the **Cases** list.
* **Paralegals and legal secretaries** land on their personal work queue.
* **Everyone else** lands on the **Firm Dashboard**.
You can always reach any other page from the sidebar; the landing page is just your starting point.
## The Two Overview Pages
There are two "big picture" pages, and they serve different purposes.
**Home** is the firm-wide overview, built for owners and admins. It shows two product cards side by side — **Matter Vault** (active matters, deadlines this week, productions staging) and **Matter PI** (active cases, statute-of-limitations alerts, pending settlement dollars) — plus a **Needs Your Attention** queue that pulls the most urgent items from across the whole firm.
**Firm Dashboard** is the day-to-day working view. It shows your critical alerts, **My Matters** (the files you are assigned to), recent activity, and your upcoming deadlines. What you see here is scoped to your permissions — if you are not set up to see every matter in the firm, you will only see the ones you are on.
## The Sidebar
The left sidebar is how you move around. It is grouped into sections, and which sections you see depends on what your firm has turned on and what your role allows:
*(owners/admins)* — the firm-wide overview and unassigned notes.
Your general matters: the **Firm Dashboard**, **Intakes** (new client inquiries), **All Matters**, **Deadlines**, **Activity**, and the contact **Directory**.
The personal-injury side: the **PI Dashboard**, **Cases**, **SOL Calendar** (statute-of-limitations deadlines), **Demands**, and **Settlements**.
When you open a specific matter or case, the sidebar switches to show the tabs for *that* file instead of the firm-wide menu. Close it to return to the main sidebar.
## Matter vs. Case
To restate the one piece of vocabulary that trips people up: a **Matter** and a **Case** are the same kind of record. The general practice areas call it a **Matter** (you will see "All Matters" and a matter number). Personal injury calls it a **Case** (you will see "Cases," a case number, and the client's name as the title, like "Smith, John"). Both products sit side by side as equals — **Matter Vault** and **Matter PI**.