matter-workspace

name	matter-workspace
description	Manage matter workspaces — new, list, switch, close, or detach (practice-level). Use when a multi-client practitioner needs to create a matter, switch the active matter, list matters, archive a matter, or detach to practice-level context, or when another skill needs to know which matter it's working in.
argument-hint	<new | list | switch | close | none> [slug]

/matter-workspace

Practitioners work across multiple clients and matters. A matter workspace keeps one client or engagement's context separate from every other. This command manages those workspaces.

Subcommands

• /commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace new <slug> — create a new matter workspace, run a short intake, write matter.md
• /commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace list — list matters with status and active flag
• /commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace switch <slug> — set the active matter
• /commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace close <slug> — archive a matter (move to ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/matters/_archived/, never delete)
• /commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace none — detach from any active matter, work at practice-level only

Instructions

1. Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/CLAUDE.md — confirm the ## Matter workspaces section is populated. If Enabled is ✗, tell the user: "Matter workspaces are off — you're configured as an in-house practice with one client, so the plugin works from practice-level context automatically. If you actually work across multiple clients, re-run /commercial-legal-uk:cold-start-interview --redo and select a private-practice setting. Otherwise, you don't need /matter-workspace at all." Don't error — the disabled state is the expected one for in-house users.
2. Use the subcommand logic below.
3. Dispatch on the first token of $ARGUMENTS:
   • new → run the intake interview, write ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/matters/<slug>/matter.md, seed history.md and notes.md.
   • list → enumerate ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/matters/*/matter.md, print a table, mark the active matter.
   • switch → update the Active matter: line in the practice-level CLAUDE.md.
   • close → move ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/matters/<slug>/ to ~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/matters/_archived/<slug>/, log the close date in history.md.
   • none → set Active matter: to none — practice-level context only.
4. Show the user what changed and confirm before writing.

Notes

• The skill never reads across matters unless Cross-matter context is on in the practice-level CLAUDE.md.
• Archiving is not deletion — closed matters remain readable for retention/conflicts purposes.
• Slugs are lowercase with hyphens. If a slug is reused across archived and active, the archived one is preserved under _archived/<slug>/.

---

Multi-client practitioners (private practice — solo, small firm, large firm) work across many matters. Context from one must not leak into another. This skill is the thin file-management layer that makes that true.

Default state is off. In-house users never see this — they run at practice-level only. Matter workspaces turn on at cold-start for private-practice users, or by editing ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. If Enabled is ✗, this skill does not run.

Storage layout

All matter data lives under:

~/.claude/plugins/config/uk-legal-plugins/commercial-legal-uk/
├── CLAUDE.md                       # practice-level practice profile
└── matters/
    ├── <slug>/
    │   ├── matter.md               # client, counterparty, matter type, key facts, overrides
    │   ├── history.md              # dated log of events, decisions, drafts, reviews
    │   ├── notes.md                # free-form working notes
    │   └── outputs/                # skill outputs for this matter (optional subfolder)
    └── _archived/
        └── <slug>/                 # closed matters — readable but not active

Slugs are lowercase with hyphens. Examples: acme-msa-2026, zenith-renewal, vendor-xyz-nda.

Active matter is in the practice CLAUDE.md

The Active matter: line under ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md is the single source of truth. Switching a matter edits that line. No separate state file.

Subcommand logic

new <slug>

1. Confirm slug is not already present in matters/<slug>/ or matters/_archived/<slug>/.
2. Run the intake interview:
   • Client (the party we represent, or the internal business unit if in-house)
   • Counterparty (the other side — may be multiple)
   • Matter type (for commercial-legal-uk: vendor MSA | customer agreement | NDA | SaaS subscription | amendment / deed of variation | renewal | IP licence | other)
   • Governing law (English law / Scots law / NI law / other — this determines which jurisdiction notes apply in reviews)
   • Confidentiality level (standard | heightened | clean-team)
   • Key facts (2–5 sentences: what this matter is about, who the stakeholders are, what's at stake)
   • Matter-specific overrides to the practice playbook (e.g., "client requires 24-month LoL cap not 12", "counterparty is a strategic partner — relationship-preserving tone", "governing law must be Scots law not English law")
   • Related matters (slugs of any connected matters)
3. Write matters/<slug>/matter.md using the template below.
4. Seed matters/<slug>/history.md with a single "Opened" entry.
5. Create an empty matters/<slug>/notes.md.
6. Do not auto-switch to the new matter. Ask: "Want to switch to <slug> now? (/commercial-legal-uk:matter-workspace switch <slug>)"

list

Enumerate matters/*/matter.md. Print a table:

Slug	Client	Matter type	Governing law	Status	Opened	Active

Mark the currently-active matter with *. Include _archived/* under a separate "Archived" heading if any exist.

switch <slug>

1. Confirm matters/<slug>/matter.md exists.
2. Edit the Active matter: line in the practice-level CLAUDE.md to Active matter: <slug>.
3. Show the user the matter.md summary so they can confirm they're on the right matter.

close <slug>

1. Confirm matters/<slug>/ exists.
2. Append a "Closed" entry to matters/<slug>/history.md with today's date.
3. Move matters/<slug>/ → matters/_archived/<slug>/.
4. If the closed matter was the active matter, set Active matter: to none — practice-level context only.

none

Set Active matter: in the practice-level CLAUDE.md to none — practice-level context only. Confirm with the user.

matter.md template

[WORK-PRODUCT HEADER — per plugin config ## Outputs — differs by role; see `## Who's using this` in the practice-level CLAUDE.md]

# Matter: [Client] — [short description]

**Slug:** [slug]
**Opened:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Status:** active
**Governing law:** [English law / Scots law / NI law / other]
**Confidentiality:** [standard / heightened / clean-team]

---

## Parties

**Client:** [name]
**Counterparty:** [name(s)]

## Matter type

[vendor MSA | customer agreement | NDA | SaaS subscription | amendment / deed of variation | renewal | IP licence | other — with one-line rationale]

## Key facts

[2–5 sentences. What this matter is about. Who the stakeholders are. What's at stake. What makes it different from the default playbook.]

## Matter-specific overrides

*Any deviation from the practice-level playbook that applies to this matter and only this matter.*

- [e.g., "LoL cap: client requires 24 months, not house standard 12."]
- [e.g., "Tone: relationship-preserving — counterparty is a strategic partner."]
- [e.g., "Governing law: must be Scots law, not English law — Scots law differences apply throughout."]
- [e.g., "Competitition Act exposure: flag all exclusivity provisions for CMA review."]

## Related matters

- [slug — one line why related]

## Notes on confidentiality

[If heightened or clean-team, describe why. Who may see matter files. Whether cross-matter context is permissible even if globally on.]

history.md seed

# History: [Client] — [short description]

Append-only event log. Most recent at top.

---

## [YYYY-MM-DD] — Matter opened

Intake completed. Slug: `[slug]`. Status: active. Governing law: [English law / Scots law / etc.].
[Any initial context worth preserving beyond matter.md — e.g., "Opened in response to inbound MSA draft from [counterparty]."]

Cross-matter context

The practice-level CLAUDE.md has a Cross-matter context: flag. When it's off (the default), a skill working in matter A never reads files in matters/B/ for any other B. When it's on, a skill may read files across matter folders only when the user explicitly asks it to.

What this skill does not do

• Run a conflicts check. Conflicts are the practitioner's/firm's job; the intake captures what the user declares.
• Enforce retention. Closing archives a matter; it does not delete. Retention policy is out of scope — note that UK law may impose minimum retention periods (e.g., Companies Act 2006 records: 6 years; Limitation Act 1980: 6 years for contract claims, 12 years for deeds).
• Auto-route outputs. The substantive skill decides where to write; this skill tells it which folder is active, not what to put in it.
• Decide whether cross-matter is appropriate. It reads the flag and obeys.