.
2. In the **Create a New Matter** dialog, type a reference into **Input Matter Reference** — for example `MTR-2024-123`. The matter's identifier has to be different from every matter you already own.
3. Select **Create Matter**. The matter opens on its **Files** tab, ready for you to upload files.
You can own up to 100 matters at a time. Matters that other people share with you do not count towards this limit.
## Find a matter
1. Type any part of a matter's name — or of its identifier, the code shown beneath the name — into the **Search matters…** box at the top of the list. The list filters as you type. The identifier is the name in lower case with punctuation replaced by underscores, so a matter named `MTR-2024-123` is also found by typing `mtr_2024_123`.
2. To narrow the list further, use the two dropdowns beside the search box. Neither carries a printed label — each shows its current setting:
* The ownership dropdown shows **All matters** by default. Set it to **My matters** (ones you own) or **Shared with me**.
* The status dropdown shows **Active** by default, which hides archived matters. Set it to **Archived** or **All statuses** to see them.
## Open a matter
Select a matter's row to open it and start working on it.
## Pin a matter to the top
On a matter's row in the **Matters** list.
Select the 
pin icon to keep the matter at the top of your list. Select it again to unpin. Pinned matters stay above the rest regardless of the filters above.
## Edit a matter's details
On a matter's row in the **Matters** list.
On a matter you own, select the 
edit icon to rename it. The **Edit Matter** dialog has a single field — **Input Matter Reference** — so the name is the only detail you can change here. The matter's identifier does not change when you rename it.
## Share a matter
On a matter's row in the **Matters** list.
On a matter you own, select the 
share icon to invite a colleague. See [Share a matter with a colleague](/how-to-guides/manage/share-matter-with-colleague.md) for the full steps and the roles you can grant.
## Archive a matter you have finished with
On a matter's row in the **Matters** list.
1. On a matter you own, select the 
archive icon.
2. Confirm in the dialog that appears. The matter moves out of your active list but is not deleted.
To bring back a matter you own that has been archived:
1. Set the status dropdown to **Archived** or **All statuses**.
2. Find the matter and select the 
restore icon on its row.
3. Confirm in the dialog that appears. The matter returns to your active list.
## What you've done
You now have a **Matters** list you can keep on top of: the matters you work on most pinned above the rest, and the ones you have finished with archived out of your active list without being deleted.
## Related
| How a matter moves through BriefTech | The staged pipeline and the two workstreams that run alongside it. | How a matter moves through BriefTech |
| Download an invoice | Get a receipt or invoice for a credit pack purchase. | Download an invoice |
| Profile settings | The fields in your user profile, and how to verify your email address. | Profile settings |
| Matters list: states and indicators | The icons, badges, and metadata shown on each matter in the Matters list. | Matters list: states and indicators |