---
title: "Default Matter Permissions"
slug: "default-matter-permissions"
updated: 2026-03-26T18:53:36Z
published: 2026-03-26T18:53:36Z
canonical: "help.lexworkplace.com/default-matter-permissions"
stale: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.lexworkplace.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Default Matter Permissions

> [!NOTE]
> Applies To
> 
> LexWorkplace Starter, Core, Advanced

By default, existing and newly-created Matters are open and accessible to all members of your firm.

You can change this default behavior by defining explicit *Default Matter Permissions.*

## How to Change Default Matter Permissions

To change this default going forward, navigate to:

- Settings > Permission & Access > Default Matter Permissions

Here, you will see the LexWorkplace default setting, where, upon creation, new Matters will be accessible to all users.

![Settings for default matter permissions accessible to all users in a management interface.](https://cdn.document360.io/cc24f28e-6bf8-4cc0-b7cd-519f8d33e693/Images/Documentation/default_matter_perms_allusers.png)

From here, you can define what users and groups, by default, will have access to new Matters when created.

> [!WARNING]
> Note: Existing Matters
> 
> Changing the Default Matter Permissions will effect all new Matters created going-forward, but it will not modify the Permissions of existing Matters (those can still be manually adjusted).

### Add Self Setting

When limiting the Default Matter Permissions to specific users/groups, you’ll also see an option: "Allow users to add themselves to new matters they create (even if they would otherwise not have access to a new Matter).”

A user in your firm might have the Right to create new matters, but may also *not* be among the users or in a group given access to Matters by default. By enabling this toggle, users can always add themselves to new Matters they create, even if they’re not in the list of users/groups: “By default, new Matters will be accessible to.”

![Settings for default matter permissions, including user and group access configurations.](https://cdn.document360.io/cc24f28e-6bf8-4cc0-b7cd-519f8d33e693/Images/Documentation/default_matter_perms_edit.png)

Here, you can define the default permissions for new Matters when created. Each new Matter going forward will effectively copy the permissions defined here.

- Related: [Groups + Rights Management](/v1/docs/rights-management)