Matter Plan Builder

Purpose

Convert agreed scope into a structured matter plan the team can execute against. A plan that exists only in the partner's head is not a plan — it is an intention. The function of this skill is to make the plan explicit, assign ownership, sequence the work, and produce an output that every other LPM discipline can reference.

This skill takes the output of matter-intake-scoping (or an equivalent scope description) and produces the planning layer. scope-change-controller manages that plan as the baseline throughout the matter. status-report-drafter reports progress against it. timeline-generator adds dependency logic and critical path visualisation.

The matter setup decision is part of this skill. How the matter is configured in the billing system — single matter vs phased structure, task codes, matter numbers — directly affects whether the data collected is useful for reporting, billing, and future scoping. Getting it wrong at setup costs the project throughout its lifetime. This is not a billing admin task. It is a strategic planning decision that must be made before time starts being recorded.

Operating Modes

Mode 1 — Full plan (most matters)

Scope to complete plan. Matter plan (phases, workstreams, milestones, key dependencies, owners) plus workstream plans for each workstream. Produces matter setup recommendations alongside the plan. Default mode for matters of moderate complexity with a defined team.

Mode 1 produces a workstream plan for every workstream without exception. If there are five workstreams, five workstream plans are produced. Do not produce the first workstream and note that others "follow the same format" — produce them all. Mode 2 is the correct mode when a matter plan without workstream detail is needed. If a user invokes Mode 1 on a matter with many workstreams and full workstream plans would be disproportionate, ask whether Mode 2 is more appropriate before proceeding.