The Flexible Billing Invoice Template
The flexible billing template has been designed for firms to be able to specify exactly what information is included on their invoices, and can include as much or as little detail as needed. Company letterhead, logos and invoice discounts can also be easily incorporated. Following are descriptions of the options available for creating invoices:
- Cover Page Users can include a logo (left, center, or right aligned), firm name and address, client name and address, date, invoice number, invoice period, project name, project number, and custom text.
- Main Page (Time & Expense Details) Users have the option of showing date, timekeeper, activity, description, hours, rate, and amount. Users can also enter narrative text in this section and include a note or any other information they would like shown.
- Time & Expense Summary Users can choose to group time and expense details in different ways. For the Time Summary, time can be grouped by timekeeper, task, timekeeper by task, or task by timekeeper. For the Expense Summary, expenses can be grouped by timekeeper, expense, timekeeper by expense, or expense by timekeeper.
- Statement of Account Users can choose to list open credits for matters, list payments received during the invoice period, and also label the open credits with the title you prefer (such as “Retainer Balance”).
- Remittance Section is used by firms to allow their clients to send the invoice information with their payments, which helps with allocation of payments. This section includes client name, client address, and the option to show outstanding invoices or current invoices only. This section also includes a narrative section where the user can enter payment instructions. By including the Remittance Section as part of the invoice, not only will you know what their payment is for, it allows your clients the ease of paying you quickly because they have all of the information they need to send the payment back to you.
Sample Invoices
Legal Invoice with UTBMS Codes (Uniform Task Based Management System)
The American Bar Association has defined categories for legal time and expenses by UTBMS codes. UTBMS codes are required for creating electronic invoices in LEDES 98B format. LEDES format requires a Task Code and an Activity Code. This user has chosen to show the UTBMS codes for time and expense entries, Statement of Account, and Remittance Section. In this example the user has also chosen to use all options of the Time and Expense Details, and included a Remittance Section with user-defined payment instructions.
Invoice with Cover Page, Time and Expense Details, Statement of Account and Remittance Page
This invoice includes Cover Page, Time and Expense Details, Statement of Account, and Remittance Page. The user has entered custom text on the cover page, in the Time and Expense Details section, and on the Remittance Page, and has chosen to include all options in the Time and Expense Details sections. This invoice also shows a percentage discount applied.
Invoice with Time & Expense details, Time & Expense summary, and Remittance Page
This invoice includes Time & Expense Details, Time & Expense Summary, and the Remittance Page. In this example, the user has chosen to use all options of the Time and Expense Details, included a Time Summary grouped by task by timekeeper, an Expense Summary grouped by expense by timekeeper, and also included a Remittance Section with user-defined payment instructions.
Invoice for a Fixed Fee matter
Users can be tracking time and expenses but choose not to show the details on the invoice. They can type in what they would like visible on the invoice and show the charges.
Invoice with Time and Expense Detail
This example shows an invoice with a left-aligned letterhead logo and the Time and Expense details only. The user has chosen to exclude the Cover Page, Time & Expense Summary, Statement of Account, and the Remittance Page. The user has also chosen to exclude the Timekeeper and Rate from the Time and Expense Detail section.
Other benefits of using the Flexible Billing Template:
- Include a graphic logo or letterhead. The logo can be left, center, or right aligned and can be included with or without a coversheet.
- Narrative – enter user-defined information on cover page, main page, and remittance page.
- The option to add a discount (adjustment). It can be entered as a percentage or $ amount and with a note to explain the adjustment.
- You can edit your template in the draft bill or final bill template if you decide to make changes to it after your bill is final.
- Other firm information can be included on the template if you choose, including Tax ID, ABN # and firm website address.
|
