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Setting Up Quantity and Rate Calculation for Expenses

Expenses charged by unit—such as photocopying, printing, courier items—can be calculated automatically from a quantity and a unit rate rather than entered as a total each time. To do this, you set a fixed unit rate against an activity code, then enter only the quantity when recording the expense.

There are four parts to this process that you must complete in order:

 

Part 1- Enabling Quantity x Rate Calculations

Before you begin:

  • You must be signed in as an administrator.

To enable these calculations:

  1. In Legal Accounting, go to Admin > Firm > Settings.
  2. Click the Features subtab on the Settings ribbon.
  3. In the Expense section, toggle Enable quantity x rate calculations on. (You may need to scroll the page to find this section.)
  4. Click Save.
  5. Proceed to Part 2 – Creating the Activity Code.

 

Part 2 – Creating the Activity Code

To do this task:

  1. Complete the steps in Part 1- Enabling Quantity x Rate Calculations. (These steps are not optional in this process.)
  2. Go to Admin > Rates/Codes > Activity Codes.
  3. Click Add at the bottom left of the page.
  4. Enter the Name and Description for the activity code. (See Setting Up Activity Code Shortcuts for a Lawyer to learn more.)
  5. Toggle on Use quantity rate calculations.
  6. If the expense has a standard unit price, enter it in Fixed unit rate amount. This populates the rate automatically when the code is used.
  7. Toggle on Use for Expense entries.
  8. Click Save to save your changes.
  9. Proceed to Part 3 – Displaying the Columns on the Expenses Page.

 

Part 3 – Displaying the Columns on the Expenses Page

To do this:

  1. Complete the steps in Parts 1 and 2.
  2. Click the Add Entry menu, followed by the Expenses tab.
  3. Click the menu icon located near the top-right corner of the page. column list appears.
  4. Select Act Code, Qty and Rate.
  5. Click anywhere on the screen to close the list. The three columns now appear on the Expenses screen.
  6. Click Save to save your changes.
  7. Proceed to Part 4 – Recording the Expense.

 

Part 4 – Recording the Expense

To do this:

  1. Complete the steps in Parts 1, 2, and 3.
  2. Go to Data Entry - Expenses.
  3. Enter the file number and press Tab.
  4. Enter the activity code under Act Code. The Rate populates from the fixed unit rate.

Note: Qty, Rate and Amount can each be overwritten by clicking the value and typing a new one. The fixed unit rate is a default, not a lock.

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