Add Entry FAQ

In this article:

• Operating retainers are not allowed on this file.
• How to pay an outstanding invoice using Operating Retainer?
• How do I delete a transfer created in the transfer tab?
• How do I delete a transfer that was created at the time of billing?
• The following Vendor has an outstanding payable that was billed to a file this payment is affecting: [Vendor] 
• How do I change the date that auto populates on the Time/Fees tab to a different date other than today's date?
• Unable to Save Entries
• How to reset the contact number and/or file number format or order?
• Spell Check in Legal Accounting
• Why can't I apply payment to the AR on file?
• Entering Anticipated Disbursement

Operating retainers are not allowed on this file.

The above message usually generates when you are entering an over payment for an invoice from a client or creating a transfer where there is no Account Receivable, and the Operating Retainer is not enabled. To continue with the transaction, you will need toggle on "I acknowledge that I understand the consequences of continuing and that may be overriding the firm's policy regarding this entry" or cancel the transaction if you don't wish to proceed.

How to pay an outstanding invoice using Operating Retainer?

1. Go to Add Entry > Transfer.
2. Enter the Date.
3. Enter the Amount.
4. Select the same bank account where the retainer is recorded under From Account and To Account.
5. Type the same file and client number under Transfer From and Transfer To
6. Click the Select Invoices button.
7. Checkmark the invoice(s) to apply payment.
8. Click Ok.
9. Click Save.

How do I delete a transfer created in the transfer tab?

1. Access the file under File Manager > Ledger tab.
2. Locate the transfer entry.
3. Click the pen icon to open it.
4. Click the Delete button.
5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the entry.

How do I delete a transfer that was created at the time of billing?

1. Access the file under File Manager > Ledger tab.
2. Locate the invoice that the transfer was applied to.
3. Click the trashcan next to the invoice.
4. Refresh the report.
5. Locate the transfer entry.
6. Click the pen icon to open it.
7. Click the Delete button.
8. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the entry.

The following Vendor has an outstanding payable that was billed to a file this payment is affecting: [Vendor] 

This message usually appears when you try to receive a payment on a client invoice and part of that invoice is an unpaid AP. The entry will still be saved; this is just as a reminder that the AP is still unpaid.

How do I change the date that auto populates on the Time/Fees tab to a different date other than today's date?

Change the entry date at the top right corner.

Unable to Save Entries

Sometimes, you might find that the Save button is grayed out or you're unable to post entries in Legal Accounting. This can happen with new contacts, files, time or fee entries, expenses, checks, receipts, payables, and journal entries.

When this occurs, it's usually because either:

• You've missed a required field that needs to be filled in.

• There is a caching issue with your browser.

To fix this, try the following steps:

1. Click the Cancel button at the bottom of the page.

2. Look for any red lines—these are indicators for required fields that you must fill out.

How to reset the contact number and/or file number format or order?

If you need to reset or change the current contact or file number when trying to create a new one, you have to overwrite the automatically populated number, save the contact or file and the system will continue from that new order.

Spell Check in Legal Accounting

This feature is currently not available, if you had a spell check function before, it's a browser feature and not through Legal Accounting and is outside of our scope of support.

Why can't I apply payment to the AR on file?

There are some factors that would prevent payment on AR for a file:

• The date of the payment is prior to the date of the invoice
• There is an invoice in the billing stages for the file
• The invoice has a Provisional Write Off (PWO) 

Entering Anticipated Disbursements

Definition: An anticipated disbursement is recorded at the time of billing to represent and expense the firm expects to pay post-billing. It is comprised of two offsetting entries:

• A positive recovery entry (billed to the client)
• A negative recovery entry (not billed until the actual expense is paid by the firm)

Anticipated disbursements provide a way to ensure that clients are billed precisely once for costs incurred on their behalf, while avoiding inadvertent double billing. This method is particularly applicable when issuing the final invoice prior to it's closure. Follow these steps to enter an anticipated disbursement:

1. Record the anticipated expense

• Navigate Add Entry > Expenses 
• Create two expense entries against the file: one for the full amount (e.g. +$50), and the other for the negative counterpart (e.g. - $50) Entering Time, Fees and Expenses

2. Select the charge on the invoice

• Request an invoice for the file :  see Creating a Bill
• Navigate to Billing > Review Charges, click the pencil icon to the right of the invoice to enter the Select Charges screen.
• Click to expand the Expense section 
• De-select the negative expense from the invoice, by clicking to remove the checkmark to the right of the entry
• Process the invoice.

3. Monitor the client ledger

• The ledger will display the billed charge associated with the invoice, along with the unbilled negative entry

4. Record the client payment

• Upon receipt of payment, use the Operating In function to record the amount received and link it to the file and appropriate invoice. See: Creating Operating In Transactions

5. Process payment to the external vendor

• Once the vendor's invoice is received, enter the outgoing payment via Operating Out, referencing the relevant file. See: Creating Operating Out Transactions

6. Reconcile and finalize the file

• After the payment is posted, the negative unbilled expense entry offsets the vendor disbursement. The file's disbursement balance returns to zero.

Uploading CSV templates

Legal accounting offers templates for firms to use to quickly upload time/fees and expenses. These templates are often used by timekeepers with no access to the books, as they can be uploaded independent of the timekeeper making the entries.