Setting up the time billing system typically consists of the following processes:
Addition of master file information including your lists of clients, lawyers, work codes, etc. This is done using the various time billing maintenance programs. These programs are also used for ongoing file maintenance.
Input current balances. Balances from your previous time management system should be transferred to IdeaLaw's time billing system.
FILE MAINTENANCE
The following Time Billing maintenance programs must be run in the following sequence:
Work Code Maintenance (see 14285 WORK CODE MAINTENANCE).
Law Type Maintenance (see 14278 LAW TYPE MAINTENANCE).
Lawyer/Timekeeper Maintneance (see 14279 LAWYER/TIMEKEEPER MAINTENANCE).
Bill Type Maintenance (see ????? BILL TYPE MAINTENANCE).
Client/Matter Maintenance (see 14276 CLIENT/MATTER MAINTENANCE).
Related Party Maintenance (see ????? RELATED PARTY MAINTENANCE).
Before starting time billing file maintenance, you should ensure that your chart of accounts has been set up in your general ledger system.
To make setting up your master files as easy and efficient as possible, clearly mark any new codes on the lists your are working from. Make sure any obsolete records have been deleted or marked off from the list. Use the listing programs for each of the maintenance programs to verify that data is entered correctly.
Once all the master files have been set up, you can continue with transferring current balances to the system.
TRANSFERRING BALANCES
Once the time billing master files have been set up, current balances should be entered to IdeaLaw. Balances that need to be transferred to get your time billing system up and running are:
A/R current balances.
Unbilled WIP (Work In Progress) charges.
Unbilled disbursements.
Ensure that the G/L date used for these transfers is the correct G/L cut off date as set up in the company control file. If it is not, then the system will update all transactions to the various G/L accounts rather than to the initialization clearing account.
A/R balances are posted through the A/R adjustments program. You can post your current balances either as balances forward or by individual invoice, whichever method suits your requirements.
Any outstanding work in progress charges should be posted to the respective client/matter through the time entry program of the time billing module. This is the same program that you will use later to post time entry transactions.
Any outstanding disbursement charges should be posted to the respective client/matter through the disbursement entry program. This is the same program that you will use later to post disbursement entry transactions. Ensure that the correct conversion date is used to prevent these transactions being updated twice to your various recoverable disbursement G/L codes.