Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFAs) file specifications
You can upload fee arrangements for law firms on matters using the AFA upload function.
Update specifications
You can update up to 2,000 firm fee arrangements with a single file. The matters can be of different types and the data for each fee arrangement doesn't have to be the same for each firm and matter which you're updating.
Header row label | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
MATTER TRACKER ID | Yes | This is a unique matter ID and available in Report Builder. |
FIRM TRACKER ID | Yes | The firm's unique firm ID. Available in Report Builder. |
FEE ARRANGEMENT TYPE | Yes | This is either entry in the Fee Arrangement Type table. |
FEE ARRANGEMENT COMMENT | No | The fee comment for the firm. |
PERFORMANCE BASED FEES WITHHELD % | Only when using performance-based success fee/holdbacks. | Use this field when using a performance-based success fee/holdback. |
The following fields are only valid if:
- FEE_ARRANGEMENT_TYPE = Capped fee or Fixed or flat fee and
- MANAGEMENT_OPTION = MatterLifetimeCosts or BudgetWithOverRunCollar.
Field label | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
MATTER LIFETIME FEES | Only when FA MANAGEMENT OPTION FeesExenses | Valid entries >= 0 |
FEES AUDIT ACTION | Only when fees exceed MATTER LIFETIME FEES | Options:
|
FEES REJECTION DESCRIPTION | Only when FEES AUDIT ACTION = AutoReject | Description when rejecting an invoice for fees exceeding MATTER_LIFETIME_FEES. |
FEES EMAIL ALERT % | No | 0 - 100 or blank |
MATTER LIFETIME EXPENSES | No | Greater than or equal to 0 or blank. |
EXPENSES AUDIT ACTION | When fees exceed MATTER LIFETIME EXENSES | Options:
|
EXPENSES REJECTION DESCRIPTION | When EXPENSES AUDIT ACTION = AutoReject | Description when rejecting an invoice for fees exceeding MATTER_LIFETIME_EXPENSES. |
MANAGEMENT OPTION | No | Managing budgets/fees. If budget, all other entries ignored.
1, Budget 2, MatterLifetimeCosts, Matter Lifetime Costs 3, BudgetWithOverRunCollar, Budget with overrun collar |
FIRM PORTFOLIO | Only valid if FEE ARRANGEMENT TYPE = Portfolio or Retainer | Option 1 - Exact name of the firm's portfolio.
Option 2 - Tracker ID of the firm's portfolio. |
AUTO APPROVE AFA | Auto approve invoices with no audits or flags. | Accepted entries: checked (true) or unchecked (false) |
FA MANAGEMENT OPTION | No | Managing fee arrangements:
|
MATTER LIFETIME TOTALCOSTS | Required when FA MANAGEMENT OPTION = TotalCosts | Accepted entries greater than or equal to 0 |
TOTALCOSTS REJECTION DESCRIPTION | Required when TOTALCOSTS AUDIT ACTION = AutoReject | Description when invoices rejected for total costs exceeding MATTER_LIFETIME_TOTALCOSTS |
TOTALCOSTS EMAIL ALERT % | No | Accepted entries: 0 - 100 or blank |
Fee arrangement type
Each law firm can have a fee arrangement related with a matter.
- Field = FEE_ARRANGEMENT_TYPE
- Entry option 1, option 2
- Standard hourly rates, 1
- Discounted hourly rates, 2
- Blended hourly rates, 3
- Fixed or flat fee, 4
- Capped fee, 5
- Contingency, 6
- Prepayment, 7
- Retainer, 8
- Speedy pay discount, 10
- Volume discount, 11
- Performance-based success fee/holdback, 13
- Other hourly rates, 99