LEDES 1998 posting errors
If you encounter an error trying to upload a LEDES 1998B and to 1998 BI invoice, Tracker displays an error message. Refer to the following table for help troubleshooting the error.
note
Errors prevent invoices from posting, but warnings don't.
Error number | Description |
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003 | Your invoice contains an invalid date. The date is invalid for one of the following reasons:
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004 | Your invoice contains a value that doesn’t comply with the LEDES 1998B specification. Numeric fields and currency fields may contain only the following:
The following aren't allowed in a numeric or currency field:
Negative numbers, where permitted, must be indicated with a leading dash (in other words, the dash is the 1st character in the field). For example, a negative 10 is indicated as -10. Leading zeros are acceptable for negative numbers. However, they must follow the dash. |
005 | Your invoice contains a blank field where data is required. The following fields are required:
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006 | There's a math error in your invoice with respect to a line item. The formula for determining whether the line item total is correct is: (LINE_ITEM_UNIT_COST * LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS) + LINE_ITEM_ADJUSTMENT_AMOUNT If the total of the line item amount doesn’t equal the preceding formula, you can't submit your invoice. To correct the problem, correct the values in the applicable line item. The most common reasons for errors include:
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007 | The invoice total on 1 of the line items is different from the invoice total in a previous line item. The LEDES 1998B specification requires that each line item include the total amount of the invoice, and every such invoice total must be the same throughout the invoice. Example The following is an example of a properly formatted LEDES 1998B invoice. The example has 3 line items, and the total of the invoice is $663.05. Notice how the invoice total is specified in each line of the invoice, and the invoice total is the same in each line. LEDES1998B INVOICE_DATE INVOICE_NUMBER CLIENT_ID LAW_FIRM_MATTER_ID INVOICE_TOTAL BILLING_START_DATE etc. 20021022 1079955 972034 972034.004 663.05 20020901 etc. 20021022 1079955 972034 972034.004 663.05 20020901 etc. 20021022 1079955 972034 972034.004 663.05 20020901 etc. note
This example doesn’t show the record delimiters, such as the brackets ( [ ] ), which is required at the end of each line, and the field delimiters such as the pipe symbol ( | ), which is required between each field). To correct the problem, correct the incorrect invoice total so that it's the same as the invoice totals in the other lines and resubmit your invoice. |
008 | The timekeeper name for one of the fee line items in your invoice is blank. Enter a timekeeper name before you can submit your invoice. Names must be entered as Family name, First name. Names must be separated by a comma (,). Provide the timekeeper name in the proper format, then resubmit your invoice. note
Timekeeper names aren't required for expense entries, only fee entries in an invoice. |
010 | One of the lines in your invoice contains fewer than the required number of data fields. Each line of your invoice contains 24 fields, which are separated by 23 pipe symbols ( | ). The line specified on the error message has fewer than 23 pipe symbols, so it doesn’t have the proper number of data fields. To correct the problem, review this line to find the missing pipe symbols. |
012 | One of the timekeeper classifications is invalid. |
013 | The data in 1 of the fields of your invoice exceeds the maximum length as defined by the LEDES 1998B specification. |
014 | The file that you posted contains multiple invoices. You can post such a file only using the Tracker Speed Post™ feature. There are 2 ways to correct this problem:
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016 | Your invoice contains 1 or more expense line items in which the LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS field is either blank or contains 0. The LEDES specification requires a number greater than 0 in the field LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS for each expense line item.Typically, this error occurs when the invoice s a 0 for the LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS field (in which case the unit rate is also likely to be 0), but there's a line-item adjustment that is equal to the total amount of the expenses for the line item.tip
Occasionally, the concept of a LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS isn't intuitive. For example, a line-item expense for witness fees doesn’t really have a number of units, but this is nevertheless the requirement of the LEDES 1998B specification. The LEDES 1998B specification points out that a missing LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS or missing LINE_ITEM_UNIT_COST are common errors to avoid. |
017 | One or more of the lines in your invoice contains an invalid identifier in the EXP/FEE/INV_ADJ_TYPE field. Permitted values are:
Every line-item in your invoice (other than the Version Header Record and the Field Header Record , which are the 1st 2 lines of your invoice, must have the EXP/FEE/INV_ADJ_TYPE field completed with 1 of the 4 values preceding. To correct the problem, correct the invoice so that it has either F,E, IF, or IE for the applicable EXP/FEE/INV_ADJ_TYPE field. |
018 | There's a problem with 1 or more of the line items for which you're attempting to adjust either the fees or expenses. The amount of the adjustment specified in the line item doesn’t equal the amount of the corresponding line-item total. |
019 | The expense line item has the word VAT but doesn’t have an expense code of E124. The LEDES 1998B specification doesn’t provide a means for non-U.S. law firms to specify the amount of any Value Added Tax (VAT). Companies may want this information specifically broken out in the invoice so that they can be reimbursed for such amounts. Non-U.S. firms can specify any VAT amounts using the LEDES specification and the UTBMS expense code of E124. Specifically, if an invoice has an expense line item in which there's an expense code of E124, and the expense description includes the word VAT in the invoice, then the line item will be recognized as a VAT amount. This helps to make sure that non-U.S. law firms are properly indicating VAT in their invoices. |
021 | You attempted to post 1 invoice number to multiple matters. Tracker doesn’t allow you to post 1 invoice (identified by a single invoice number) to multiple matters. As indicated on the error message page, the file you attached violates this rule. The following is an example of a LEDES 1998B file containing an invoice that violates this rule. The field in the LEDES file that contains the multiple matter numbers is the "LAW_FIRM_MATTER_ID" field.  |
022 | LEDES doesn’t allow $0 or negative hourly rates or unit rates. The LEDES standard defines the LINE_ITEM_UNIT_COST field as the standard (undiscounted) unit cost of the line item. (Hourly rate for fees, cost per unit for expenses.)Typically, most law firm time and billing systems violate this rule when trying to make a discount in an invoice. For example, assume that a timekeeper (Anne Cooper) worked 3.1 hours reviewing deposition transcripts but decided to reduce her time by 1 hour. The LEDES specification has a field specifically designed for line-item reductions (the field is titled LINE_ITEM_ADJUSTMENT_AMOUNT and is shown in the following examples as "Adjustments"). Rather than using that field, however, the firm uses a $0 line-item rate or a negative line-item rate (as shown in the yellow cell): |