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This article applies to:

  • Product: Legal Tracker
  • Audiences: Firm,Company

LEDES XML invoice posting errors

If there are errors when you post LEDES XML 2.1 invoices, Tracker provides detailed error messages that help you locate and troubleshoot the issue.
note
Errors prevent invoices from posting, but warnings don't.
Error messages are composed of the following:
  • File item number
    : This helps you identify the item that needs attention. Each item (data element) has a unique item number in the file. To locate the file item number in the invoice file, search for the number between the delimiters
    file_item_number
    . For example,
    <file_item_nbr>number</file_item_nbr>
    . The file item number is always the last line of the item (the error can be located preceding the delimiters).
  • Segment
    : A LEDES XML 2.1 invoice is composed of segments that contain data for specific invoice sections, such as matter, fees, and expenses. The error message identifies the segment in the invoice file where the error needs to be addressed. The following table shows more details on errors in each segment.
  • Error
    : This information helps you troubleshoot the issue.
Segment
What it contains
@ADDRESS_INFO
A list of fields that represent address information. When an address is requested in a segment, that element is listed and all fields in the segment are children of that element.
@CLIENT
Information on the company that the firm is submitting bills for. There is at least one @CLIENT segment per @FIRM segment.
@CONTACT_INFO
A list of fields that represent contact information. When a contact is requested in a segment, that element is listed and all fields in the segment are children of that element.
@EXPENSE
Expense items that are included in the matter/invoice.
  • All expense items are subject to the same @MATTER_DISC_CRED.disc_cred MISF (Matter/Invoice Shared Fee – not for Tracker) and MIDB (Matter/Invoice Discounted Bill) as all fee items for this matter/invoice.
  • If expense items are not subject to the same MISF (not for Tracker) or MIDB, they should be billed in a separate invoice.
  • E-billing rules that limit law firms to submitting only one invoice per quarter (or other time period) will need to be updated to accommodate bills of this type.
@EXPENSE_ITEM_DISC_CRED
Discounts, credits, and alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) that are applied to the parent expense line item (@EXPENSE).
@EXTEND_HEADER
Allows for the optional inclusion of fields into any segment that needs custom extensions. Also allows applications that don’t support custom extensions to read and use LEDES XML data documents that have extensions.
@FEE
Fee items that are included in the matter/invoice.
  • All fee items are subject to the same @MATTER_DISC_CRED.disc_cred MISF (Matter/Invoice Shared Fee-not for Tracker) and MIDB (Matter/Invoice Discounted Bill) as all expense items for this matter/invoice.
  • If fee items are not subject to the same MISF (not for Tracker) or MIDB, they should be billed in a separate invoice.
  • E-billing rules that limit law firms to submitting only one invoice per quarter (or other time period) will need to be updated to accommodate bills of this type.
@FEE_ITEM_DISC_CRED
Discounts, credits, and alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) that are applied to the parent fee line item (@FEE).
note
Documents and credits equal adjustments.
@FIRM
Information on the firm that is submitting the invoices. Each file begins with the @FIRM segment.
@INVOICE
Information about the invoices submitted by the firm for the company.
  • There is at least 1 @INVOICE segment per @CLIENT segment.
  • The inv_total_net_due field includes all fees and expenses, taxes, and withholding tax.
  • The credit_note field indicates if the invoice is a credit note—a legal instrument that corrects a tax invoice.
  • If a credit note is issued, the invoice number of the original tax invoice being corrected must appear in the Credit Note (via the inv_reference field).
  • The tax_point_date and inv_reference fields appear on Tracker pages and in reports.
  • In certain jurisdictions, if the law firm bills in a currency other than the law firm’s native currency, amounts such as tax total are also required on the invoice in the law firm’s native currency. Fields inv_total_tax_other_iso and invoice_total_net_due_other_iso are available for that purpose.
@MATTER
Summary totals for each matter billed in the invoice. There is at least 1 @MATTER segment per @INVOICE segment.
  • In the matter_billing_type field, MPF is not recognized or validated by Tracker.
  • The matter_total_detail_fees and matter_total_detail_exp fields must not include any tax.
  • The matter_perc_shar_fees and matter_perc_shar_exp fields must be set to 1, because Tracker currently supports 1 client/1 matter/1 invoice only.
  • The matter_tax_on_fees and matter_tax_on_exp fields include all taxes applicable to fees, including withholding tax.
  • Pre-split math applies to Tracker for matter_net_fees and matter_net_exp. These fields include taxes, comprising withholding tax.
  • Disregard any post-split items in the math or note in the document LEDES Oversight Committee LEDES XML 2.1. View the LEDES XML 2.1 format.
@MATTER_DISC_CRED
Discounts, credits, and alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) that are applied at the matter or invoice level.
  • A submitted invoice can contain information in this segment but have no associated time and expense entries.
  • In the disc_cred field, MICM, MISF, and MIFA are not recognized or validated by Tracker.
  • In the pre_post_split field, pre-split only applies to Tracker.
@REGULATORY_STATEMENT
Around the world, in some cases local, regional, or national regulations require specific information to be included on electronic invoices.
  • This segment accommodates those requirements to the extent that they apply to the matter/invoice, without needing to adjust the format.
  • This segment can be used for cases such as reverse charges (This invoice is subject to the reverse charge rule in the country of receipt.) and laws for VAT.
  • There can be 0 or more @REGULATORY_STATEMENT segments per @INVOICE segment.
@TAX
A lookup segment for the taxes charged in the file.
  • There can be 0 or more @TAX segments per file.
  • If items are not taxed, no @TAX section is included in the file. The Tx_id field in this segment is any identifier—it is not a recognized or validated by Tracker. However, Tracker recognizes and validates tax_type.
  • Values currently recognized and validated by Legal Tracker: VAT, GST, HST, PST, QST, Sales Tax, Withholding Tax.
  • In the increase_decrease field, withholding taxes are always Decrease. Other taxes should always be Increase. The Increase_decrease field is case-sensitive (it must be’ Increase not increase.
  • If tax_on_tax = yes, indicate in the field tax_on_tax_id the tax. For example, if you have Tax1 = 10% and Tax2 = 5% that is a tax on tax (on Tax1), then for Tax 2 indicate the following: - tax_id = Tax2 - tax_on_tax = Y - tax_on_tax_id = Tax1.
@TAX_ITEM_EXPENSE
Specific taxes that are relevant to the parent expense line item (@EXPENSE). Individual EXPENSE line items won’t associate with the tx_id for withholding taxes.
@TAX_ITEM_FEE
Specific taxes that are relevant to the parent fee line item (@FEE). Individual FEE line items won’t associate with the tx_id for withholding taxes.
@TAX_MATTER_DISC_CRED
Specific taxes that are relevant to the parent @MATTER_DISC_CRED items.
@TAX_SUMMARY
Summary of taxes charged on this matter/invoice.
  • For tax_total_detail_fees and tax_total_detail_exp, the pre-split math applies to Tracker.
  • Disregard any post-split item in the math or note in the document LEDES Oversight Committee LEDES XML 2.1 LEDES XML 2.1 format.
@TKSUM
Information about timekeepers for this firm.
  • There can be 0 or more @TKSUM segments per @MATTER segment.
  • Every @FEE.tk_id (timekeeper ID in segment @FEE) and every @EXPENSE.tk_id (timekeeper ID in segment @EXPENSE) used in this invoice must be included in this @TKSUM segment.