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Unbilled amounts

When to Post Unbilled Amounts

Your clients specify when and how often unbilled amounts are due. The Tracker Accrual Calendar of Events lists the unbilled amounts due dates.
note
If you intend to upload a file of unbilled amounts, there is a specific required file format.

Unbilled Amounts Due Dates

Your client specifies the due dates for unbilled amounts. They may be due monthly, quarterly or at the end of the client's fiscal year. The client also specifies whether unbilled amounts must be posted before or after the end of the month as well as the specific period for input of unbilled amounts.
In general, you cannot post or edit unbilled amounts after the LF Input Due Date. If you fail to post your unbilled amounts by the Due Date, then unbilled amounts are recorded as $0. If your unbilled amounts are recorded as $0, then your client could assume that you will not bill anymore for the period and any invoices you submit may be rejected or reduced. Therefore, it is extremely important for you submit unbilled amounts on time.
Unbilled amounts due dates are listed on the Calendar of Events.
To view the Accruals Calendar of Events:
  1. Click
    Home > Accruals schedule
     in the left navigation.
  2. Notice months in which unbilled amounts are due as well as the date range for inputting unbilled amounts.

Post invoices during the input period

You can post invoices during the period for inputting unbilled amounts. In fact, it is generally advisable to first post your invoices then post any unbilled time. If you post unbilled amounts prior to posting invoices, you will receive a warning or confirmation message asking you if the unbilled amounts that were entered should be reduced because of the invoices you posted.

Unbilled Amounts Data Requirements

Depending on how your client configured Tracker, you will either have to enter only the prior months' unbilled amounts or the prior months' unbilled amount plus an estimate of the current month's billing.
  • If unbilled amounts are due after the end of the month, then you will only need to enter the prior months' unbilled amounts. This is the amount of services rendered by your firm from the beginning of the client's fiscal year through the end of the last full calendar month that have not been uploaded into Tracker as invoices (billed). For example, if a client's fiscal year starts on July 1 and you are posting quarterly unbilled amounts on October 20, this would be the amount of services rendered from July 1 through September 30 that have not been invoiced to your client through Tracker.
  • If unbilled amounts are due before the end of the month, then you must provide the prior months' unbilled amounts plus an estimate of billing for the current full month. For example, if the client's fiscal year starts on July 1 and you are posting quarterly unbilled amounts on September 20, then you need to include the prior months' unbilled amounts for July and August as well as the estimate of billing for September.
There are several reasons for separating the prior months' unbilled amounts and the current month's estimated billing:
  • Keeping the prior months’ unbilled amount separate from the current month estimated billing creates a consistent approach with respect to unbilled amounts being generated from law firms' time and billing systems. Regardless of whether unbilled amounts are entered before or after the end of the month, the prior months unbilled amount is always a consistent amount because it is always the unbilled amount from the first day of the client’s fiscal year through the last full calendar month. This consistency helps firms create a standardized process for generating the unbilled amounts data.
  • The prior months unbilled amount is a known monetary amount based on actual work that occurred. The current month estimated billing amount is an estimate and clients want to review the estimate for reasonableness and their own budget purposes.
  • Clients can audit invoices posted against the prior months unbilled amount. If the two amounts were commingled, then the auditing would not be as accurate, which could lead to billing disputes and perhaps invoices being reduced.
note
Unbilled amounts should never include amounts from the previous fiscal year. When you submit unbilled amounts, it should only be for your client's current fiscal year. To find out what is the first month in your client's fiscal year, view the Calendar of Events or contact your client's Tracker Coordinator.
When to Include Rejected or Disputed Invoices in Unbilled Amounts
When an invoice is rejected or disputed, the amount billed is "zeroed out" for purposes of reporting in Tracker. In other words, if an invoice is rejected or disputed, the amount is no longer accounted for in Tracker. For this reason, if your client has rejected or disputed an invoice and you have not resubmitted the invoice prior to the close of the accrual period, then you need to include this information in your unbilled amounts.
Unbilled Amounts Standard File
Even if all your clients in Tracker configure their unbilled amounts requirements differently, you can generate a single standard file of unbilled amounts for all clients.

This article applies to:

  • PRODUCT: Legal Tracker
  • Audiences: Firm