Creating Billing Templates

Creating Billing Templates (For LexisNexis® PCLawTM version 8) Contents About Creating Billing Templates Opening the Template Editor Creating Sections on Templates Adding Elements Formatting Templates Page Setup Saving Templates About Creating Billing Templates The Create Bill, Pre-Bill, Quick Bill, Request Bill, and Settlement Statement tools all use billing templates to display output. Most billing templates can be modified to suit the user’s requirements. Use the Template Editor to create your own billing templates or to modify existing ones. Opening the Template Editor A new template can be created by changing and saving an existing template under a unique name, or from creating an entirely new template. Modifying an existing template can save time. However, to show the complete functionality of the Template Editor, we will create a new bill template. 1. 2. On the Tools pull-down menu, select Template Editor. A blank Template Editor window appears. On the File pull-down menu, select New. The New Template window appears: 3. 4. Highlight Billing. Click OK. An Untitled Bill template appears: You are now ready to create a bill template. Creating Sections on Templates Billing templates consist of one or more sections. Each section contains one or more elements, and each element contains either text, token, a shape, or a graphic. A section is used to group related elements. A Fee section, for example, contains only tokens relevant to fee information. The type of template you are working with determines what sections are available. A section may have other sections dependant on it. The Fee section may also have two Miscellaneous (Fees) sections. Additional Conditional sections may exist, to accommodate events that may happen on some invoices but not all, such as discounts, previous payments, general retainer refurbishment, etc. A Conditional section only prints if the values of the tokens in the section are not equal to zero. • Defining Sections • Working with Miscellaneous Sections • Working with Fee, Disbursement and Trust Sections • Creating Fee, Disbursement, and Trust Sections • Adding, Removing, and Resizing Sections • Specialized Sections. Defining Sections A billing template contains many specialized sections that determine the type of information that appears in that particular area. Sections can be conditional, meaning they show only if there are transactions to be reported corresponding to the tokens contained in that section. The section type appears in the right hand margin in the template editor window: The active section is highlighted in green, while other sections display a gray background. When a section is active, you can make additions or modifications to its contents. To make a section active, click within the white area of the section with your mouse. A perforated line separates each section. By default, this line is visible. To hide the line, deselect Section Separators from the View pull-down menu. A basic bill template can be created using the following sections: • Miscellaneous • Fees • Disbursements • Trust • Conditional. Working With Miscellaneous Sections The Miscellaneous section can appear multiple times on a template with a large variety of uses. Miscellaneous sections can provide: • Pertinent client and firm information, such as client name and address, invoice number, date, and firm name • Billing totals, such as previous balance, payments, and balance now due • Information to the client such as payment conditions, disclaimers, or tax certification • Column or section headings. Page 2 The Miscellaneous section contains the greatest array of tokens. To make selecting the proper token more convenient, they are divided into categories: • Activity For use with Past Due Notices • Address Client and firm information • Aging For use with Past Due Notices • Interest Interest information • Invoices Invoice history • Matter Matter information • Other Miscellaneous billing and matter information • Payment Payment history • Previous Previous billing information • Taxes Tax information • Totals Billing totals. In the Options area on the toolbar, the Miscellaneous section can be customized to correspond to other specialized sections on the template. Exhibit 1. The drop down list available for the Options toolbar area when a Miscellaneous section is active. A Miscellaneous (Fees) section can be created above a fee section with the column headings for that section. A second Miscellaneous (Fees) section is created underneath to show total fees. Refer to Creating Sections for a Template on page 4 for an example. Working With Fee, Disbursement, and Trust Sections The Fees, Disbursement, and Trust sections have much in common. The sections are conditional, meaning they do not appear on an invoice if there are no fees, disbursements, or trust activity, respectively, to be billed. Each section has a unique but limited selection of tokens that can be included within the section. When billing matters with multiple clients, headers and footers can be added to each of the Fees, Disbursement, and Trust sections:. Exhibit 2. The Options area of the toolbar as it appears when a Fee, Disbursement, or Trust section is active 1. 2. Select Matter Titles to show matter nickname and description information Select Matter Totals to show billing totals The Fee section for both Matter Title and Matter Totals, and the Trust Section for Matter Totals each contain additional tokens. To have time entry explanations print on the invoice in paragraph instead of block style, select Paragraph Style 3. By default, the border is not shown dividing the Matter Titles, Matter Totals from the body of the Fees section. To display the boundary on the screen, select Section Header/Footer from the View pull-down menu. The header and footer are separated from the body of the section by a patterned line. Page 3 Creating Fee, Disbursement, and Trust Sections Template Editor: Edit > New Section Different template sections interrelate with each other. The main section displays all transactions may have also have a header section that stores and footer. Exhibit 3. The Section Type Selection window used when adding a section. 1. 2. 3. Highlight Miscellaneous. Click OK. On the Options area on the toolbar, select the section name from the drop down list. In this example, Fees. A Miscellaneous (Fees) section is created: 4. 5. 6. On the Edit pull-down menu, select New Section. The Section Type Selection window appears. Highlight the section name. In this example, Fees. Click OK. The Fees (Fees) section is created. 7. On the Options area on the toolbar, select Matter Title and Matter Totals: 8. For Fee sections only: To include both fees and time entries, in the Include area on the toolbar, click All. (Omit this step when creating disbursement or trust sections). 9. On the Edit pull-down menu, select New Section. The Section Type Selection window appears. 10. Highlight Miscellaneous. 11. Click OK. 12. On the Options area on the toolbar, select the section name from the drop down list. In this example, Fees. The Miscellaneous (Fees) section is created. This section contains totals for all matters. 13. Repeat this procedure to create Disbursement and Miscellaneous (Disbursement), Trust and Miscellaneous Trust sections as required. Page 4 When completed, the template should appear as follows: Adding, Removing, and Resizing Sections At any time during or after the template is created, additional sections can be added, resized or removed from the template. Adding a Section Template Editor: Template Editor: 1. 2. Edit > Insert Section > Above Edit > Insert Section > Below A new section can be added to the top, middle, or end of any template. To add a section, highlight the existing section to which the new section will be adjacent. To place the new section above the highlighted section, on the Edit pull-down menu, select Insert Section > Above. To place the new section below the highlighted section, on the Edit pull-down menu, select Insert Section > Below. Sections can also be added by using shortcut keys on your keyboard. Press the [Insert] key to add a section above the highlighted section or [CTRL][Enter] to add a section below the highlighted section. The Select Type Selection window appears. 3. 4. 5. Highlight Miscellaneous. Click OK. On the Options area on the toolbar, accept the default of Miscellaneous. Selecting New Section from the Edit pull-down menu places the section at the bottom of the template, while Insert Section gives the option of adding the new section above or below the currently highlighted section. Moving a Section Template Editor: Template Editor: 1. 2. Edit > Move Section > Up Edit > Move Section > Down If a section is not in the correct location, it can be shifted upwards or downwards: Select Move Section > Up to shift the section towards the top of the template. Select Move Section > Down to shift the section towards the bottom of the template Page 5 Resizing a Section Template Editor: Edit > Resize Section The section created may not be the size required for its intended contents. Sections can be resized by dragging the borders, or through the Resize Section window. To resize a section by dragging its borders: 1. 2. Place the cursor over the border of the section. A 2-way black arrow appears. Drag the border to its preferred size. Only the height of a bill layout can be adjusted and a section cannot exceed the page length. On the Edit pull-down menu, select Resize Section. The Resize Section window appears: The section can also be resized to fit a specific height measurement: 1. 2. Type in the preferred height of the section in the New Height box - or Click Auto size to have the template editor automatically size the section to accommodate the elements contained within. Click OK. You are returned to the Template Editor page. 3. Removing Sections Template Editor: Edit > Remove Section Sections can be removed by highlighting the section and selecting Remove Section from the Edit pulldown menu. Specialized Sections Specialized sections provide additional information on the invoice. They include: • Invoice History Displays a billing history for the matter • Payments Displays a payment history for the matter • Receipts Supplies detail for applied general retainers. • Special Fees Client expense recoveries, for Alberta firms only. • Summary To summarize invoice by lawyer • Task Summary To summarize invoice by task code • Trust Summary To summarize trust amounts. • Conditional If the conditional section token is not able to pull a non-zero value, the section does not appear on the bill. Adding Elements A template consists of elements that are categorized as text, tokens, graphics, shapes, and formulas. Each has a specific function in the presentation, appearance, and importation of information on the template. Each element is described separately. Elements are created through the pull-down menu, or by holding down the left mouse button and dragging your mouse over the template area where you wish to place the element. Tokens can be dragged from the right side panel to their preferred location. Page 6 Adding Text Elements Template Editor: Edit > Create Element > Text A text box is an element that allows you to place labels or titles on the template. Text boxes appear on the template regardless of the information extracted or not extracted from token elements, providing they are not located in a conditional section. Exhibit 4. The Element Properties window for the Text element type. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the Element Type box, select Text. In the Element Specification box, type the text to show on the template. In the Alignment box, select the proper alignment from the drop down list. For extensive text, for the text to continue printing to subsequent lines without being truncated, select Word Wrap. To adjust font settings, click the Font button. The Font window appears. See “Font Selection” on page 7. Click OK. You are returned to the template. The new text element now appears: 7. Repeat this procedure for each text element you wish to create. By default, text elements appear without a border. To show the text element border, select Element Frames > Text/Graphics/Shapes from the View pull-down menu. Font Selection Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Text > Font button Use this window to select fonts, weight, and size for text. Exhibit 5. The Font window opened through Element Properties 1. 2. Select the appropriate fonts, styles, and sizes. Click OK. You are returned to the Element Specification window. Page 7 Adding Tokens Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token A token is an element that extracts information from your PCLaw database. Creating a token is similar to the creation of a text box. When a section is selected, the list of tokens designed for that section type is listed in the column to the right of the template layout. Exhibit 6. Template Editor showing the token panel on the left. 1. 2. 3. 4. Highlight the token in the token column. Drag the token to the preferred location on your template. Release your mouse button. Make the rectangle a sufficient size to display the token information. A token can also be added through the Element Properties window. To further customize the token, double click on the token. The Element Properties window appears 5. 6. 7. 8. In the Alignment box, elements containing quantitative values are normally right aligned. Select the proper alignment from the drop down list. For extensive text, if you wish for the text to continue printing to subsequent lines without being truncated, select Word Wrap. To adjust font settings, click the Font button. The Font window appears. See “Font Selection” on page 7. If you are creating a date token, a Date button is available to click. A Date Format window appears. See “Date Format” on page 9. If you are creating a token with a quantitative value, click the corresponding Amount or Percentage button to format the token. See “Currency and Numeric Formats” on page 10. If you are creating a name token, click the Name button to insert the name. See “Name Format” on page 11. If you are creating a custom tab token, click the Custom Tab button to custom field and option. See “Custom Tab Tokens” on page 11. 9. Click OK. Page 8 You are returned to the template. The formatted token now appears: 10. Repeat this procedure for each text token you want to create. By adding text and token elements to the Miscellaneous (Fees) section over and under the Fees section, the template begins to emerge. If the firm sometimes offers its clients a discount, you may require a conditional section: Date Format Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token > Date button Use this window to set the appearance of the date on the bill. Exhibit 7. The Date Format window available for date tokens 1. 2. Select the preferred date order in the Date Order area. Select the appropriate date format from the drop down lists in the Date Format area. Leave the box blank for any date detail you do not want to appear on the bill Click OK. You are returned to the Element Properties window. Page 9 Currency and Numeric Formats Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token > Numeric/Amount buttons Use this window to set the appearance of currency values on the bill. Exhibit 8. The Currency window for tokens displaying monetary amounts 1. In the 1000 area: To specify that a comma separates units of thousands, select Comma. To specify that a decimal point separates units of thousands, select Period. To not separate units of thousands, click No Separator. 2. From the Decimal area: To specify that a comma for decimal places, select Comma. To specify that a decimal for decimal places, select Period. 3. In the Format area To add leading zero to the value, select Leading Zeros. To specify the number of decimal places, in the Decimals box, type the value. To specify the placement of the value denominator, in the Placements box, select the position. To specify how a negative value should display, in the Negative box, type the format. To specify the currency symbol, in the Symbol box, type the character. To save your selections, click OK. You are returned to the Element Properties window. Percent Format Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token > Percent button Use this window to set the appearance of percent values on the bill. Exhibit 9. The Percent Format window for tokens displaying percentages Page 10 1. In the 1000 area: To specify that a comma separates units of thousands, select Comma. To specify that a decimal point separates units of thousands, select Period. To not separate units of thousands, click No Separator. 2. From the Decimal area: To specify that a comma for decimal places, select Comma. To specify that a decimal for decimal places, select Period. 3. In the Format area To add leading zero to the value, select Leading Zeros. To specify the number of decimal places, in the Decimals box, type the value. To specify the placement of the value denominator, in the Placements box, select the position. To specify how a negative value should display, in the Negative box, type the format. To specify the percent symbol, in the Symbol box, type the character. To save your selections, click OK. You are returned to the Element Properties window. A Currency, Numeric or Percent Format window appears, respectively: Make any required changes in the Separators and Format sections. Click OK to save your changes. More conditional sections may be needed, for example, if there is sales tax on fees. 4. Design the disbursement and trust sections in a like manner, adding the required elements to suit the needs of the firm. Name Format Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token > Name button For Formatted Client Name, Formatted First Billing Name, or Formatted Second Billing Name tokens, click the Name button to determine how the name appears on the invoice. Exhibit 10. The Name Format window for formatted name tokens 1. 2. In the Name Format box, select the naming style from the drop down list. Click OK. You are returned to the Element Properties window. Custom Tab Tokens Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Token > Tab button For the Custom Tab token, click the Tab button to select fields from custom tabs. Exhibit 11. The Custom Tab Field Options window for tokens extracting information from custom tabs Page 11 1. To select the custom tab, to the right of the Tab Name box, click the Select button. The Custom Tab pop up help window appears: Highlight the custom tab containing the required field. Click OK. You are returned to the Custom Tab Field Option window. The Tab Name box is filled in. 2. To select a field from the custom tab, in the Tab Field box, click the Select button. The Custom Field window appears: Highlight the field to appear on the template. Click OK. You are returned to the Custom Tab Field Option window. The Tab Field box is filled in. Adding Shapes Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Shape Shapes, in the form of lines and rectangles can be added as graphic elements to the template for cosmetic or formatting purposes. Exhibit 12. The Element Properties window for Shape element types 1. 2. In the Element Type box, select Shape. In the Element Specification box, to create a line, highlight Line. In the Orientation box, choose from the drop down list if the line is to be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. To select the properties of the line, click the Outline button. The Outline Style window appears. Page 12 3. To create a rectangle, highlight Rectangle in the Element Specification box To select the rectangle’s properties, click the Outline button. To select the rectangle’s shading, click the Fill button. The Fill Style window appears: 4. Click OK. You are returned to the template window. The shape appears on the template. Outline Style Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Shape > Outline button Use this window to set the format of the line: Exhibit 13. The Outline Style window for graphic line elements 1. 2. 3. Select the line color from the drop down list in the Color box. Type the line width in the Width box. The value must be a whole number. Click OK. Fill Style Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Shape > Fill button Use this window to set the interior design and color of shapes: Exhibit 14. The Fill Style window for graphic shape elements 1. 2. 3. Select the rectangle color from the drop down list of the Color box. Select the rectangle pattern from the drop down list of the Style box. Click OK. Adding Graphics Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Graphics Graphics such as logos, clip art, or photos can be inserted in the template from many standardized formats. Exhibit 15. The Element Properties window for Graphic element types 1. 2. In the Element Type column, select Graphic. Type the directory path to the location of the graphic file in the Path box or click the Browse button to search for it. Page 13 3. Click OK. The graphic appears on the template: Adding Formulas Template Editor: Edit > Element Properties > Formulas Formula elements can be created using tokens, constants and operands. Exhibit 16. The Element Properties window displaying Formula element types 1. 2. In the Type column, select whether the first value is a token or number. If you selected Token, in the Value column, select the actual token. If you selected Number, in the Value column, type the number. 3. 4. 5. In the Operation column, select the operand required for the calculation. Repeat this procedure for all values required for the formula. To apply the formula within the token, click OK. Arranging Elements After an element is added, modifications can be made to the element to better suit the needs of the template. This topic describes these procedures: • Modifying Element Properties. • Resizing Elements • Moving Elements • Enabling Snap • Enabling Grid Lines. Modifying Element Properties To make changes to an existing token: 1. 2. Double click on the element you wish to change. The Element Properties window appears. Make the changes as required. Page 14 Resizing Elements You may find that an element is not wide or tall enough. An element that is of insufficient size for its contents may not completely display the contents when the template is printed out. When changing the size of a token, we recommend turning on Element Frames > Tokens under the View pull-down menu to more easily maneuver through this process. 1. 2. Position your mouse on the side of the element border to change (i.e. top, bottom, left, or right). The cursor transforms into a 2-way black arrow. Drag the border to its preferred height or width. Moving Elements An element may be in the wrong location, or does not line up with other elements on the same horizontal or vertical plane. 1. 2. Click and hold your left mouse button in the center of the element. The cursor transforms into a 4-way white arrow. Drag the element to its preferred location. Enabling Snap Template Editor: Options > Snap Options To assist in aligning tokens, the template editor has a snap option. When snap is enabled, the elements are lined up on the same horizontal. Underneath the elements is a grid. Snap fits the elements to specific positions on the grid as defined by the grid size. This automatically aligns the element horizontally and vertically. Exhibit 17. The Snap Options window 1. 2. Select On. Select the grid size: • 1/8” for smaller fonts such as 10 pt. • 3/16” for 12 pt. • 1/4” for larger fonts. Click OK. 3. Enabling Grid Lines Template Editor: View > Grid Lines To show the grid, select Grid Lines from the View pull-down menu. Formatting Templates The Template Editor provides several features that determine the final appearance, format, and contents of the template. The template can be converted into a Summary template, be produced in a portable document, rich text, or text format, group like information, and add headers and footers. • Selecting Template Types • Selecting Output Formats • Setting Report Options • Working With Background Elements The template type, output, and how items appear when printed can be set through the template editor. Page 15 Selecting Template Types If the template is intended for a client billing summary, click Client Summary on the Template Type area of the toolbar. A summary is printed when the following conditions are met: Exhibit 18. The Template Type section of the toolbar Print Client Summary is selected on the Options tab of the (Pre-)Bill Selections window There is more than one matter for a client. When Print Client Summary is selected, the invoice actually uses two templates, the regular billing template and the client summary template. In client summary templates, only the Miscellaneous and Client Summary sections are available. If Client Summary is selected under Template Type in the template editor, all other billing sections, if present, need to be removed. PCLaw displays the following prompt: Exhibit 19. The PCLaw prompt displayed when enabling the Client Summary component of the template Clicking Yes removes the named section. The prompt repeats until all sections inappropriate for a client summary template are removed. Selecting Output Formats The Disk Output Format specifies the file format produced when selecting the Editor or E-mail output option during billing. Invoices can be produced in portable document, rich text, or text formats. Exhibit 20. The Disk Output Format area of the toolbar Setting Report Options Template Editor: Options > Report Options Report Options determine how selected data appears on the final invoice. Exhibit 21. The Bill Template Options window 1. To itemize only new trust entries since the last bill, select New Trust Entries Only. You can use this in conjunction with a summary total line for previous trust entries. Deselecting New Trust Entries Only displays all trust entries within the billing dates specified. To summarize all expenses entered with the same explanation code (and no additional text in the explanation box) select Summarize Disbursements. Summarized entries appear without a date. Entries that include explanation text appear separately and with dates. Deselecting Summarize Disbursements displays all expense entries separately, providing the Explanation code itself does not have Summarize If No Extra Text or Always Summarize selected. 2. 3. To show only the date for the first of a series of entries for the same day, select Show Only New Dates. All other entries for that date are listed without a date. Deselecting Show Only New Dates displays the date for each separate entry. To save changes, click OK. 4. Page 16 Working with Background Elements Template Editor: Template Editor: View > First Page Background View > Other Page Background As with a word processing document, a template can be given a header or footer by way of having tokens placed in the margin of the page. Likewise, the first page configuration can be unique to all following pages: 1. 2. To see or change the header and footer elements for the first page, select First Page Background from the View pull-down menu. To see the header and footer elements for all other pages, select Other Page Background from the View pull-down menu. 3. Text and Token elements are added to the background using the same procedure as they are added to the main page of the template. Page Setup Template Editor: File > Page Setup Invoices can vary in size. As a result, the page configuration may need to be modified to fit the proper form. That is achieved in the Page Setup option. Exhibit 22. The Page Setup window 1. 2. 3. Select either Portrait or Landscape in the Orientation section. Select Letter, Legal, or A4 in the Paper size section. Adjust the margins in the applicable Top, Right, Left, and Bottom boxes. First page margins can be unique from the remainder of the template. Saving the Template Template Editor: File > Save As Once the template is started, it needs to be saved and assigned a name. Save your template constantly during the creation stage, and again, once the template is finalized. If you want to experiment with the template contents and appearance, save the template incrementally under different names. Therefore, if Page 17 you wish to return to a previous configuration of the template, open the template using the name you assigned to it under that stage. Exhibit 23. The Save File As window for naming and saving your template The file name appears as UNTITLED.rbf with .rbf the extension for bill templates. 1. 2. Type the new template name in the File name box. It is not necessary to type the extension, as the template is saved as a bill regardless. Click OK. A Description window appears: 3. 4. 5. 6. Type a description of the template for quick recognition of its purpose. Click OK. To preview the template, select Preview Layout under the File pull-down menu. To close the Template Editor, select Exit under the File pull-down menu. Page 18