A40. How can I send invoices by e-mail?

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Conditions

The e-mail interface needs to be set up first before you can send unprinted invoices by e-mail. There must also be an unprinted invoice, and the recipient must have provided an e-mail address. This article shows how it works.

Settings for an invoice by e-mail

Please also check that the output options are set to Conditional and All Media. You can also save a standard e-mail template so that your customers do not only receive an invoice. More about this in the chapter "Depositing an e-mail text".

To access the first window, click on the Settings icon in the bottom right-hand corner, then click on Parameters, then switch to the Finances menu, and then select Template Editor in the Invoice Template drop-down menu. Now click on the blue folder in the middle of the new window.

 

Next, select Invoices on the right side of the new window and click Output Options in the upper right-hand corner. Here you can set the drop-down menus to Conditional and All Media. The argument INV_isDocument(«invoice») must be shown in the box marked in red below.

Depositing an e-mail text

In order to send not only the invoice by e-mail alone, an e-mail text template is required. Create an e-mail text template for the subsequent documents of the selected invoice. Then click on Output options in the upper right corner and set the output to "Always" and "Mail only".

Depositing an e-mail address

Now you need to save an e-mail address (marked in red in the image) in the dossier of the invoice recipient.

Sending an invoice by e-mail

 

Continue to the Finance section, where you will find unprinted invoices under Accounts Receivable. Select the invoice record and click on the printer symbol at the bottom right. Then click on the small black arrow in the Draft field and select "Mail to ...". You can then edit and send the contents of the e-mail.

You also have the option of sending invoices by e-mail without having set up an interface. You can also send e-mails without an interface via clients or mandate folders.

A38. How can I allocate a credit balance from an advance payment to another mandate?

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One often issues advance invoices to clients for estimated costs, but what if the advance payment exceeds the actual cost of the services provided?

 

Booking an advance payment

Firstly, create an advance invoice as usual and then book it when the payment is received.

Over time, services will accumulate in the dossier until the mandate can be charged.

Create an invoice

When that time comes, create an invoice for the accrued services. There is no need to print this invoice and it should not yet be booked, since the balance is still in the client's favour.

Credit the advance payment

Before the invoice can be booked, the advance invoice must be credited. This allows the advance payment to be booked to the "Transitory Items" account, from whence it can be freely distributed among all the mandates in the client's dossier.

Booking the invoice

Now the final invoice can be offset against the credit balance. When booking, it should be recorded how the credit from the advance payment has been used, and thus resulted in a credit balance remaining in the "Transitory Items" account. The balance in the "Transitory Items" account may be used for other mandates.

A37. How can I generate a list of work in progress by key date?

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You can use timeSensor LEGAL to print out a list of services that have not yet been billed as of a specific key date. The process is as follows:

Select the services

In the "Finance" area, click on the "Clients" button to display the client list. In the footer of the client list, click on the small triangle to show advanced search options. Enter the desired end date in the "To" field (e.g., 31.3.2016).

Print the list

In a second step, you must now print the corresponding list. Click on the Print button and select the "OP List Historical". The list is now printed out:

Creating the list for the first time

Since this is a relatively new feature in timeSensor LEGAL, the "OP List Historical" may not yet have been created in your database. You can create the list as follows (assuming you have the appropriate access rights):

  • Download the list here and unzip it
  • In the template selection window, click on the action button and select "New list"
  • Name the new template "OP List Historical" (or another name of your choice)
  • In the small "File" menu, select "Open" and then open the previously downloaded and unzipped list
  • Save the new template by clicking "OK"
  • Your print template can now be used.

A36. How can I identify conflicts of interest?

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How to avoid conflicts of interest

Recognizing and avoiding conflicts of interest is one of the central obligations of the legal profession. timeSensor LEGAL supports you with a safety net with a double bottom, thanks to our two-stage examination of conflicts of interest:

1. preliminary check

The preliminary check serves to quickly and easily determine whether a new mandate can be accepted. The preliminary check can take place, for example, in direct telephone contact with the potential client, or as a standardized process before the creation of a client file.
Open the preliminary check via the "Tools" menu in the address list and select "Search for conflicts of interest". Alternatively, you can open the window by holding down the Alt/Option key and clicking on the "Plus" icon to add a file. The dialog allows you to check both a potential client and a potential counterparty.
The search algorithm searches for all kinds of conflicts, including those that occur via indirect address relationships.
The following is checked for the potential client:
  • is he already recorded in the database as a counterparty or employee?
  • is he connected by a relevant connection with a contact which is registered as a counterparty? Hierarchical connections of any depth are taken into account here.
  • is he linked with a mandate as counterparty?
  • is he connected to a contact through a relevant connection, which is connected to a mandate as a counterparty? Hierarchical connections of any depth are taken into account here.
  • is he recorded as a counterparty in any connected databases?
The following will be examined for the potential counterparty:
  • is he already recorded in the database as a client or employee?
  • is she connected to a contact, which is registered as a client, via a relevant connection? Hierarchical connections of any depth are taken into account here.
  • does a mandate exist in the database?
  • is there a relevant connection to a contact for which a mandate exists?
  • is she registered as a client in any connected databases?
You can use the "Tolerance" slider to influence the search tolerance so that names entered incorrectly do not become pitfalls. A search tolerance of zero searches exactly for the entered character string. The further you move the slider to the right, the vaguer the search becomes. The algorithms "Soundex" and "Levenshtein-Distance" are combined to detect similar sounding names in the database
Note: when searching for connected addresses, the connections defined in timeSensor LEGAL are used. However, only relevant connections are taken into account. If the menu "Participation in conflict" is set to "Not involved" in a connection, the connection is not taken into account.

2. inspection

Should the preliminary check not have been carried out or not have been carried out correctly, a subsequent check is carried out in the second stage. It permanently searches for conflicts in the background and reports them by sending a ticket to the mandate leaders involved.
The conflicts of interest found can be displayed in the "Conflicts of Interest" window. An existing conflict is resolved either by removing the mandate or by a partner approving the conflict with a small justification. As a result, the conflict is regarded as known but accepted as justified.

A19. How Do I Export my TSL Accounting?

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To export your accounting from timeSensor LEGAL, go to "Special", "Accounting", then select "Export".
Select your export options in the "Export Transactions" window:

  • The Period from menu lets you select the start date for your export.
  • The Period to menu lets you select the end date for your export.
  • The Format menu lets you select the export format from the drop-down menu.
  • Click OK and select where to save your file.
  • At the end of the process you will see a window indicating the number of entries that have been exported.
After a successful export, it is recommended that you close your accounting in timeSensor LEGAL for the exported period. This will guarantee that no further entries are made for this period and that your accounting software is synchronized with timeSensor LEGAL.
To do this, go to "Accounting", then select "Settings" and enter the beginning of your current accounting period. If you have just exported your accounting for 2016, the current accounting period should start in January 2017.

A18. How Does the Statistics Feature Work?

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To access the Statistics window, go to "Special" and click on "Statistics". This feature lets you analyze the data that's been entered into the timesheets. The basis of your statistics is always the recording of services.

Analysis Modus

At the top left, you can choose between Turnovers, Quantities and Key Figures to analyze your data. The statistics will show amounts, hours or relations, depending on your choice.

Structure

In the left bar, choose how you want to structure your statistics. For example, you can sort the amounts by executives, by account managers or by clients.

Filtering

In the top part of the window, you will find a variety of filters. Filters work cumulatively. For example, you can see all billable for one staff member.

Granularity

By default, statistics are shown on a yearly basis. If you want a detailed view, double-click on the column of a year to switch into a monthly view. If you double-click on the column of a month, you will see daily statistics. To go back to the first view, just click on the column of a day.

Print or Export to Excel

You can print statistics with the printer button or copy the entire chart with a right click and paste it into Excel.

Turnovers

 

Quantities

 

Key figures

A17. How Can I Find Case Folders and Cases Related to a Contact?

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The search window "Find Case Folder" in your personal area lets you find case folders based on several pieces of information:

Search for cases

Option 1: Search for a case number
If the case number is added to the case name, set the search field to "Case Name" and start typing the case number. All cases starting with the case number will show up.

If you restart numbering your cases at 1 every year, you will see results from past years as well.

Tip: Sort your list chronologically. Right click on the header of the list to show the field "Created On" and sort the list using this column. The newest cases will show up at the top.

 

Search for clients

Option 2: Search for clients

Set the search field to "Client" and enter the first few letters of your client's name.

The list will be filtered and show all clients whose names correspond to the letters entered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Search for opponent

Option 3: Search for opponents or other linked contacts

Set the search field to "Client", then enter the relation, followed by a colon and the name.

 

 

Search for opponent

 

 

Tip: You don't have to write out everything. It's sufficient to type in the first few letters of the relation (e.g. "opp") and of the name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Search for court

In this third example, we're searching for a court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can I find cases related to a contact? 

In the area "Contacts", you can search for cases related to any contact by using the feature "Check For", "Related Cases" in the "Tools" menu. It will show a list of all cases which have been linked to this contact:

Search for cases related to a contact

A15. How Can I Use Partial Invoices to Invoice Services?

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You can create as many partial invoices as you want during the lifetime of a case. Just like retainer invoices partial invoices will be deducted from the final invoice.

Partial invoices are recommended, e.g.:

  • when you don't know what the final invoiced amount will be
  • if you might modify your fee calculation method at a later stage
  • when third parties carry some of the costs
  • if you want to create a total bill at the end of a case.

You can create a partial invoice over a lump sum or over services that have been entered in the dossier, using the feature "Partial Invoice from Selection". In both cases, the partial invoice will show up with a green icon on your invoice list. This FAQ entry shows you how to create partial invoices with a lump sum.

Example: Monthly Lump Sum Invoice

  • Create a partial invoice at the beginning of an invoicing period, e.g. monthly, over the agreed lump sum. You can add a service description.
  • As usual, create an invoice for all new services entered in the dossier of the invoicing period, using the feature "Invoice". The previous partial invoice will be automatically deducted. The remaining balance, if any, will remain in the system and will be carried over to the next invoice.
  • Create the next partial invoice for the next invoicing period. You can do this for as long as you need to.
  • If you've agreed that your client will forfeit the remaining balance at the end of an invoicing period, you will need to remove this balance from timeSensor LEGAL for it not to be carried over to the next invoice. It is advisable to do that by adapting your hourly rate according to the final amount before you create the partial invoice. This way, any remaining balance will be used to compensate your services during the invoicing period and your statistics won't be affected. To do so:
    • Without selecting a service, click the action button at the bottom right of the dossier and choose the option "Recalculate Prices" (before you create the partial invoice for that period).
    • Then, choose to adapt the hourly rate for your services and enter the total remaining amount for your client.
    • Finally, create the invoice for the invoicing period. The open amount should now be 0 and the remaining amount should have disappeared.

A14. How Does timeSensor LEGAL Convert Minutes Into Decimal Values?

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All time recording software, including timeSensor LEGAL, save time as decimal values. Conversion from and to hours and minutes format will lead to rounding problems. There are several ways to deal with this in timeSensor LEGAL. This FAQ entry will help you choose which one works best for you. Each entity can use its own method.

Method I: Exact Time Recording

With this method, timeSensor LEGAL will convert time in a decimal value with five digits after the comma.

10 minutes = 0,16667 h

The conversion in a decimal value with five digits after the comma makes accumulated rounding errors negligible, even when you enter a large number of services. If conversion would stop after two digits, this would add up to a significant rounding error and would affect a reconversion into time negatively.

 

Please note that decimal values are only displayed with two digits after the comma. If you enter "h10" in the time sheet, you will see 0,16 in the cell. The actual value in the cell is 0,16667. The value on an invoice will also only display two digits after the comma. Internal calculations, however, are based on five digits after the comma.

You can see the actual value if you click the cell in the timesheet and select "Qty.":

 

The advantage of this method is that it gives you high precision when converting and reconverting time into values.

The disadvantage is that it requires discipline in recording time. If you choose this method, you should let timeSensor handle the conversion from minutes to hours. Therefore, use "initials+minutes" (e.g. h10, h70, etc.). Our experience is that this may not work very well in larger firms, where some staff will have the tendency to enter decimal values themselves (0,16 or 0,17). This may again lead to some errors in rounding.

Method II: Time Recording With Timetables

With this method, each time is converted according to a defined table into a decimal value with two digits after the comma. There are different tables for that. timeSensor uses two different tables as shown below. One is referred to in Germany as the "Industrieminute" (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrieminute), while the other one is referred to as the UDR table.
Industrieminuten Table
A14ENG_02_Excel SHEET Industry Minute
UDR Table
A14ENG_03_Excel Sheet UDR

This method has easiness on its side.

The downside is that it might lead to rounding errors over time, though they tend to even out.

Method III: Rounding Up Every 6 Minutes

With this method, time is rounded up in 6-minute increments. Decimal values increase by 0,1 hour. This excludes accumulated rounding errors entirely.

A13. How Can I Create, Use, and Import an External Time Sheet?

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Create an External Time Sheet

Open the time sheet.

In the "Tools" menu, choose "Create External Time Sheet" to create an Excel file on your desktop to record your services. This is only possible if Microsoft Excel is installed on your computer.

 

The Excel file has two sheets: Enter your services in the first sheet; the second sheet contains services, cases and prices from timeSensor. This second sheet is only used as an internal reference and should not be altered. If you press and hold the option/alt key while creating the Excel file, all cases will be added to the file. Otherwise, only the last accessed cases will be added to the external time sheet.

 

Import an External Time Sheet

You can always copy and paste your services from the Excel file into the time sheet. You can also import the external time sheet using the command "Import External Time Sheet".