Fee Offers

This article covers the following:

• About Fee Offers
• Using Rates and Fees
• Creating and Submitting a Fee Offer
• Copying or Editing a Fee Offer
• Inactivating a Fee Offer
• Modifying a Fee Offer
• Voiding Fee Offers
• Printing Fee Offers

About Fee Offers

A fee offer outlines your firm’s payment terms. The rates included in the offer apply to all assigned matters associated with that fee structure until your firm submits a new offer and the client approves it. Once an updated offer is approved, it automatically applies to all related matters.

Private Firms may be asked to enter the agreed-upon rates (hourly or otherwise) that were established with the client outside of CounselLink. If the offer is made in a different currency than the fee structure, both currency amounts will be displayed on the screen. Note that the offer currency does not necessarily determine the currency used for invoicing.

Registry Firms have access to the fee structures of Registry clients. When submitting an offer for these structures, the firm agrees to perform the work for the specified amount and within the state and county defined in the fee structure.

Using Rates and Fees

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CounselLink can accept invoices created with hourly billing or alternative billing agreements. The basic billing types are described below. Corporate counsel may use one or a mixture of these rates and fees. 

Detailed Hourly

This is the most common of all the fee types. The name of the biller, their ID and rate are required when entering the offer. For the invoice, the ID, rate, and actual duties performed are required. Or the billing might be provided at a blended rate. In other applications, this may be referred to just as "Hourly Billing."

Formula: Biller Rate x Time

Hourly Billing

An hourly rate means there is a charged amount for each 60 minutes (or fraction) of work completed. Hourly fees are used when the same action may be performed multiple times, (i.e. File motion).

Formula: Rate x Time

Fee Offer: A rate is specified

Flat Fee Billing

A set amount is charged for a completed task or milestone.

Formula: $$ for each piece of work (stage).

Fee Offer: Specific dollar amount is input for the entire work, or for an identified stage of work.

Full Day/ Half Day Billing

A set fee for a whole or half day in court.

Formula: Set amount for work in each time frame.

Fee Offer: Specific dollar amount is input per time frame.

Creating and Submitting a Fee Offer

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Before your firm can bill your client on a matter, it must submit your fees to the client and have them accepted. This action is done by submitting a fee offer on a client's existing fee structure.

Only users with the Admin or Partner role can submit fee offers.

1. Access the Fees Search page by one of two ways:

   • Click the Fees tab to display the Fees Search page.

     

   • Click Offer / Update Fees button on the Fees & Discounts panel.

     

2. Once on the Fees Search page, at the top of the screen (right-hand corner) next to View, select Fee Structures to view the Fee Structures list.

3. Under the Fee Structure Id column, click on the Fee Structure to be viewed. The Fee Structure Overview page displays.

   

5. Click the +Add Fee Offer button. The Create Fee Offer page displays.
6. Complete all fields as applicable(i.e., Effective Date, Currency, etc., to include all fields marked with an asterisk (*), which indicates a required field.
7. If the Stage Structure , Timekeepers / other sections are collapsed, click the Expand button to expand the section.

8. In the Stage Structure section, enter values as applicable.

   

9. Optional Step: In the Timekeepers section, click Download Timekeeper Rates Template to download an Excel sheet if you wish to complete this section and then upload the sheet.
   1. Click Open / Save to complete the Timekeeper Rates Template download.
   2. In the Timekeepers section, click Upload Timekeeper Rates.
   3. Choose the Excel template you've completed, and proceed.
10. Complete all other aspects of the Timekeepers section as applicable, and then click Save.

11. An Approval Confirmation screen displays.

    

12. Click Yes to confirm and continue. The Fee Offer Overview screen displays the Fee Offer with a status of Pending Approval.

Copying or Editing a Fee Offer

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If you are updating an existing fee offer or have already created one, you can make a copy of it and update or edit it as needed.

This is the process for adding a timekeeper on a matter. Once the timekeeper has been added to CounselLink, you must then copy the existing fee offer. The new timekeeper will appear, and you can enter their rates.

1. Click the Fees tab. The Fees Search screen displays.

2. At the top of the screen (right-hand corner) next to View, select Fee Offers.

   

3. Under the Fee Offer Id column, click on the Fee Offer to be viewed. The Fee Offer Overview page displays.
4. At the top right hand corner of the screen, click the Copy Fee Offer (plus sign) button. The Copy Fee Offer button is used to create, copy, or edit a Fee Offer.  The Copy Fee Offer page displays.
5. Complete all fields as applicable (i.e., change / update the Effective Date, Currency, and / or enter a reason for the Fee Offer.
6. If the Stage Structure , Timekeepers / other sections are collapsed, click the Expand button to expand the section.
7. In the Stage Structure section, enter / update values as applicable.
8. Optional Step: In the Timekeepers section, click Download Timekeeper Rates Template if applicable.
9. Click Open / Save to complete the Timekeeper Rates Template download.
10. Optional Step: In the Timekeepers section, click Upload Timekeeper Rates if applicable.
11. Choose a file to upload, and proceed.
12. Complete all other aspects of the Timekeepers section as applicable, and then click Save.
13. An Approval Confirmation screen displays.   
14. Click Yes to confirm and continue. The Fee Offer Overview screen displays the Fee Offer to include the update reason for the Fee Offer.

Inactivating a Fee Offer

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You can inactivate a fee offer from the Fee Offer Overview page. Inactivating a fee offer is different than voiding a fee offer. When you inactivate a fee offer, the rates are still applicable for the approved term.

Fee offers are automatically inactivated when a new fee offer is approved. You must have the Admin role to inactivate a fee offer.

1. Navigate to the Fee Offer Overview page.
2. Click the three-dotted line in the upper-right corner.

3. Select Inactivate Fee Offer. A confirmation window displays.

   

4. Click OK. The fee offer becomes inactive.

Modifying a Fee Offer

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Once your fee offer is accepted by your client, they can assign you to matters with the same fee structure as your offer. The fee offer rates will apply to all matters that use that fee structure unless you make a new offer and your client approves it.

In some instances, the rates offered on the fee structure are not appropriate for a specific matter. In those cases, you can submit a change request to modify your fee offer once the client assigns you that particular matter. 

Not every client allows law firms to complete this action. If they do, you need the Matter Change Approval Contact role to complete it.

1. Click the three-dotted icon in the upper-right corner of the Matter Overview page.
2. Select Change Request.

This option is available only when you have accepted the matter assignment.

The Matter Change Request window displays.

3. Select Modify Offered Fees Request.
4. Click OK. The Matter Change Request - Modify Offered Fees Confirmation page displays.

5. Optional: Select a new Fee Offer Currency from the drop down list under the Fee Offer section.
6. Optional: Select a new Proposed Amount under the Stage Structure Information section.
7. Select a reason from Reason for Request drop down under Timekeeper Rates
8. Enter a description in the Describe text box area.
9. Click Save. The change request is submitted.

Voiding Fee Offers

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Fee offers are generally made when a law firm is first associated with a client. If a law firm wants to nullify an offer that is pending, (not yet approved), this can be done with the instructions below.

1. In CounselLink, click the Fees tab.
2. Choose your Law Firm Office from the drop-down field.
3. Choose your Corporate Customer name from the drop-down fields.
4. In the Fee Offer Status field, choose "Has Pending Offers". These offers are available for voiding.
5. Click Search to find all the fee structures that meet the criteria.
6. Find the Fee Structure ID column; click on the offer to be changed.
7. At the Fee Offers section, at the Action column, choose the action View Offer from the drop-down menu.
8. At the Fee Offer Overview page, click Void Approval Request button.
9. At the pop-up message, click OK to continue with void request.

10. A message will appear with directions. A typical message reads: "An email has been sent to the client informing them no action is required."

    For general information about offers and rates, see overview.

Printing Fee Offers

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You can print a fee offer from the Fee Offer Overview page.

1. Click the Fees tab on the top toolbar.
2. Under the Fee Offer Id column of the Fee Offer Search page, click the Fee Offer you wish to print. The Fee Offer Overview page displays.
3. At the top right of the screen, click the Print Fee Offer icon. The CounselLink Print window displays.
4. Click Print.