Budgets

Your client uses budgeting to track and plan for their overall legal spend on a per-matter or a multi-matter basis. They may ask you to collaborate with them on creating a budget. Not all clients will ask you to perform this task.

You must have the Budget Contact role to perform the tasks listed in this section.

If you collaborate with your client on creating a budget, the general process is as follows:

1. Your client sends a request to input budget values for a matter.

2. Your client reviews your submitted budget.
3. Your client either accepts (approves) or rejects (declines) the budget. If it is declined, they will ask you to resubmit new values before approval.

This article covers the following:

• Managing My Budgets
• Editing a Budget
• Submitting a Budget for Law Firms
• Matter Spending Report
• Printing and Exporting Budget Search Results

Managing My Budgets

The My Budget feature allows you to track budgets where you may not be the Budget Contact but they still impact your work.

1. Click a budget link in the Financials panel on the homepage.

   

2. From the Budget Title or Budget Fiscal Period column, click on the selected budget.

   The Budget Overview page displays.

3. Perform one of the following
   • Add to My Budget
     1. Click the Add to My Budget icon () to add the item to your budgets.

     2. The Successfully Added screen displays.

        

   • Remove from My Budget
     1. Click the Remove from My Budget icon () to remove the item from your budgets.

     2. The Successfully Removed screen displays. 

        

Editing a Budget

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1. Click the Budget Action Required link in the Financials panel on the homepage.
2. From the Budget Title or Budget Fiscal Period column, click on the selected budget.

3. Under the Amounts tab, place a check mark in the check box that's associated with the Law Firm. 

   

4. Click Edit Amounts. 

   The Edit button is displayed only if Law Firm Rights is selected as Edit when creating a budget.

   The Edit Budget Amounts window displays.

   

5. Complete all fields as applicable, where fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required entries.
6. Click Save to save the budget amount.

Submitting a Budget for Law Firms

When multiple law firms are assigned to a matter, many times a lead law firm is designated to manage budget amounts for all firms.

Based on receiving an email when a client has requested budget collaboration on a matter:

1. Click the Budget Action Required link in the Financials panel on the homepage.
2. From the Budget Title or Budget Fiscal Period column, click on the selected budget.

3. Under the Amounts tab, place a check mark in the check box that's associated with the Law Firm. 

   

4. Click the Submit to submit the budget amounts to the client for review.  A confirmation message is displayed.
5. Click Yes, Continue.

The client will receive an email notification that the budget has been submitted.

Matter Spending Report

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The budget amount spent on a matter can be viewed from the spending report.

You can view the Matter Spending Report only when invoices are approved for the matter.

1. Click a budget link in the Financials panel on the homepage.
2. From the Budget Title or Budget Fiscal Period column, click on the selected budget.

3. Click View Spending Report from under the Amounts tab.

   

   The Spending Report displays.

4. Optional: To export, perform the following:
   1. Click the Download Excel icon to the far right of the screen.
   2. Click Open File from the bottom of the screen to open the file.
   3. Perform and / or complete all tasks / fields as applicable.
   4. Click Save.
5. Click Close.

Printing and Exporting Budget Search Results and Details

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1. Click a budget link in the Financials panel on the homepage.
2. Filter your search results as needed.
3. Select the budgets to print.

4. If printing, click the printer icon located to the upper right-hand corner of the page.

   

5. If exporting, click the Export icon located in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
6. Under the Print area of the screen, ensure that all settings / options (e.g., Destination, other) are properly selected.
7. Click Save to save the document.