Managing Clients

1. Client Settings
2. Create a New Client
3. Delete or Inactivate a Client
4. Search for a Client
5. Conflict Search
6. Client Categories
7. Custom Fields

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Client Settings

Click on Clients>Settings.

Client label - select what your business calls a client/customer/respondent so that you view this label throughout the TimeSolv app specific to your business. 

Next client identifier - next number of sequence for new clients created.

Taxable Status - universal tax settings for clients can be specified here. Clients can be taxable, taxable by task, or not taxable at all. View this article to see how to set up taxes. 

Client ID format - specify the number of digits to be used in client ID numbers. As an example, choosing 5 digits would create a client ID as 00010.

Matter label - select what your business calls a matter/job/case/engagement/project so that you view this label throughout the TimeSolv app specific to your business.

Display matters first? - display matters first in the pull-down selection lists on Time and Expense entry screens.

Matter inactivate limit - TimeSolv will automatically make matters 'inactive' if the specified number of days have passed from the latest Time or Expense entry, provided there are no unbilled entries. This feature enables faster data entry and keeps administrators from having to check which matters are in use. Entering a value of 0 will disable this feature. 

Matter inactivate days - next number of sequence for new matters created.

Starting matter ID - the first matter number. By default, TimeSolv sets your businesses first matter ID as '101', but if you use a different numbering sequence you can enter the first number here. 

Matter ID format - specify the number of digits to be used in matter ID numbers. As an example, choosing 5 digits would create a matter ID as 00010.

Related party custom field label - for use with our conflict checking feature. Select what your business calls a related party so that you view this label throughout the TimeSolv app specific to your business.

Relationship custom field label - for use with our conflict checking feature. Select what your business calls a relationship so that you view this label throughout the TimeSolv app specific to your business.

Enable portal - enable the use of Client Portal for client users to view and pay invoices online.

Login required for portal - whether or not an explicit login is required for client users to view and pay their invoices online. If not enabled, portal users can view invoices directly using the code sent in emails.

Time visibility - exercise control over how much a portal user can see. All time entries, only billed entries, or no entries at all.

Expense visibility - exercise control over how much a portal user can see. All expense entries, only billed entries, or no entries at all.

Allow use of trust balance when paying invoices - allow portal users to use Trust balances. Only the matter default Trust would be used.

Allowed Payment Methods - restrict payment methods (Credit Card/ACH) within TimeSolv so that only the configured payment methods are used to receive payments within the Web App and the Client Portal.

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Create a New Client

A client database is an invaluable tool for any business. These details help you follow up on new leads, easily generate repeat business with multiple Matters/Projects under the same client, and find information about your current and previous clients quickly and easily.

To create a new client, click on Clients>Clients & Matters>New Client.

Client ID - will appear on selected reports.

Client name - will appear on all forms of correspondence, bills, and reports.

Invoice name - the name that will appear on invoices (in place of 'client name' field above).

Next Matter ID - by default, the system will pre-fill with the next ID number by sequence, but the user can customize this number.

Status - client status can be Active, Inactive, or Prospect. Timekeepers cannot create new time and expense entries against inactive clients, and they will no longer be listed under Clients>Clients & Matters screen, unless 'All' or 'Inactive' is selected next to the search bar:

Type - client types can be Company, Corporation, Individual, Non-profit, Partnership, Sole Proprietor, Trust, Other. 

Currency - specify any currency symbol. This will appear on invoices.

Rate by -

• Timekeeper Default is the preselected default rate applied in the timekeeper’s individual settings for their typical rate. When no alternative is specified, this default rate will always be applied.
• Task then Timekeeper Default – selecting this option means Timekeeper Default will be the standard rate applied unless the task code chosen for the entry has its own specified rate. The task code rate will then override any Timekeeper Default rate.
• Global Rate – global rates are the customized rates saved under the Global Rates section. Assigning a global rate to a client means that you have the benefit, for example, of giving the client a discounted rate of x% for all their time and expense entries. Or, for example, an ongoing case spanning over numerous years can have a ‘2015 rate’ applied to it.
• Task then Global Rate – selecting this option means Global Rate will be the standard rate applied unless the task code chosen for the entry has its own specified rate. The task code rate will then override any Timekeeper Default rate. 
• Matter Rate – matter rates are applied at the matter level. So if an individual matter needs a specific rate applied to it, then under Clients>Clients & Matters>[matter name], you would select Matter Rate under the ‘Rate By‘ field. You will then need to Save this selection in order to activate the grey Edit Rates button below the Rate By field and thereby specify the matter rate.
• Matter then Global Rate – If the Matter Rate is unavailable, then 'Global Rate' is specified against the Matter is used. 
• Task then Matter Rate – selecting this option means Matter Rate will be the standard rate applied unless the task code chosen for the entry has its own specified rate. The task code rate will then override any Timekeeper Default rate. 

Billing increment - this represents hours. E.g.15 minutes (a quarter of an hour) would be 0.25 (a quarter of 1). An increment of 0 will still calculate time entries microscopically at a billing increment of 0.007. Administrators need to be cautious when changing a billing increment for the whole firm. When a Timekeeper’s timer is running or is restarting, it will mess up their time log if the increment is changed in the middle of running time. 

Opening date - this is the start date to be recorded for the client, and can be generated in reports.

Taxable status - 

• Taxable - will generate two additional fields to specify the time tax rate percentage and expense tax rate percentage.
• Non-Taxable - invoices will not include tax against the client
• Taxable by task - tax can be activated against tasks under Time>Settings>Task Codes. This will generate two additional fields to specify the time tax rate percentage and expense tax rate percentage.

Invoice account group - created under Clients>Settings>Account Groups. This is used for syncing with Account Edge.

Payment account group - created under Clients>Settings>Account Groups. This is used for syncing with Account Edge.

Category/Sub Category - created under Clients>Settings>Categories to help keep clients organized by grouping them into different categories and sub-categories. These categories can also be selected when generating reports.

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Delete or Inactivate a Client

To delete a client click on Clients>Clients & Matters>[client name]>Delete This Client.

To inactivate a client click under Clients>Clients & Matters>[client name]>General>Status. 

If there are any of the following for the client, the user will see a list of these details at the bottom of the screen before confirming they still want to go ahead with inactivating the client:

• Unbilled time/expense entries
• Unpaid Invoices
• Opening balance
• Unallocated credits 
• Trust balances

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Search for a Client

Under Clients>Clients & Matters, TimeSolv lists all active clients and matters by default. 

To search for clients that meet specific criteria click on Clients>Clients & Matters. 

In the  Search Criteria box users can search by client name, matter name, ID number, or even a comment in the description/notes.

Whittle the criteria further by specifying status between Active, Inactive, or Prospect.

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Conflict Search

Step One 

Enable conflict searches under Clients>Settings>General>Enable Conflicts Search.

Step Two

Click on  Clients>Settings>Related Party Types and create new.

Users can define the types of relationships to track as well as the types of related parties. We recommend to simply use Clients in the 'Code' field for Related Party Types since the majority of conflicts with related parties will be with the clients.

Step Three

Click on  Clients>Settings>Relationship Types and create new.

Step Four

Click on Clients>Related Parties and create new.

Click Edit next to the related party and scroll to the bottom of the screen.

Click on New Relationship and create details of the relationship link with the selected party. 

Step Five

Click on Clients>Conflict Search.

The conflict search is performed with a new party, such as when a prospect contacts the firm. Enter the name of the new person in the Conflict Search and determine if this person was involved with an existing client, which could result in a conflict of interest.

 

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Client Categories

To help keep clients organized users can group them into different categories and sub-categories. These categories can also be selected when generating reports. 

Click on Clients>Settings>Categories.

 

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Custom Fields

These are user-defined fields allowing you to be as creative and intuitive as needed when storing information under clients, matters, contacts, and matters groups. 

To set up custom fields, click on Clients>Settings>Custom Fields.

See the table below on how selecting the different options affect the value field for your specific needs.

In an example we selected, you can see now that the  Default Value field shows a date-specific format since we chose the ‘Type‘ as ‘Date‘. 

Users must specify the  Order number for the Custom Field. This is useful if you have multiple custom fields setup because you can choose the order in which they will appear.