In order to apply a finance charge, you must first enable finance charges in Customization, and then configure the clients.
To enable finance charge in Customization
To configure clients to be assessed a finance charge
Note: Alternatively, you can configure clients individually on the Billing Options tab of Client Information.
For more information, check out Knowledge Base Article R10850, “All About Tabs3 Finance Charges.”
Tabs3 Billing includes a Flat Fee Billing feature, which allows you to enter your time for a matter normally throughout the billing period, and then write the amount of the fees proportionally up or down to a predetermined amount prior to running statements.
To configure a matter for flat fee billing
Once you have configured the matter for flat fee billing, you can enter time in Tabs3 Billing normally.
To adjust flat fee clients prior to running statements
Once the fees have been adjusted, you can run your statements normally.
To make changes for multiple client matters all at once, you can use Change Client Options. Because Change Client Options is a powerful feature that can make changes to all of your clients at once, we recommend making a backup when prompted.
To mark multiple matters as Inactive via Change Client Options
Fees are always displayed in date order on statements. However, Tabs3 Billing does include a utility to change the order in which fees that share the same date will appear.
To change the order of fees on a statement
Note: The Reorder Fees utility works by editing the reference numbers assigned to the updated fees. Reference numbers on previously generated reports and verification lists may no longer refer to the original fees.
You can change any existing Client ID to another by using the Renumber Client utility. When renumbering a client, any records associated to the original client will be renumbered to the new Client ID as well.
To renumber a client
The Matter Manager allows you to customize which reports are shown in the Reports pane.
To customize the Reports pane
When sending out email statements from Tabs3 Billing, you can edit the text and add additional files via the Email Preview window while reviewing your email statements.
To attach a file to an email statement
Alternatively, there’s an Insert File button in the toolbar at the top of the window that allows you to browse and select files as attachments.
Note: Email attachments must comply with file size limitations in Outlook and your outgoing email server.
Tabs3 Billing includes a Budget feature that allows you to set a maximum amount and/or hours per matter. Additionally, with matters configured for Task Based Billing, you can specify separate budgets by phase for both activity (fees) and expenses (costs). When you are entering fees or costs in Tabs3 Billing, PracticeMaster, or Tabs3 Accounts Payable, you will be notified before saving if the transaction will exceed the matter’s budget.
To configure a budget for a non-Task Based Billing matter
To configure phase-level budgets for a Task Based Billing matter
You can view detailed information on a write off via the Tabs3 Billing Matter Manager. This allows you to see the original billed amount as well as the fees, expenses, and/or advances written off. Each timekeeper, cost type, tax amount, and/or finance charge that was written off is also shown, along with statement information.
To view detailed write off information
Tabs3 Billing includes a Renumber Category utility that allows you to renumber your billing categories. You can use this process to combine up to five existing billing categories into a new billing category.
To merge billing categories
Note: When combining categories, the new category cannot exist prior to combining.
Statement comments allow you to include additional information on transaction descriptions that will be shown on draft statements or reports, but not final statements. This makes it easy to provide information to the person reviewing pre-bills without making it visible to the client.
To enter a statement comment
Statement comments are identified in the entry window with red text, are shown on reports and draft statements with a strikethrough line, and are excluded from final statements.
Tabs3 Billing allows you to specify a password for the PDF statements sent via Email Statements for added security. The password can be unique for each matter and client.
To password protect PDF email statements
The next time you send an Email Statement, the client will be prompted to enter the password to open the PDF. For additional information about Email Statements and password security, see Knowledge Base Article R11913, “Emailing Tabs3 Billing Statements.”
The Courtesy Discount feature in the Client Information window allows you to provide individual or ongoing discounts by amount or percentage. These discounts show as a separate line item on the client’s statement.
To add a courtesy discount for a matter
Tabs3 Billing has a Top Client Report, which provides the ability to rank clients or matters based on different criteria. This report shows the top hours worked, WIP figures, billed figures, paid figures, and more.
To print the top 20 clients for billed fees
Both Tabs3Pay and LawPay can be used with the Apply Payments to Multiple Matters feature. This feature allows you to enter a single payment and apply it to specific matters and statements associated with the client. Apply Payment to Multiple Matters can be used when entering new payments as well as when using the Import Online Payments feature.
To apply a payment to multiple matters or statements when entering a payment
To apply a payment to multiple matters or statement when importing a payment
Note: LexCharge (formerly ProPay) integration does not support the Apply Payments to Multiple Matters feature. If you are interested in using this feature, visit Tabs3Pay.com for information on signing up for Tabs3Pay.
A Display all Transaction Descriptions in Uppercase check box was added to the Statement Templates window in Tabs3 Billing Version 2022. When this check box is selected, all text in a transaction’s Description field is automatically converted to uppercase when included on a statement.
To display all transaction descriptions in uppercase for a statement template
To display all transaction descriptions for a single batch of statements
You can include one statement designer layout in the background of another layout, allowing you to easily reuse templates. In this example, you can modify the statement designer layout with your heading to include the layout with the footer.
To add a statement designer layout to another statement designer layout
The background elements will appear as dimmed on the form layout, but will print normally on the next statement.
Figure 1
You can filter clients in Tabs3 Billing to only show clients with the Task Based Billing check box selected.
To filter clients for Task Based Billing matters
You can easily locate statements by number using the Statement Manager.
To find the statement number in Statement Manager
When you have located the statement, you can double-click the record to see the statement information, or use the Quick Clicks actions to perform other common tasks such as reprinting, emailing, or making a payment.
The matter is most likely configured to Bill On Demand. Bill On Demand is a feature that enables you to only bill a client when needed, rather than every billing cycle. When the Bill On Demand check box is selected, each time a statement is final billed and updated for the matter, the Release to Bill check box is automatically cleared to prevent unauthorized statements from being sent in the future. When you are ready to send another statement, simply select the Release to Bill check box again.
If you want a statement to print for the matter whenever they have a balance, simply clear the Bill on Demand check box and select the Release to Bill check box. The matter will then be included in all future billing cycles.
To enable the Bill On Demand feature
To disable the Bill On Demand feature
You can have up to two Bill To records for each client, allowing you to send statements to up to two parties.
To add a Bill To Record
The Lock Out All Users feature was designed for exactly this reason. This option allows a user with manager rights to lock out all other users in the Tabs3 Software applications. In addition, users will be able to finish the task they are working on when the Lock Out is initiated, but will receive a Conflicting Activities window if they try to do anything else before they exit.
To initiate Lock Out All Users
The lockout will automatically end at the designated time. Alternatively, you can click Unlock to unlock the software sooner or click the Reset lockout time link to extend the lockout.
If you have the Platinum version of the Tabs3 Billing Software, the Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report is an additional accounts receivable report that can be run for specific working timekeepers.
To run the Accounts Receivable by Working Timekeeper Report