When you’re not at the office and you need to record the time you spent on a matter or a cost you incurred, what do you do? Why, log into Tabs3 Connect on your phone or tablet, of course!
Tabs3 Connect makes it easy to enter fees and costs for a client even when you’re not at the office. No more writing notes on scraps of paper that can get lost, or in an app amidst a bunch of other notes. You can use your phone to enter fees and costs directly into Tabs3 Connect from anywhere and at any time!
To add a new Fee or Cost via Tabs3 Connect
Changing Your Start Page
Want to make entering fees even easier? Set up Tabs3 Connect to open to a new fee as soon as you log in.
To set Tabs3 Connect to open to a new fee
For more information on Tabs3 Connect, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, call Support at (402) 419-2210, or visit Knowledge Base Article R11480, “All About Tabs3 Connect.”
Did you know that you can change your view to see either more fields or fewer fields in certain files?
By clicking the (Detail/Rapid) button, or pressing Alt+I, you can specify whether you see all of the fields in a file or only key fields. This option is available in the Tabs3 Billing Fee, Cost, Payment, and Client Funds Entry windows, as well as the AP Invoice/Manual Check Entry window. Detail mode includes all of the fields, whereas Rapid mode simplifies the data entry process by only showing the most pertinent fields.
The following fields are not shown when in Rapid Mode:
Tabs3 Billing Fee Entry – Hours to Bill, Rate, Amount, Category, Bill Code, Rate Code, Status, User ID, Date Entered, Sales Tax
Tabs3 Billing Cost Entry – Timekeeper, Bill Code, Rate Code, Status, User ID, Date Entered, Sales Tax
Tabs3 Billing Payment Entry – Status, User ID, Date Entered
Tabs3 Billing Client Funds Entry – User ID, Date Entered
Accounts Payable Invoice/Manual Check Entry – Due Date, Voucher #, Amount to Pay, Discount Amount, Discount Date, Net Amount, Take Discount, Hold/Pay, User ID, Date Entered
Take a moment to look at these options and see if you can help streamline data entry for your office!
When entering information into the software, have you saved an entry only to realize you needed to enter the same description into the next entry as well? If so, there is an easier and quicker way than going back to the last record to copy the information. When you are in Fee, Cost, Payment, or Client Funds, pressing F2 while in the description field will automatically replace the transaction code’s default description with the Description entered for the previous entry saved during the current data entry session.
Version 2022 has some great new features to check out!
Unified Contacts
Enhanced Lists
New Filters and QuickViews
1099-NEC Forms
Updated Calendar Code File
Exchange Online Integration
Updated Installer
For in-depth information on all of the new Version 2022 features, including screenshots, refer to Knowledge Base Article R11880, “Version 2022 Introduction to New Features.” A list with links to all Version 2022 information can be found in R11885, “Version 2022 Information and Resources.”
To download Version 2022, visit Tabs3.com/update or contact your local consultant.
You meet up with a client away from the office, they want to write a check for what they owe, but you don’t have the balance due with you. What do you do? Simply log into Tabs3 Connect, and have the amount in a matter of seconds!
With Tabs3 Connect, you can use the Matter Manager to see exactly how much your client owes. Matter Manager’s Billing Summary provides client-specific information that includes the current amount due, work-in-process fees and costs, aged balances, and more. Make sure you’re not fumbling for a figure, or having to call the office. Accessing Tabs3 Connect is quick, easy, and secure!
For more information on Tabs3 Connect, contact your consultant, call Technical Support at (402) 419-2210, or visit Knowledge Base Article R11480, “All About Tabs3 Connect.”
When it comes to tracking your advances, Tabs3 Software provides the tools you need to accurately manage your advanced client costs from start to finish.
See how the integration between Tabs3 Billing, Accounts Payable, and General Ledger makes it easy to enter and track your advances. The Tracking Advanced Client Costs in Tabs3 Software video covers how to set up integration, enter an invoice, and track your advances using the Advanced Client Costs Report.
Watch this five-minute video here:
Training Videos can be accessed at Tabs3.com/videos. You can also access the videos while in the software by selecting Help | Training Videos.
We added a new way to view clients, contacts, fees, costs, payments, client funds, and write offs without having to run a report! When accessing the new Tabs3 Billing lists, you can work with entries using the actions in the Quick Clicks pane, or drill down for additional details. Lists are available via the File | Open menu in Tabs3 Billing or by searching the Quick Launch for “clients,” “contacts,” “client funds,” “fees,” “costs,” “payments,” and “write offs.” The data entry windows for these record types are now available via File | Data Entry or by searching the Quick Launch for “client information,” “contact information,” “client funds entry,” “fee entry,” “cost entry,” and payment entry.”
Filtering
Filtering is a powerful feature. For example, you could filter the Client file to only show clients for which you’re the primary timekeeper. As another example, you could filter the Fee file to only show fees entered in the last week. There are a few ways to filter in the lists.
Quick Clicks
The Quick Clicks pane includes the following additional groups:
Download the latest version of the software to get this great new feature!
If you need to report on fees, costs, or payments, the Transaction File List or Task Code Billing Report is your answer. Both reports have great flexibility and options. The Transaction File List and Task Code Billing Report have similar options. The Task Code Billing Report includes task based billing clients only. However, the Transaction File List includes both task based transactions and non-task based transactions.
The following are examples of when you may want to run a Transaction File List or Task Based Billing Report:
For a closer look at the Transaction File List, including detailed examples and report setup, as well as a comparison to the Task Based Billing Report, visit Knowledge Base Article R11039, “How the Tabs3 Transaction File List Can Work for You.”
Did you know that you can split fees and costs between multiple matters in Tabs3 Billing? Split Billing provides the ability to enter fees and costs once, but split the charges between multiple matters. You must first determine which client you will be entering fees and costs for; this is your “main client.” Next, determine which clients/matters will be splitting the bill, and for what percentage each party will be responsible.
To configure clients for split billing
Fees and costs may be entered before and/or after configuring split billing, but keep in mind that when it comes time to perform the split, only those fees and costs entered for the main client will be split amongst all parties.
When you are ready, you can Perform Split Billing (Statements | Statement Preparation | Perform Split Billing). Transactions that have already been split cannot be split again so this can be run as often as needed. Perform Split Billing should be run prior to generating statements every time in order to make sure that all transactions are billed appropriately.
If, after performing the split, you need to change the way in which transactions should be split, simply Undo Split Billing (Maintenance | Transaction Related | Undo Split Billing). This will revert all split transactions for the selected Main Client ID and Split Billing Ref # that are still work-in-process to their pre-split values. This provides a way to make adjustments as needed.
If you have even one client who splits amounts due with other matters, and you’ve been splitting the fees and costs manually, make your billing easier by using the Split Billing feature in Tabs3.
For more information on split billing features, see Knowledge Base Article R11616, “All About Tabs3 Split Billing,” the Billing Adjustments Guide, and the Split Billing Training Video.
There are two ways to use the tcode rate instead of the timekeeper rate. You can specify individual fee transactions to use a Rate Code of 7 Tcode Rate, which allows you to manually switch to using the tcode rate. Alternatively, you can set up the client to use the tcode rate as the default. When the client is set up this way, all fees entered for the client will default to using the tcode rate.
To set a default rate code of Tcode Rate
Often, the most common source of unbilled costs are the everyday tasks done in your office. Photocopies, faxes, phone calls, and many other tasks can easily be overlooked when entering costs for a client. Simple cost recovery methods can reclaim these expenses as needed. Many manufacturers offer devices that collect information and create an export file, which can be used in Tabs3 Billing.
The Tabs3 Device Interface software takes the export files from most collection devices and converts them into costs that can be imported to Tabs3 Billing. Additionally, it allows you to customize import settings so any standard text file can be converted, even if it is not already configured in the conversion program. This means it is very likely that you can import your task information, regardless of the device’s manufacturer.
To see if the Tabs3 Device Interface will work for you, or to order a license of the Tabs3 Device Interface for your firm, contact your local consultant or call our Sales Department at (402) 419-2200. Information about the Tabs3 Device Interface can also be found in our Knowledge Base Article R10737, “Tabs3 Device Interface Product Information,” and in R11684, “Tabs3 Device Interface Instructions.”
Transferring and replicating fees and costs just got easier in Tabs3 Billing! With the release of Version 19.1.11, two new buttons have been added to the Fee and Cost Entry windows, allowing you to quickly transfer or replicate an entry.
Transfer Fees and Costs
The ability to transfer fees and costs has long been available using the Transfer Transactions program. However, you can now transfer fee and cost transactions to a different matter directly from the Fee and Cost Entry windows using the new Transfer button. Any fees and costs that have not been final billed and/or updated can be transferred to another client. When transferring a fee or cost, you can optionally select to update the rate to use the new client’s rate, and then recalculate the amount.
Replicate Fees and Costs
In addition to the Transfer option, you can now replicate fees and costs using the Replicate button in the Fee and Cost Entry windows. Replicating fees and costs makes a copy of the transaction and saves it to the desired Client ID. Like the Transfer feature, when replicating a fee or cost, you can optionally select to update the rate to use the new client’s rate, and then recalculate the amount.
Did you know that you can write all matters for a client up or down at the same time?
As of Version 19, when using the Write-Up/Write-Down Fees and Costs program (Statements | Statement Preparation | Write-Up/Write-Down Fees and Costs), an Include All Matters for this Client check box is now available.
Prior to billing, you can use the Write-Up/Write-Down program to write-down unbilled fees, costs, or hours for a client using a range of timekeepers, transaction codes, categories, and/or dates. When writing multiple transactions up or down, each affected transaction’s amount and/or hours is adjusted by an amount proportional to the total adjustment.
When this option is selected, the Write-Up or Write-Down will include transactions for all matters for the specified Client ID. All matters that begin with the same value left of the decimal with work-in-process will be included in the calculated client total based on the criteria selected in the Transaction Selection section.
In most data entry files, like the Journal, Document Management, and Calendar files, you can easily change the Client ID by opening a record and changing it or via the Change Client ID feature. However, before now, there wasn’t a way to change the Client ID for a fee or cost in PracticeMaster without deleting the record and starting over. We recently enhanced Version 19 so that you can now use the Change Client ID feature in the PracticeMaster Fee and Cost files!
The Change Client ID feature can be used for one record, or multiple selected records. Additionally, you have the option to update the rate based on the selected client, which will automatically recalculate the amount of the transaction(s). The Change Client ID features can be accessed via the following:
When you change the Client ID of a record that has been processed into a fee, the linked fee’s Client ID will also be changed.
We added a couple of new features to the Print Checks process in Version 19!
When using the Print Checks program (Checks | Print Checks), if the Select Invoices to Print check box is selected on the Options tab, the number of invoices selected and the total amount to pay for all selected invoices are now displayed at the bottom of the Select Invoices window. Additionally, a Tabs3 column has been added that shows the Tabs3 cost status of Paid, Unpaid, or a dash, which indicates no linked cost transaction.
In the print checks program, you can also now select to Exclude Invoices with Unpaid Tabs3 Cost Transactions from the Options tab. When this option is selected, only invoices with the entire cost amount paid will be printed. This allows firms to opt not to pay invoices until a client pays them for the associated cost.
There are several ways you might handle billing for a contingency case, but in the end you still need to adjust the amount owed based on the outcome. So what options does Tabs3 provide?
Contingency billing occurs when a firm performs work for a client and gets paid contingent upon a settlement. There are many variations for this type of arrangement, such as whether or not costs will be billed, percentage amounts of the settlement, etc. When billing contingency clients, you typically bill them after the matter is settled; however, you may also want to bill them during the course of the matter. When billing during the course of the matter, you may want to bill only expenses or advances. You may also want the client to see the services rendered for a particular time frame without actually billing the fees. Then, once the matter is settled, you can write the fees/costs up or down and send the client a final bill.
For example, let’s say that you have a contingency client and you want to bill them monthly for all costs incurred, but not include fees on the statement. You must first create a statement template that will include the desired information on the statement, and then assign it to the contingency client.
To create a statement template for costs only
To assign a statement template to a client
Using our example, let’s say that the matter has been resolved with a particularly good outcome. You determine that you need to write-up the client’s fees by $5,000 in order to meet the agreed upon percentage of the settlement that your firm will receive.
To write-up fees by an amount
You can now change the matter’s Final Template to a statement template that has a Fee Format of Standard and generate a final statement for your client. (As an alternative, you can select the statement template via Generate Statements.)
Occasionally, transactions may accidentally be entered for the wrong client. If there are only a couple, it’s easy to just delete them and reenter them for the correct client. However, when there are many transactions, what can you do? Use the Transfer A/R and Transactions utility in Tabs3!
The Transfer Transactions program can be used to transfer unbilled fees, costs, and/or payments between clients. When selecting to transfer fees, costs, and/or payments, you can select a range of transactions based on tcode, timekeeper, category, date, and/or reference number. This can help make sure that you are only transferring the transactions that you want to transfer.
Additionally, if a time comes when you want to transfer one client’s full accounts receivable balance, ledger, archived transactions, and client funds to another client, the Transfer A/R and Transactions utility can also be used. This function will transfer ALL of the client’s ledger records and billing history to another client. It is not possible to only transfer a client’s current A/R without also transferring everything else.
Note: When using the Transfer A/R and Transactions utility, keep in mind that once the transfer has been performed, the only way to undo it is by restoring from a backup.
To transfer transactions between clients
Keep this utility in mind the next time transactions need to be transferred from one client to another client. It can save you significant time.
When entering fees and costs for task based billing clients, do you have to scroll through all of the Phase/Task or Activity Codes for other categories to get to the set of task codes applicable for your client? If you use Billing Categories for your clients, you can assign Task Code Sets to your categories so that when entering fees and costs, only the task codes that are associated with that client’s Billing Category are displayed.
To assign a Task Code Set to a Category
The next time you enter fees and costs for a client assigned to the Category selected, you will only see the Task Code Set assigned to the Category. This can greatly reduce the number of Task Codes to choose from.
Do you have a new pro bono client, or need to enter a fee or cost at no charge for a regular client? Clients and transactions can be marked as non-billable so that you can still track your time without charging your client.
If you have a client for which there will be no billable time, you may want to mark the client as non-billable. Marking the client as non-billable prevents the accidental entering of billable transactions for the client. Transactions can still be entered, but they will default to a non-billable Bill Code.
To mark a client as non-billable
When fees (or costs) are entered, the transaction’s Bill Code can be specified as 1 – Non-Billable / Non-Printable if you do not want the transaction to be printed on a statement or 2 – Non-Billable / Printable if you want the transaction to be printed on a statement.
When using a Bill Code of 2 – Non-Billable / Printable, transactions will be printed on the statement, but the amount will display “n/c” to indicate that there is no charge for the transaction. If desired, this text can be changed via Statement Customization.
To change the “n/c” terminology
You can optionally configure transaction codes (tcodes) to default to a non-billable Bill Code. This means that when you select the tcode on a transaction, the Bill Code will already be set as non-billable.
To specify a Bill Code for a tcode
In summary, there are three different ways to track non-billable transactions: mark the client as non-billable, specify a non-billable Bill Code when entering individual transactions, and/or configuring tcodes to be non-billable. Take a look at these options and see which option is right for you the next time you need transactions to be non-billable.
There are many reasons why you might want or need to credit or refund a client’s account. Likewise, there are many ways to make a credit to a client’s account. While the easiest way may seem to be entering a credit transaction (i.e., entering a negative fee or cost), this may not be the best way to handle the situation.
In Knowledge Base Article R11730, “Best Practices When Applying Credits,” we discuss the different methods of crediting a client’s account as well as best practices on handling various scenarios. The methods discussed include write offs, write-downs, courtesy discounts, payment adjustments, editing or deleting the original transaction, and applying a credit transaction. For each method, we cover how reports, statements, and integration are handled and walk you through performing the method.
Because credit transactions can lead to problems down the road that are time intensive to fix if the credit is not entered correctly, this article also provides more in-depth information regarding how credit transactions work.
Make sure you’re performing credits the best way. Bookmark this article to use as a reference the next time you must credit or refund a client.
Our Knowledge Base can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at support.Tabs3.com. You can also access our Knowledge Base while in the software by selecting Help | Internet Resources | Knowledge Base.
Did you know that you can do more with Entry Lists than see current work-in-process transactions? The Fee, Cost, Payment, and Client Funds Entry Lists can be printed, filtered, and set to include archived records.
Entry Lists can be toggled to be hidden or displayed using the (Toggle List) button or Alt+G. Once the Entry List is displayed, the following additional buttons are available:
You enter data regularly; make sure you are getting the most out of your Entry List by showing the information you want to see and quickly printing lists when needed.
Although Tabs3 Billing has the option to change fee rates via the Change WIP Transactions program, cost rates cannot be changed using this program. As a work-around, you can accomplish the cost rate change by creating a user activated WorkFlow in PracticeMaster. This type of WorkFlow runs only when initiated by a user, which means you can choose to run it for only the costs you want to change. The WorkFlow will change the Rate of the selected costs, recalculate the amount, and then automatically save the costs.
Tip: Once the WorkFlow has been created, it can easily be changed for future scenarios. For example, if you need to adjust cost records to a different rate, simply edit the existing WorkFlow for the new scenario.
To create a WorkFlow in PracticeMaster to change the rate of existing costs
To run the WorkFlow, simply open the Cost file, select the desired cost records, and then select the WorkFlow from the WorkFlows group of the Quick Clicks pane. All of the selected costs will be updated with the new rate and recalculated amount.
This was the first month of Working with WorkFlows! Did you find this article helpful? Have any article suggestions? Leave us a comment below!
When adding features for Version 18, we did not overlook Tabs3 Connect! Check out these new enhancements included when you update to Version 18:
For more information on Tabs3 Connect, contact your reseller and consultant, contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210, or visit Knowledge Base Article R11480, “All About Tabs3 Connect.”
Did you know that you can easily split fees and costs between multiple matters in Tabs3 Billing? The Split Billing program provides the ability to enter fees and costs once, but have multiple matters pay for them. You must first determine which client you will be entering fees and costs for; this is your “main client”. Next, determine which clients/ matters will be splitting the bill, and for what percentage each party will be responsible. You can now configure split billing for the client.
To configure clients for split billing
Fees and costs may be entered before and/or after configuring split billing, but keep in mind that when it comes time to perform the split, only those fees and costs entered for the main client will be split amongst all parties. Additionally, only Type 0 (Normal) and Type 5 (Miscellaneous) fee and cost transactions that are not on hold can be split.
When you are ready, you can run the Perform Split Billing program (Statements | Statement Preparation | Perform Split Billing). Transactions that have already been split cannot be split again so this program can be run as often as needed. The Perform Split Billing program should be run prior to generating statements every time in order to make sure that all transactions are billed appropriately.
If, after performing the split, you need to change the way in which transactions should be split, simply run the Undo Split Billing program (Maintenance | Transaction Related | Undo Split Billing). This program will revert all split transactions for the selected Main Client ID and Split Billing Ref # that are still work-in-process to their pre-split values. This provides a way to easily make adjustments as needed. If you have even one client who splits amounts due with other matters, and you’ve been splitting the fees and costs manually, make your billing easier by using the Split Billing feature in Tabs3.
For more information on split billing features, see Knowledge Base Article R11616, “All About Tabs3 Split Billing,” the Billing Adjustments Guide, and the Split Billing Training Video.
Tabs3 Connect has been around for some time now, but what exactly is Tabs3 Connect, and what can it do for your firm? Tabs3 Connect is a Platinum feature that provides access to Tabs3 and PracticeMaster anywhere you can connect to the Internet. No apps to download, simply go to Tabs3Connect.com and log in using your phone, tablet, laptop, or other internet-enabled device. Access client and contact information, enter fees and costs, use Matter Manager, access your firm’s calendar, receive alarm notifications, send and receive eNotes, and download documents and e-mail attachments via Tabs3 Connect. On smartphones and tablets, you can tap to create a fee, and flick to scroll through a list.
Keeping your data secure is top priority, and Tabs3 Connect was designed to protect attorneys’ sensitive information. The information you access using Tabs3 Connect is secure because it resides at your office, on your computer. It won’t be stored on someone else’s server in the cloud, or on a phone that you might lose. Furthermore, you choose who has access to Tabs3 Connect and who doesn’t, and access profiles affect users logged in to Tabs3 Connect as well. You can even keep track of Tabs3 Connect access and activity by reviewing the Tabs3 Connect Access Log and Tabs3 Connect Log.
If you already have Platinum, take advantage of this great feature and change the way your firm works! Don’t have Platinum yet? Now is a great time to explore the possibilities.
For more information on Tabs3 Connect, contact your reseller, consultant, or Technical Support at (402) 419-2210; or, visit Knowledge Base Article R11480, “All About Tabs3 Connect.” For more information on all of the great Platinum features, visit Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.”
The Tabs3 Accounts Payable Software (APS) makes paying bills easier. You can print checks, track vendors, generate 1099-MISC forms, run reports and check registers, and more!
APS lets you write checks to saved vendors as well as vendors that are not individually tracked in the software. For monthly payments, set up recurring entries to create multiple invoices in one step. Writing a check by hand? Enter a manual check that will show up in your check register.
Tracking vendors is a snap. In addition to name and address, you can save information for frequently used vendors such as the Federal ID number, 1099-MISC information, vendor discount information, and more! Month-to-date, year-to-date, and to date paid figures for each vendor are also tracked for easy reference.
APS integrates with Tabs3 Billing and Tabs3 General Ledger Software (GLS) to bring things together. Costs can integrate with Tabs3 when adding, changing, or deleting an invoice or manual check. When integrating with GLS, journal entries are automatically created when checks are posted, and voided checks will create reversing journal entries.
APS also offers many reports that can be run to determine activity in the software, including a Check Register, Pre-Check Register, Cash Requirements Report, Aged Unpaid Invoice Report, Vendor Analysis, and lists for vendors, bank accounts, recurring entries, and voided checks.
If you are not currently using APS, try it out! You can install APS Trial Software using the Tabs3 CD, or download a free trial. Contact your Tabs3 reseller or consultant, or our Sales Department at (402) 419-2200 for pricing and information.
Note: Tabs3 works exclusively with Nelco to provide you with checks guaranteed to work with Tabs3 software.