Legal Solutions Suite 5.0 Law Firm Invoice Submission Manual This manual contains confidential trade secrets of CSC www.csc-fs.com This document contains trade secrets and confidential information, which are proprietary to Computer Sciences Corporation. The use, reproduction, distribution or disclosure of the documentation, in whole or part, without the express written permission of Computer Sciences Corporation is prohibited. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Computer Sciences Corporation does not warrant that this document is error free. This documentation is also an unpublished work protected under the copyright laws of the United States of American and other countries. If this documentation becomes published, the following shall apply: Copyright 2009 Computer Sciences Corporation All Rights Reserved
Transcript
Legal Solutions Suite 5.0
Law Firm Invoice Submission Manual
This manual contains confidential trade secrets of CSC
www.csc-fs.com
This document contains trade secrets and confidential information, which are proprietary to Computer Sciences Corporation. The use, reproduction, distribution or disclosure of the documentation, in whole or part, without the express written permission of Computer Sciences Corporation is prohibited. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Computer Sciences Corporation does not warrant that this document is error free. This documentation is also an unpublished work protected under the copyright laws of the United States of American and other countries. If this documentation becomes published, the following shall apply:
Copyright 2009 Computer Sciences Corporation All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
Signing on to Legal Solutions Suite™ ..…………...…………………..….3 Adding Your Law Firm Information…………...…………………..…….. 6 Law Firm Home Page…...………...………...………...……….…………16 Invoice Locator/Search…...………...………...………...………...………17
Help Manual……………………………………………………………...67 Help Tutorial…...………...………...………...………...………......…….74 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix UTBMS Code Set……………………...………….…….….…….………75 Hardware and Software Recommendations…………….………..….……66
Upon accessing Legal Solutions Suite™, the first screen that you will see is the splash screen. Enter the User Id and Password which has been assigned (Figure 1). Log-in Figure 1
The first time you log in the system will inform you that the password has expired and that it needs to be changed (Figure 2). Sign in box Figure
2
The system will tell you that your password has expired on your first log in attempt and then periodically. The system will let you choose your own password. Click the words Change Password to set up your new password.
Please place your current ID and password in the User ID and Password boxes. You can then type your created password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields and click OK. Your User ID will not change; it will remain the assigned User ID (Figure 2a). Change Password Figure 2a
Reset password If you have forgotten or misplaced your password, you can request that it be reset. Click the Reset Password link. Reset Password Figure 2b
Fill out the form shown below and new password will be emailed to you. Click Reset Password to confirm. Reset Password Form Figure 2c
Adding Your Law Firm Information To add your Law Firm information to Legal Solutions Suite™, click on the Administration button at the top of the screen and click on Law Firm Maintenance (Figure 9). Add New Firm Figure 9
Next, click on Find to display the firm information row (Figure 10). New Firm Added Figure 10
Use the Search Criteria filter options to select specific criteria.
Click on the firm information row to open the edit firm information box (Figure 11). Click Edit in a section to change the information for that section. The Firm Office information box may contain default generic information upon initial setup. Please use the Edit button to provide accurate firm location information. The default firm employee may contain a generic name. You may edit the name if you choose to, but please do not edit the User Group Code. Edit Firm Information Figure 11
Click Edit in the firm name section to change the firm name. Edit the appropriate information and click Save. Click Save when the edits are complete (Figure 12). Edit firm information Figure 12
Locate the process icons containing options for this section. If your firm has more than one office location, click Add Office (Figure 13). If your firm has only one office, you can Edit the default information, if needed. Other options listed include Add Employee and Add Timekeeper Rate. Add Office Location Figure 13
The following fields are available for Law Firm Office information:
♦ Firm Office Name ♦ Address 1 ♦ Address 2 ♦ Address 3 ♦ City ♦ Country Code ♦ State ♦ Postal Code ♦ Phone ♦ Toll Free ♦ Fax ♦ Office Code – future use, leave blank ♦ Status Code – Legal Solutions Suite defaults to “Active” ♦ Tax ID ♦ E-mail Address – enter address where Notification Letters and Invoice Recap
Once you have entered the information, click the Add button (Figure 14). Add New Employee Figure 14
After adding the office information, the system will automatically open the Add Employee box if you have the Add Firm Office Employees box checked. Please use the Timekeeper User Group Code for all billable personnel. Please provide the required information (marked with a *) and click Add when complete. The Add Employee box is also available under the Process menu (Figure 15). Add Employee Figure 15
The following information is requested for each timekeeper:
♦ First Name ♦ Middle Initial – If the employee does not have a middle initial, the field can be
left blank. ♦ Last Name ♦ User Group Code – Select the user group for this employee. All employees
should be entered as timekeepers with the exception of the employee within the firm who will be the Administrator of the system.
♦ Login Status - N/A ♦ User ID – N/A. ♦ Primary Contact – Is this person the main contact at the firm? Legal Solutions
Suite™ defaults to “No”. Only one employee can be the Primary Contact for a Law Firm Office.
♦ Status Code – Legal Solutions Suite™ defaults to “Active” No employee should be entered as “Inactive”.
♦ Position/Title – You may add the employee’s title. This is optional. ♦ Email Address ♦ Timekeeper’s Initials – or billing code, that uniquely identifies each employee on
your invoice. ♦ Phone Number ♦ Cell Phone ♦ Fax Number ♦ Reset password – N/A ♦ Billing Contact – Is this the person to contact for billing issues? The system will
default to ‘No.’ Only one employee can be the Billing Contact for each Law Firm Office.
All timekeepers entered into Legal Solutions Suite™ require approval by the client. The client has access to a list of all timekeepers that are not approved. If a law firm tries to submit an invoice with an unapproved timekeeper, the line will receive an Unapproved Timekeeper violation, and the charges may be reduced from your invoice.
After adding the employee, the system will ask you to add the rate information if you choose the Timekeeper User Group Code. The system will provide drop boxes with specific Division, Division Office, and Line of Business (LOB) information. Please select the appropriate criteria if required by the client. If the client does not require you to be specific with this information, please leave the All criteria. The system requires the Hourly Rate, Effective Date and the Timekeeper Category Code (TK Cat Cd) fields to be populated. For the Effective Date field, please use the earliest possible activity date for the timekeeper using this billing rate. Click Save when completed (Figure 16). Add Billing Rate Figure 16
You will now see a row for the added timekeeper (Figure 17). Timekeeper Information Row Figure 17
You can edit a timekeeper’s rate or add additional rates by clicking on the individual’s name and then Add Timekeeper Rate. (Figure 18). Timekeeper Information Figure 18
Division Office, Line of Business or Matter ID. You can add the unique rate information or rate change for the current criteria. Remember to include the Effective Date. If you are editing the rate due to a rate change, remember use the date of the increase as the Effective Date for the new rate. The system will automatically insert an Expiration Date (the day before the new rate becomes effective) for the older rate. You may still bill at the older rate, if necessary. Click Save after editing the rate criteria (Figure 19). Add Rate Figure 19
Within the Law Firm Maintenance function, the rates of a specific timekeeper can easily be viewed by clicking the circular arrow in the column next to the
timekeeper’s name. This selection displays the details of the law firm, law firm office and the employee. The associated rates to a timekeeper are easily viewed by scrolling down beneath the law firm details section (Figure 20). Add Timekeeper Information Figure 20
The system will display the timekeeper’s rates. Note the effective and expiration dates. Also, note the Approval Indicator field (Appr. Ind.) set to N. That means that
the rates are not yet approved. When approved, the indicator will be set to ‘Y’ (Figure 21). Figure 21
You can return to the initial firm page and Search for a particular timekeeper, bring up employees listed in a specific office or any other field listed (Figure 22). Add the proper criteria and then click Find.
Click Invoice/Home to display the law firm Home page (Figure 4). The Legal Solutions Suite™ Home Page previews the following information:
Invoice Files in Submission Process Invoice Files in Automated Bill/Budget Review Invoices Under Review Invoiced Waiting for Firm Response Invoices Approved for Payment
Firm Home Page Figure 4
You can adjust the display by using the icons.
This is an information only page. You cannot select an invoice from this screen.
A Search function has been added to the Home Page to aid in the location of a particular invoice. When the Search button is selected from the action bar, you have the option to select List Filters, Entry Filters or Sort.
List Filters displays by default and allows you to search for a particular invoice by Division/Offices, Firms or Phase. Choose the List Filter you want to search by and then, on the right, narrow your search based on the selections available for that List Filter. In the example below, the Division/Offices List Filter has been selected. All Divisions are then listed on the right (Figure 5). Search Feature Figure 5
The system retains your search criteria. Please click Reset All before all new searches.
Once you narrow the search by Division, the Offices associated with that Division appear to allow to search by Office (Figure 6). Search Feature Figure 6
The Entry Filters allows you select specific criteria to locate an invoice in the system. Use the drop box to select from the following criteria:
• Invoice ID – The system assigned number for each invoice • Matter ID – The system assigned number for the matter • Claim Number – The claim number as assigned by the client • Matter Name – The case name as assigned by the client • Firm Invoice Number – The invoice number as assigned by the law firm
Customized Home Page Figure 7
You can select the search criteria and then place the name or number in the Value field. Then click OK (Figure 7). The system will then display the valid rows based off the criteria selected. There are various status codes used by Legal Solutions Suite to inform you of the current status of your invoice:
ANA – The invoice is currently in the invoice review process RES – The firm has been sent an email requesting additional information concerning an invoice or a line item FIN – The invoice has been reviewed and is in the Finalization process RECAP – The invoice has been finalized and the final report is available. RECON – The client has decide to review a finalized invoice again. If your invoice is in the RECAP phase of Legal Solutions Suite™, you can click into the invoice line and be brought into an Invoice Recap/Subsequent Copy report. This report is a duplicate of the Recap report you received from the client via email. This report can be printed or emailed to someone within your firm (Figure 8). Invoice Recap/Subsequent Copy Figure 8
The Legal Solutions Suite™ invoice format is a fixed field format that allows the processing of legal invoices. The format consists of three parts, the Header, the Fee Line Entries and the Expense Line Entries. The following is how your invoice should appear after you have exported it from your time and billing package. If your invoice does not appear to be in this format you may want to contact your time and billing package vendor for further assistance. Invoices may also be submitted in the LEDES1998B format. Please see the accompanying documentation for details. SAMPLE INVOICE [HEADER] ENVIRONMENTAL VALLEY, PA SMITH & JONES WAYNE, PA SMITH VS. JAMES 007-12-34567 01/27/09 101 145567 2,065.50 1.30 2,066.80 INTERIM 309 [FEES] 9/27/08|PLM|85.00|0.10|"[L510][A104] RECEIPT AND REVIEW OF NOTICE OF COURT ARGUMENT" 9/27/08|PLM|85.00|0.10|"[L510][A106] CORRESPONDENCE TO MS. SMITH OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGARDING COURT ARGUMENT" 10/2/08|PLM|85.00|0|"[L510][A106] TELEPHONE CONFERENCE WITH MS. SMITH OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGARDING PRE-APPROVAL FOR ATTORNEY JAMES TO PREPARE FOR AND ARGUE COURT APPEAL (APPROVAL GRANTED)" 11/15/08|SLH|85.00|8.00|"[L510][A101] PREPARE FOR APPELLATE ARGUMENT BEFORE THE COURT BY REVIEWING ALL BRIEFS AND RELEVANT CASE LAW" 11/18/08|SLH|85.00|8.00|"[L510][A101] CONTINUED PREPARATION FOR ORAL ARGUMENT BEFORE THE COURT OF PENNSLYVANIA"
11/19/08|SLH|85.00|6.00|"[L510][A101] CONTINUED PREPARATION FOR ORAL ARGUMENT BEFORE THE COURT WHILE WAITING TO BE CALLED FOR ARGUMENT" 11/19/08|SLH|85.00|1.00|"[L510][A109] PARTICIPATE IN ORAL ARGUMENT BEFORE THE COURT" 11/19/08|SLH|85.00|0.40|"[L510][A106] DRAFT CORRESPONDENCE TO MS. SMITH OF ENVIRONMENTAL RE: APPELLATE ARGUMENT BEFORE THE COURT AND POSSIBLE FUTURE ACTION THAT CAN OCCUR IN THE APPELLATE STAGES OF THE CASE" 12/16/08|PLM|85.00|0.50|"[L510][A104] RECEIPT AND REVIEW OF MEMORANDUM OPINION OF JUDGE JONES OF THE COURT OF PENNSLYVANIA" 12/16/08|PLM|85.00|0.20|"[L510][A104] CORRESPONDENCE TO MS. SMITH OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGARDING OPINION OF JUDGE JONES OF THE COURT OF PENNSLYVANIA" [EXPENSES] 9/30/08|XXX|0.40|1.00|"[E101] PHOTOCOPY EXPENSE" 10/1/08|XXX|0.30|1.00|"[E101] PHOTOCOPY EXPENSE" 12/23/08|XXX|0.60|1.00|"[E101] PHOTOCOPY EXPENSE"
Header The Header contains information unique to that specific matter. The header fields are as follows: Line # EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION [HEADER] [HEADER TAG] 1 ENVIRONMENTAL [DIVISION NAME] 2 VALLEY, PA [DIVISION OFFICE LOCATION] 3 SMITH & JONES [LAW FIRM NAME] 4 WAYNE, PA [LAW FIRM OFFICE LOCATION] 5 SMITH VS. JAMES [MATTER NAME] 6 007-12-34567 [CLAIM NUMBER] 7 01/27/97 [FIRM INVOICE DATE] 8 101 [FIRM INVOICE NUMBER] 9 145567 (OR NAME) [CLAIM REPRESENTATIVE NAME OR CODE] 10 $2065.50 [INVOICE FEES] 11 $1.30 [INVOICE EXPENSES] 12 $2066.80 [INVOICE TOTAL] 13 INTERIM [INVOICE SEQUENCE] 14 309 [MATTER ID]
Line Number: Example DESCRIPTION [HEADER] Tag : This tag must be present for the system to process the invoice. Line 1: ENVIRONMENTAL This field must contain the Division (Client) name. Line 2: VALLEY, PA This field must contain the Division Office name. Line 3: SMITH & JONES This field must contain the Law Firm name. Line 4: WAYNE, PA This field must contain the Law Firm Office name. Line 5: SMITH VS. JAMES This field contains the Matter Name for the current
invoice. This field may not exceed 150 characters in length.
Line 6: 007-12-34567 This field contains the Claim Number for the current invoice. This field may contain alpha or numeric characters and may not exceed 50 characters in length.
Line 7: 01/27/09 This field contains the Date for the current invoice.
The Date must be in a standard numeric format (MM/DD/YY). A zero may be included for a single digit day or month. (e.g. either 01 or 1 could be used to represent January). Years may be two or four digits (e.g. 2009 or 09).
Line 8: 101 This field contains the Firm Invoice Number for the
current invoice. This field may contain alpha or numeric values and may not exceed 20 characters in length.
Line 9: 145567 This field contains the Claim Representative's name, number or code as specified by the carrier. This field
may contain alpha or numeric characters and may not exceed 20 characters in length.
Line 10: $2065.50 This field contains the law firm Fee Total for the
current invoice. This total must equal the sum of the
Fee line items. The field may contain a "$" (optional) and a numeric value only.
Line 11: $1.30 This field contains the law firm Expense Total for the
current invoice. This total must equal the sum of the Expense line items. The field may contain a "$" (optional) and a numeric value only.
Line 12: $2066.80 This field contains the law firm Invoice Total. This
total must equal the total of all fee and expense line items. The field may contain a "$" (optional) and a numeric value only.
Line 13: INTERIM This field contains the invoice sequence for the life of the matter. This field must contain one of the
following: INITIAL FINAL INTERIM FIRST/FINAL
SUPPLEMENTAL Line 14: 309 This field contains the Matter ID Number. This is a
unique number assigned by the system when the first invoice is submitted through Legal Solutions Suite™. This field must be populated with the correct Matter ID number for each non-Initial invoice. This field must contain N/A for an Initial bill and first submissions on existing matters.
Line Entries A Legal Solutions Suite™ line item consists of a five column, "pipe-delimited" format, which separates each field with a pipe ( | ). The pipe character is typed with the "Shift" and "\" key. The beginning of the fee line item entries is noted with the tag [FEES]. The beginning of the expense line items is noted with the tag [EXPENSES]. These tags must be present to process the invoice. Fee Line Items The fee line entries must contain the following information: 9/27/08|PLM|85.00|0.10|"[L510][A104] RECEIPT AND REVIEW...” Entry date | Billing Code | Rate | Units | " [Litigation Code][Activity code] Line Detail"
FIELD DESCRIPTION [FEES]: The fee tag must precede the listing of Fee line items. This
tag must be present, even if fees total $0.00. Entry Date: Contains the numeric date the activity occurred. All dates
must be current or in the past, future dates will not be accepted. The date field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Billing Code: Contains the billing code of the timekeeper performing the
described activity. This field may contain two to four numeric or Alpha characters (numbers or letters). The billing code field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Rate: Contains the hourly rate of the timekeeper for the line entry.
This field may contain only numeric characters. The rate field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Units: Contains the time increment spent working on that activity. The units field may contain numeric values indicated in tenths of an hour. The unit’s field is concluded with a pipe ( | ) followed by quotation marks.
Litigation Code: Contains the valid Litigation code for this line entry. The
Litigation code is enclosed within brackets ( [ ] ) and begins with an "L" followed by three digits. Please review the code set.
Activity Code: Contains the valid Activity code for this line item. The
Activity code is contained within brackets ( [ ] ) and begins with an "A" followed by three digits.
Line Detail: Contains the text description of the performed activity. The
line detail field is concluded with quotation marks. Expense Line Items The Legal Solutions Suite™ Expense line item format is similar to the fee format. The expense line entries must contain the following information: 9/30/08|XXX|.40|1.00|"[E101] PHOTOCOPY EXPENSE 4 @ .10 EACH" Entry date | Billing Code | Line item amount | 1.00 | " [Expense Code] Line Detail " OR 9/30/08|XXX|0.10|4.00|"[E101] PHOTOCOPY EXPENSE 4 COPIES @ .10 EACH” Entry date | Billing Code | Rate | Units | " [Expense Code] Line Detail "
FIELD DESCRIPTION [EXPENSES]: The expense tag must precede the listing of all expense line
items. This tag must be present, even if expenses total $0.00.
Entry Date: Contains the numeric date the activity occurred. All dates
must be current or in the past, future dates cannot be accepted. The date field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Billing Code: Contains a generic billing code |XXX| or the specific billing
code of the timekeeper. This field may contain up to four numeric or Alpha characters. This field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Rate: This field may contain the total dollar amount of the line
entry, or the rate. Placing the rate here would normally be for photocopy expenses. (See examples on pg. 8). This field is concluded with a pipe ( | ).
Units: This field represents the units for the line item. This number
may be "1.00" if you are placing the total amount of the line item in the Unit field, or may contain the charge per unit. (See examples on pg. 8). This entry is concluded with a pipe ( | ) followed by quotation marks.
Expense Code: Contains the valid expense code for the described
disbursement. The expense code is enclosed within brackets "[ ]" and contains an "E" followed by three digits.
Line Detail: Contains the text description of the charged expense. The
line detail field is concluded with quotation marks.
Multiple Currency Processing Legal Solutions Suite has been enhanced to accept invoices in different currencies. A new column is available on the invoice home page: Currency, which displays the currency of the submitted invoice.
Invoice Submission Process, Formatted Invoices The Intake process of Legal Solutions Suite™ allows you to submit your legal invoices, in a specific format, via the Internet. Legal Solutions Suite™ will verify the invoice format and will display any format errors for correction. Legal Solutions Suite™ also performs a content check of the line entries, called the Automated Bill Review (ABR), which gives you the opportunity to provide additional information about a particular line entry before it is reviewed. When you are ready to submit an invoice, click on Invoice on the menu bar and then click on Intake (Figure 23). This will take you to the Invoice Submission Status page, where you will begin the process of submitting invoices. Intake Process Figure 23
Place your cursor over a file in this grid and it will highlight. That means it is a hyperlink. You may click on the hyperlink to be transferred to the error screen.
You can hyperlink directly to the invoices listed in each of the above categories to see the errors needing correction. You may also click the Add Invoice button (see Figure 24) to submit one or more new invoices. Click the Add Invoice button to view this screen (Figure 25). Clicking the Browse button will display the available drives on your computer (Figure 26) from which you can choose the appropriate directories containing the files/invoices. Add New - Invoice Screen Figure 25
You may save or export your invoices from your time and billing package to any drive in your system, or save them on a diskette or CD. Select the Invoice file and the Click Open (Figure 26). Add New - Drive Selection Box Figure 26
The next step is to highlight the file(s) to be submitted and click Open (Figure 27). There must only be one invoice in each file. You may select one or multiple files for submission. It is suggested that you process one invoice at a time when you first begin using Legal Solutions Suite™ to ensure that your invoices are in the proper format. Add New Invoice Screen – Multiple Invoice Submission Figure 27
The selected file name is displayed in the File box (Figure 28). Add New Invoice Screen – Multiple Invoice Submission Figure 28
The next step in the Intake process is to click the Submit Invoice button to submit the invoices for Validation and Automated Bill Review. The system will verify the number of invoices submitted (Figure 29). You can continue the submission by clicking Continue or stop the submission by clicking Cancel. Add New Invoice Screen – Multiple Invoice Submission Figure 29
You can also submit multiple invoices as part of a batch. After selecting your first bill, repeat the same process by clicking Add Invoice and selecting the proper file (Figure 29a). Continue until you have added all of the files, then click Submit Invoice. Batch Submission Figure 29a
The files selected will be listed in the display box. Click Submit Invoice to process these bills (Figure 29b). Batch Invoice Submisison Figure 29b
The system will select the Offline Submission box. Batch submisisons must be processed Off-line. There is also an option to receive an email once the system has processed the invocies to allow you to correct any errors. Click Continue when you have selected the desired options (Figure 29c). Batch Submission Confirmation Figure 29c
The system requests that you verify the email address that the notification email will be sent to when the invoices are available on the Invocie Submission Status Page (Figure 29d).
By clicking OK, the system will inform you that the invoices are now in the validation process by displaying the Invoice Submission Receipt page (Figure 30). Submission Receipt Page – Multiple Invoice Submission Figure 30
You may process individual invoices Online or Offline. It is recommended that you process individual bills Online. Submitting invoices Offline allows you to continue processing in Legal Solutions Suite™, processing other invoices or correcting ABR errors on existing invoices. Once the Offline submission processes, any invoice with ABR errors will be directed to the Invoice Status Submission Page. If you choose to process Offline you would follow the instructions for multiple invoice submission (Figure 30). Manual Submission Process If you are unable to submit invoices in the format described, you can prepare invoices
on the website in a manual process. Click Invoice, then Intake and then the Manual Submission button (Figure 31). Batch Submission Process Figure 31
The Header Section tab will display. Complete the fields on this screen. You must complete the Header before moving on to the Line Items Section. Click the Save Header Items button when finished (Figure 31a). Manual Submission - Header Section Figure 31a
If you are not sure of the Matter Name for the current invoice, there is a Matter look up tool. Click on the icon next to the Matter field. You can search using various criteria: Matter ID, Matter Name or Claim Number. You can also select to search for
an exact match, begins with or contains the criteria provided. Click Find to search (Figure 31b). Matter Lookup Figure 31b
Click Select to use that Matter Name (Figure 31c). Matter Search Figure 31c
Complete the items on the Header Section tab. Click the Save Button or click on the Line Item Section tab to add the line items (Figure 31d). Manual Invoice, Header Section Figure 31d
Select the Type (Fees or Expense), the activity date, the timekeeper initials, the billing rate, the units, the task code, the activity code and the narrative (Figure 31e). Manual Invoices, Line Items Figure 31e
You do need to scroll to the right to add the narrative. When done, click Save (Figure 31f). Manual Submission , Line Items Figure 31f
The system will display a new line in which you can add a new line item. You can also click Edit to adjust a previously added line item. Click the Submit Invoice button after all of the line items have been added for this invoice. (Figure 31g). Manual Invoice Figure 31g
When you submit a possible subsequent invoice, the system will transfer you to the Invoice Submission Check screen (Figure 35) displaying existing matters that contain similar information for the invoice you are now submitting. There may be more than one possible match displayed on this screen. On this screen you want to select the matter that your current invoice is a part of, or select New Matter if this is an invoice for a new case, as in the example on the next page (Figure 36.) Add New/ Subsequent Screen – Possible Matches Figure 35
Select New Matter if this is an invoice for a new case, as in the example below (Figure 36.)
Add New/ Subsequent Screen – Possible Matches Figure 36
You may also review the current invoice and compare the Matter Name and Claim Number to determine if the invoice belongs to an existing matter by clicking View Current Invoice (Figure 37). Add New/ Subsequent Screen – View Current Submission Figure 37
Based on your findings, you should select: New Matter – When Matter names do not match or, Select This Matter – When the current invoice is part of the matter displayed.
The example above (Figure 37) is a New Matter. Although the Matter Name is the same, the Division, Office, Claim Number and Matter ID do not match. You would click the New Matter button to submit this invoice. You may review a previously submitted invoice in its entirety by clicking on View Invoice(s) on the matter listing (Figure 38). This will first display a window with additional invoice information for all previously submitted invoices for that matter. You can click on Previous Invoice or Next Invoice to see additional information. Click View Invoice to see the entire invoice. In this case the Matter IDs are different and may be an error or it may be 2 different matters (Figure 38). Invoice Submission Check – View Previous Invoice Figure 38
You can compare the line items of the current invoice and the previously submitted invoices to determine if any line items have been previously submitted. These
invoices cannot have duplicate lines, because the current invoice is for a new matter. Click the New Matter button (Figure 39). Invoice Submission Check-New Matter Figure 39
The system will verify that you want to make this invoice a New Matter. If this is correct, click Yes (Figure 40). New Matter Verification Figure 40
The system will confirm that the invoice has passed through the Validation process and is a New Matter (Figure 41). Invoice Confirmation Screen – Subsequent Invoice Figure 41
Note that the system requests that you use the Matter Reference ID on all future invoices submitted for that Matter. This information should be provided on line 14 of the Header for all Interim, Final or Supplemental invoices.
If the invoice contains any Automated Bill Review (ABR) errors, the system will display the individual line items requesting additional information about the services provided before confirming that the invoice has been loaded (Figure 42). The Line Item Problem will be displayed as a hyperlink, which will transfer you to the appropriate section of the billing guidelines. In this example (Figure 33), the line item description is considered vague. You may add information about the line item description using the Add Notes button. Another alternative, is to add more narrative to the description, you then click Re-Submit to continue processing the invoice. If corrections are made using this method, the user must click Re-Submit to process changes. Changes to the firm office copy of the invoice must be made in your time and billing package.
• You may click Sub As Is to submit the original line item without changes. This includes if you click the Add Notes icon, because you are not changing the original line item, just adding a note to it.
• You may select No Charge to change the line item total to zero. • You may also click Withdraw to remove the entire invoice.
Automated Bill Review Figure 42
You can click on the Add Notes icon to include additional information for a line item.
If you use the Add-a-Note feature the box shown here will display. Type the note that you want to send to the invoice reviewer and then click OK. You may then click the Sub-As-Is button (Figure 43).
The timekeeper KII is not currently in the system. You may click Submit-As-Is or No-Charge, or you can withdraw the invoice (See Figures 44). You may need to go to Administration and add the timekeeper. ABR - New Timekeeper Figure 44
If you choose click Submit-As-Is, No-Charge or Withdraw, a box will appear to confirm your choice (Figure 45). Add Timekeeper Figure 45
The system will display the Submission Confirmation Screen after you have completed the ABR process (Figure 46). Invoice Confirmation Screen – After ABR Process Figure 46
You may click on Process/Global to correct line items that contain the same error. In this example the line items listed contain Vague Descriptions or Administrative/Coordinative Functions. You may correct them in the ways previously described by clicking the appropriate button in the box (Figure 47).
If you clicked Submit As Is in this example, this verification box will display. Click OK to submit these line items without edits (Figure 48). ABR – Global Figure 48
Errors
There are three main error screens for the Legal Solutions Suite™ format, one for the Header Format, one for the Invoice Format, and one for the Line Item Format. This manual will describe the errors and provide a guide on how they can be corrected.
The Formatting Errors page allows you to correct all errors pertaining to the Legal Solutions Suite™ format. The [Header], [Fee], and [Expense] tags must be present in order to process the invoice. The [Header] tag is placed at the beginning of the Header, the [Fee] tag is placed at the beginning of the Fee line items, and the [Expense] tag is placed at the beginning of the Expense line items. The [Fee] and [Expense] tags must be present, even if there are not any corresponding line entries for that tag.
This example is missing the [HEADER], [FEE], and [EXPENSE] tags (Figure 49). The shaded box on the left will inform you of the possible problem(s). The tags may be typed, in the appropriate locations, into the text box to correct this invoice. You would click the Process button Re-Submit push button to continue processing the invoice. You may also remove the invoice by clicking the Withdraw push button. Formatting Errors – Missing Tags Figure 49
The next invoice is missing the pipe (|) between the timekeeper initials and the rate (Figure 50). The system will inform you of the line number of the error and will display the incorrect line item. This invoice may be corrected by inserting the pipe (|) into the text box in the proper location(s). You then would click the Re-Submit button to continue processing the invoice. You may also remove the invoice by clicking the Withdraw button.
When the system informs you that there is an error in a line item, you can compare the line with the error against another line in the invoice without an error. In this example, compare line #1 with line #2 for the presence of the pipes (|). You should also check to determine if they are in the correct location.
The Division Name, Division Office Name, the Firm Name and Firm Office Name listed in the Header must match the information exactly as listed in the Database. In this example, the Law Firm Name was incorrect. The division name listed in the Invoice is displayed at the top of the page, but the system tells you that it is not valid. You would click on the correct listing and then click OK to continue processing the invoice (Figure 33). You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw.
You should take note of the spelling of all Division and Firm information on the Validation screens to avoid this step for future submissions. You may need to adjust the spelling from your time and billing package to agree with your client’s information in Legal Solutions Suite™. If the error is on your law firm name and/or firm office you might need to have this information adjusted in Legal Solutions Suite™.
Invoice Confirmation Screen - New Matter/ System Assigned Figure 34
The Matter ID should be included on Header line 14 for all subsequent bills for this matter.
Header Errors This error screen is displayed for all Header errors. The binformation required in the Header. The line or lines in qured. All errors may be corrected by typing the correct infoappropriate line in the box on the right. In this example, th
The system will confirm that the invoice has passed through the Validation/Pre-Screen process after all errors are corrected. The system then assigns the Matter Reference ID for Initial bills on a matter name (Figure 34). A new Matter Reference ID is assigned by the system when no possible matches are found.
ox on the left will list the estion will be highlighted in rmation directly into the e invoice is missing the
matter name and the claim number. All fields in the invoice Header must be populated. This bill would be corrected by typing the information into the appropriate lines of the Header. You then would click the Re-Submit to continue processing the invoice. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 51). The messages in red are also hyperlinked. Click on the hyperlink to display more information (Figure 52). Missing Information Figure 51
In the next example, the date 15/12/05 is invalid. All dates must be in a M/D/YY, MM/DD/YY or MM/DD/YYYY format. This invoice date should be November 12, 2005, and should be represented in the invoice as 11/12/05 or 11/12/2005. You may edit the date in the text box and then click Re-Submit to continue or click on the hyperlink for more information. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 53). Improper Date Format Figure 53
The system is interpreting this date as February 3, 2029. The system will not accept a date that occurs in the future. You may edit the date in the text box and then click Re-Submit to continue. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 54). Future Date Figure 54
The system will not allow you to submit an invoice with a blank line after the [HEADER] tag. You may insert the Division Name and Re-Submit the invoice. If the Division Name is present, you may simply need to remove the blank space between the Header tag and the Division name. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 55). Missing Division Name Figure 55
The next error (Figure 56, Lines 10 and 12) informs you that the Fee Header total does not equal the sum of the Fee line entries. The system will display the calculated total for the Fee line items (you can see the totals by hovering your mouse over the hyperlink). If the given total is included in the Header, you should check the order of the Header information. Improperly ordered Header information may cause a mathematical error because information may not be on the correct line. If the Fee total is edited, the Invoice total may also need to be edited. The Invoice total is the sum of the Invoice Fees and Expenses. The Fee line items for this invoice total $688.70. You may edit the Fee Total field and Re-Submit the invoice. If the calculated total appears inaccurate, you should examine the line items for properly placed decimal points, credits or no charge line items. The total amount of both fees and expenses equals $698.70. All line items may be edited on this screen. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 56). Invalid Invoice Fees and Total Figure 56
The next error will inform you that the Expense Header total does not equal the sum of the Expense line entries. The system will display the calculated total for the
Expense line items. If the given total is included in the Header, you should check the order of the Header information. Improperly ordered Header information may cause a mathematical error because information may not be on the correct line. If the Expense total is edited, the Invoice total may also need to be edited. The Invoice total is the sum of the Invoice Fees and Expenses. You may edit the necessary fields and Re-Submit the invoice. If the calculated total appears inaccurate, you should examine the line items for properly placed decimal points. The line items may also be edited on this screen. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 57). Invalid Invoice Expenses and Total Figure 57
The following error informs you that the Invoice total does not equal the sum of the Header Fees and Expenses totals. The system will display the sum of the Fee and
Expense totals. You may edit the Invoice total field and Re-Submit the invoice. You may also remove the invoice by clicking Withdraw (Figure 58). If you are experiencing mathematical errors on your firm’s invoices, there are three areas you may want to look at to discover the type of math error.
1. Decimal Point Movement: on either the rate or time columns of the lines. 2. Credits to the client: a negative line must also be reflected in the Header totals. 3. No Charge line Items: the hourly rate for a line is zero if you are not charging
The system will prompt you to correct missing or invalid line item information, which will be highlighted in red. The correct information may be inserted directly into the text box on the left. You may click Re-Submit after correcting the invoice to continue processing the invoice. You may check the Delete This Line Item box to delete only that line item, or you may click Withdraw to remove the entire invoice. This line item contains an invalid date (Figure 59). If this line entry depicts a May service date, you would remove the “1” from the month field and click Re-Submit. Fee Line Items - Invalid Date Figure 59
If you are unsure as to why this date is incorrect, you may click on the Invalid Date Format hyperlink. The hyperlink will display a correctly formatted line item in a new
window (Figure 60). The selected information will be highlighted in red in the hyperlink window. In this example the date is incorrect due to the “14” listed as a month. If the line entry occurred in April, you may close the hyperlink and correct the date in the text box by removing the “1” in the month field. Fee Line Items - Invalid Date Hyperlink Figure 60
Invoice Recap To view the status of a successfully submitted invoice, go to the Invoice menu, select the Home option, click the Search for Invoice(s) button to bring up the Invoices Filter Sort search dialog
box. First, click the Reset button located in the lower left corner of the Filter Sort Dialog box, then enter your specific search criteria to either bring up a specific invoice or all successfully submitted invoices. Next, click to select the row of the invoice to be viewed and then the Reconsideration button and the invoice is viewed in the Reconsideration stage (Figure 61). Figure 61
Invoice Appeal Process Law firms can now initiate an appeal within the LSS system by clicking on the new Appeal option from the Invoice menu (Figure 62). Figure 62
The invoices listed on the Appeal page have been finalized and law firms can now process invoices to the appeal stage. Click on the Locate button to search for a Finalized invoice and to start the appeal process (Figure 63). Figure 63
The Locate Invoices Webpage Dialog box displays and provides the ability to enter specific search criteria to locate the invoice to appeal. On the example below, the law firm invoice number is used to locate an invoice (Figure 64). Figure 64
After selecting the invoice to appeal from the Invoice Appeal home page, the Appeal Line Item page displays. The reason for the invoice line item reduction displays in the Comp Code column. To access the Reason for Appeal dialog box, click the white check box in the most left column labeled
with the “#” sign (Figure 65). Line items with no reductions are not available for appeal processing and these lines display with a red lock instead of a check box in the most left column. Figure 65
When the Reason for Appeal dialog box displays, click to select one or more of the Appeal Reasons to assign to the line item (Figure 66). Free form text can be entered if the reason for the appeal is not described as one of the options in the Appeal Reasons list.
There is also an option to attach documentation to an appeal, click on the Documents icon located in the upper left corner of the Appeal Line Items page. Clicking the Documents button gives access to the Appeal Documents dialog box where Document Name should be entered (Figure 67).
Thereafter, click the Browse button to access your computer hard drive where the file document can be located. Next, click the Attach Document button to add the document to the Documents list box. Multiple documents can be added and attached to an appeal. After attaching all the appropriate documentation, click the Cancel button to dismiss the Appeal Documents dialog page. The background of the Documents icon turns red after attaching documents to an appeal. Figure 67
Click on the Complete icon located in the upper left corner to access the Complete Appeal dialog box. To send an email notification, select the Send an Email Notification check box, enter the email address in the To dialog box. Thereafter click the Complete button (Figure 68). After
completion, the invoice is moved to the Reconsideration phase of LSS and the claim rep associated to the matter will review the appealed invoice. Figure 68
An email notification is forwarded to the matter Claim Rep to alert that a law firm has submitted an appeal (Figure 69). The Claim Rep is also alerted of the appeal by a new icon on the client Reconsideration home page. Figure 69
You may click on Billing Guidelines to display the document containing the billing guidelines for your client. You may use the scrollbar to go page by page, or you may click on any of the contents to hyperlink directly to that section (Figure 73). Help – Billing Guidelines Figure 73
Click on Function Overview to display a list of functions within Legal Solutions Suite™ and their descriptions (Figure 74) Help – Function Overview Figure 74
Click on Release Bulletin from the menu (Figure 75) to display an overview of system enhancements for the current release of Legal Solutions Suite™. Help – Release Bulletin Figure 75
Click on Step by Step from the menu (Figure 76) to display instructions for use of Legal Solutions Suite™. You may scroll through the document or use the hyperlinks in the table of contents. Help – Step by Step Figure 76
Click on Trouble Shooting Guide from the menu (Figure 77) to display a document that will help you understand any error messages you may receive while using Legal Solutions Suite™™. Help – Trouble Shooting Guide Figure 77
Help Tutorial There is an on-line Help Tutorial that can assist you with system questions. The Tutorial is available by clicking Help/Help Tutorial. Help Tutorial Figure 78
The Help Tutorial is an interactive training tool. Click the section you want to access on the left side. Below is the Training section, click on the heading below to see a certain section of the Training tutorial (Figure 79). Help Tutorial - Training Figure 79
The Documentation section will display technical specifications as well as the UTBMS codes as well as additional documents. The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section will display frequent issues on the left side of the screen – click the question you have and the answer will display on the right. The Contact section contains Help Desk contact information.
Litigation Code Set Case Assessment, Development and Administration L110 Fact Investigation/Development L120 Analysis/Strategy L130 Experts/Consultants L140 Document/File Management L150 Budgeting L160 Settlement/Non-Binding ADR L190 Other Case Assessment, Development and Administration Pre-Trial Pleadings and Motions L210 Pleadings L220 Preliminary Injunctions/Provisional Remedies L230 Court Mandated Conferences L240 Dispositive Motions L250 Other Written Motions and Submissions L260 Class Action Certification and Notice Discovery L310 Written Discovery L320 Document Production L330 Depositions L340 Expert Discovery L350 Discovery Motions L390 Other Discovery Trial Preparation and Trial L410 Fact Witnesses L420 Expert Witnesses L430 Written Motions and Submissions L440 Other Trial Preparation and Support L450 Trial and Hearing Attendance L460 Post-Trial Motions and Submissions L470 Enforcement Appeal L510 Appellate Motions and Submissions L520 Appellate Briefs L530 Oral Argument
Activity Codes Activities A101 Plan and prepare for A102 Research A103 Draft/revise A104 Review/analyze A105 Communicate (in firm)
Expense Codes Expenses E101 Copying E102 Outside printing E103 Word processing E104 Facsimile E105 Telephone E106 Online research E107 Delivery services/messengers E108 Postage E109 Local travel E110 Out-of-town travel E111 Meals E112 Court fees E113 Subpoena fees E114 Witness fees E115 Deposition transcripts E116 Trial transcripts E117 Trial exhibits E118 Litigation support vendors E119 Experts E120 Private investigators E121 Arbitrators/mediators E122 Local counsel E123 Other professionals E124 Other
LITIGATION CODE DEFINITIONS The Litigation Code Set is intended for use in all adversarial matters including litigation, binding arbitrations, and regulatory/administrative proceedings. The following definitions elaborate on the intended scope of each phase and task and should guide attorneys in coding time.
Case Assessment, Development and Administration. Focuses on the case as a whole, the "forest" rather than the "trees". L110 Fact Investigation/Development. All actions to investigate and understand the facts of a matter. Covers interviews of client personnel and potential witnesses, review of documents to learn the facts of the case (but not for document production, L320), work with an investigator, and all related communications and correspondence. L120 Analysis/Strategy. The thinking, strategizing, and planning for a case, including discussions, writing, and meetings on case strategy. Also includes initial legal research for
case assessment purposes and legal research for developing a basic case strategy. Most legal research will be under the primary task for which the research is conducted, such as research for a summary judgment motion (L240). Once concrete trial preparation begins, use L440 for trial strategy and planning. L130 Experts/Consultants. Identifying and interviewing experts and consultants (testifying or non-testifying), working with them, and developing expert reports. Does not include preparing for expert depositions (L340) or trial (L420). L140 Document/File Management. A narrowly defined task that comprises only the processes of creating and populating document and other databases or filing systems. Includes the planning, design, and overall management of this process. Work of outside vendors in building litigation support databases should be an Expense. L150 Budgeting. Covers developing, negotiating, and revising the budget for a matter. L160 Settlement/Non-Binding ADR. All activities directed specifically to settlement. Encompasses planning for and participating in settlement discussions, conferences, and hearings and implementing a settlement. Covers pursuing and participating in mediation and other non-binding Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures. Also includes pre-litigation demand letters and ensuing discussions. L190 Other Case Assessment, Development and Administration. Time not attributable to any other overall task. Specific use in a given matter often may be pre-determined jointly by the client and law firm. Pre-Trial Pleadings and Motions. Covers all pleadings and all pretrial motions and procedures other than discovery. L210 Pleadings. Developing (researching, drafting, editing, filing) and reviewing complaints, answers, counter-claims and third party complaints. Also embraces motions directed at pleadings such as motions to dismiss, motions to strike, and jurisdictional motions. L220 Preliminary Injunctions/Provisional Remedies. Developing and discussing strategy for these remedies, preparing motions, affidavits and briefs, reviewing opponent's papers, preparing for and attending court hearing, preparing witnesses for the hearing, and effectuating the remedy. L230 Court Mandated Conferences. Preparing for and attending hearings and conferences required by court order or procedural rules (including Rule 16 sessions) other than settlement conferences (L160). L240 Dispositive Motions. Developing and discussing strategy for or opposing motions for judgment on the pleadings and motions for complete or partial summary judgment, preparing papers, reviewing opponent's papers, defensive motions (e.g., motion to strike affidavit testimony, Rule 56(f) motion), and preparing for and attending the hearing. L250 Other Written Motions/Submissions. Developing, responding to, and arguing all motions other than dispositive (L240), pleadings (L210), and discovery (L350), such as motions to consolidate, to bifurcate, to remand, to stay, to compel arbitration, for MDL treatment and for change of venue. L260 Class Action Certification and Notice. Proceedings unique to class action litigation and derivative suits such as class certification and notice. Discovery. Includes all work pertaining to discovery according to court or agency rules.
L310 Written Discovery. Developing, responding to, objecting to, and negotiating interrogatories and requests to admit. Includes mandatory meet-and-confer sessions. Also covers mandatory written disclosures as under Rule 26(a). L320 Document Production. Developing, responding to, objecting to, and negotiating document requests, including the mandatory meet-and-confer sessions to resolve objections. Includes identifying documents for production, reviewing documents for privilege, effecting production, and preparing requested privilege lists. (While a general review of documents produced by other parties falls under this task, coding and entering produced documents into a database is Task L140 and reviewing documents primarily to understand the facts is Task L110.) L330 Depositions. All work concerning depositions, including determining the deponents and the timing and sequence of depositions, preparing deposition notices and subpoenas, communicating with opposing or other party's counsel on scheduling and logistics, planning for and preparing to take the depositions, discussing deposition strategy, preparing witnesses, reviewing documents for deposition preparation, attending depositions, and drafting any deposition summaries. L340 Expert Discovery. Same as L330, but for expert witnesses. L350 Discovery Motions. Developing, responding to, and arguing all motions that arise out of the discovery process. Includes the protective order process. L390 Other Discovery. Less frequently used forms of discovery, such as medical examinations and on-site inspections. Trial Preparation and Trial. Commences when lawyer and client determine that trial is sufficiently likely and imminent so that the process of actually preparing for trial begins. It continues through the trial and post-trial proceedings in the trial court. Once trial begins, lawyers who appear in court presumptively should bill their court time to L450 Trial and Hearing Attendance. Litigation work outside the courtroom during this phase (e.g., evenings, weekends and the time of other attorneys and support personnel) should continue to be classified using other L400 Tasks. L410 Fact Witnesses. Preparing for examination and cross-examination of non-expert witnesses. L420 Expert Witnesses. Preparing for examination and cross-examination of expert witnesses. L430 Written Motions/Submissions. Developing, responding to and arguing written motions during preparation for trial and trial, such as motions in limine and motions to strike proposed evidence. Also includes developing other written pre-trial and trial filings, such as jury instructions, witness lists, proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, and trial briefs. L440 Other Trial Preparation and Support. All other time spent in preparing for and supporting a trial, including developing overall trial strategy, preparing opening and closing arguments, establishing an off-site support office, identifying documents for use at trial, preparing demonstrative materials, etc. L450 Trial and Hearing Attendance. Appearing at trial, at hearings and at court-mandated conferences, including the pre-trial conferences to prepare for trial. For scheduling conferences that are denominated as "Pre-Trial Conferences", but not directed toward conduct of the trial, use Task L230.
L460 Post-Trial Motions and Submissions. Developing, responding to and arguing all post-verdict matters in the trial court, such as motions for new trial or j.n.o.v., for stay pending appeal, bills of costs, and requests for attorney's fees. L470 Enforcement. All work performed in enforcing and collecting judgments and asserting or addressing defenses thereto. Appeal. Covers all work on appeal or before a reviewing body. L510 Appellate Motions and Submissions. Developing, responding to and arguing motions and other filings before a reviewing body, such as motions and other filings for stay pending appeal. L520 Appellate Briefs. Preparing and reviewing appellate briefs. L530 Oral Argument. Preparing for and arguing an appeal before a reviewing body. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ American Bar Association 750 N. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60611 312/988-5000 [email protected] Copyright American Bar Association. All rights reserved.
Hardware and Software Recommendations Hardware Software
Processor – Pentium Class Operating System - Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Speed - 450 MHz or higher Microsoft Windows 98 Memory – 256 MB Microsoft Windows XP Modem – High Speed Internet, DSL, Cable, Wan, LAN Web Browser - Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2 or higher Online Help Reader - Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher Screen Resolution – 1024 X 768
