Accounting Reference Guide

15225
Abacus Accounting 2015

Reference Guide
Practice Control
Fast & Easy
Last Updated
October 23, 2014
Copyright
2014 Abacus Data Systems, Inc.

All rights reserved
Trademarks
Abacus Accounting is a trademark of Abacus Data Systems,

Inc. Other trademarks are owned by their respective
manufacturers.
Special thanks
To all our Abacus users for your suggestions and

recommendations that have helped over 250,000 people to
know and love Abacus.
To contact us
Abacus Data Systems, Inc.

9191 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 180
San Diego, CA 92122
Administration 858.452.4280
Support
800.488.3334
Sales
800.726.3339
support email: support@abacuslaw.com
website:
http://www.abacuslaw.com
Contents
1. Getting Started .............................................................................................................................. 9
What Is Abacus Accounting? ................................................................................................... 9
Logging in to Abacus Accounting ............................................................................................. 9
Exiting Abacus Accounting..................................................................................................... 10
Accounting Basics .................................................................................................................. 10
Quick Review of Debits vs. Credits ........................................................................... 10
Hard Costs vs. Soft Costs ......................................................................................... 10
General Accounting Definitions ................................................................................. 11
Overview of Ledgers .............................................................................................................. 13
Daily, Monthly, and Year-End Activities in Abacus Accounting ............................................. 17
Daily Abacus Accounting Activities ........................................................................... 17
Monthly Abacus Accounting Activities ...................................................................... 18
Yearly Abacus Accounting Activities ......................................................................... 19
2. Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 20
Changing Your Company Preferences .................................................................................. 20
Changing General Information for Your Company Preferences ............................... 20
Changing the Check Types You Use ........................................................................ 22
Changing Your Company Address Information ........................................................ 23
Setting Up Multiple Companies .............................................................................................. 24
Setting Workstation Options................................................................................................... 25
Setting Display/Printing Options ............................................................................... 25
Setting Data Entry Options........................................................................................ 26
Setting Miscellaneous Workstation Options.............................................................. 29
Setting Email Options for Reporting .......................................................................... 31
Setting Spell Check Options ..................................................................................... 32
User Management .................................................................................................................. 32
Setting New Matter Defaults .................................................................................................. 33
Maintaining Timekeeper Codes ............................................................................................. 34
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Codes ........................................................................... 34
Maintaining Timekeeper Divisions ......................................................................................... 36
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Divisions ....................................................................... 37
Maintaining Timekeeper Titles ............................................................................................... 38
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Titles ............................................................................. 38
Maintaining Timekeeper Budgets........................................................................................... 39
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Budgets ......................................................................... 40
Maintaining Case Codes ........................................................................................................ 40
Adding/Editing Case Codes ...................................................................................... 41
Maintaining Client Expense Codes ........................................................................................ 42
Adding/Editing Client Expense Codes ...................................................................... 43
Maintaining Activity Codes ..................................................................................................... 44
Adding/Editing Activity Codes ................................................................................... 45
Maintaining Time Ticket Codes .............................................................................................. 47
Adding/Editing Time Ticket Codes ............................................................................ 47
Maintaining Task Based Billing Codes ................................................................................... 48
Adding/Editing Task Based Billing Codes ................................................................. 49
Abacus Accounting Reference Guide
Contents
Maintaining Billing Format Codes .......................................................................................... 50

Adding/Editing Billing Format Codes ........................................................................ 51
Using Report Editor for Billing Format Codes ........................................................... 56
Maintaining the Chart of Accounts ......................................................................................... 58
Adding/Editing Accounts ........................................................................................... 59
Setting Default Accounts ........................................................................................................ 62
Maintaining Vendors .............................................................................................................. 63
Adding Vendors ......................................................................................................... 65
Editing Vendors ......................................................................................................... 66
3. Matters ......................................................................................................................................... 69
Adding Matters ....................................................................................................................... 69
Viewing Matters ...................................................................................................................... 72
Editing Matters ....................................................................................................................... 72
Editing General Information for Matters .................................................................... 73
Editing Billing Information for Matters ....................................................................... 74
Editing Monthly Fee Billing for Matters ..................................................................... 76
Editing Rates for Matters........................................................................................... 77
Editing Billing Address for Matters ............................................................................ 80
Editing General Comments for Matters ..................................................................... 80
Editing Fee Sharing for Matters ................................................................................ 81
Editing Credit Card Information for Matters .............................................................. 81
Editing Payment Schedule for Matters ...................................................................... 81
Fee Sharing ............................................................................................................................ 82
Overview of Fee Sharing........................................................................................... 82
Fee Sharing Procedure ............................................................................................. 82
Note about Implementing Fee Sharing ..................................................................... 83
Note about Reports ................................................................................................... 83
Implementing Flat Fee with Payment Schedule..................................................................... 84
Editing Closed Matters ........................................................................................................... 86
Writing Off Matters ................................................................................................................. 87
Transferring Matter Billing Activity.......................................................................................... 88
Transferring Matter Trust Activity ........................................................................................... 89
Matter Financial Summary Report ......................................................................................... 89
Matter History Report ............................................................................................................. 90
4. Managing Your Billing Cycle ..................................................................................................... 93
Steps in the Billing Cycle ........................................................................................................ 93
Entering Time ......................................................................................................................... 95
Overview of Time Tickets .......................................................................................... 95
Entering Time Tickets from AbacusLaw ................................................................... 95
Managing Time Tickets from Abacus Accounting ..................................................... 95
Finding Time Tickets ................................................................................................. 96
Adding, Cloning, or Editing Time Tickets .................................................................. 97
Transferring Time Tickets ......................................................................................... 99
Managing Soft Costs and Adjustments ................................................................................ 101
Adding/Editing Soft Costs and Adjustments ........................................................... 102
Organizing and Posting Prebills and Bills ............................................................................ 103
Overview of Prebills and Bills .................................................................................. 103
Viewing Prebills and Bills ........................................................................................ 103
Setting Billing Criteria by Group .............................................................................. 105

Setting Billing Criteria by Client-Matter ................................................................... 108
Printing Prebills and Bills......................................................................................... 110
Printing Prebills/Bills to File ..................................................................................... 111
Adjusting Prebills ..................................................................................................... 111
Managing Bills through Bill Preview ........................................................................ 112
Reprinting Posted Actual Bills ................................................................................. 113
Speed Billing ........................................................................................................................ 113
Generating the Combined Matters Cover Page ................................................................... 116
Posting/Unposting Bills ........................................................................................................ 118
Posting Bills ............................................................................................................. 118
Unposting Bills ........................................................................................................ 119
Client Payments ................................................................................................................... 120
Adding/Editing Client Payments .............................................................................. 121
Printing a Deposit Slip for a Client Payment ........................................................... 124
Posting a Client Payment ........................................................................................ 125
Handling Bounced Checks ................................................................................................... 125
Sending Billing Reminders to Clients ................................................................................... 126
Maintaining Unpaid Bills ....................................................................................................... 128
Viewing/Modifying Unpaid Bills ............................................................................... 130
Matter Billing Activity Ledger ................................................................................................ 131
Viewing the Matter Billing Activity Ledger ............................................................... 131
Viewing/Editing Matter Billing Activity ..................................................................... 132
Showing Bills in PDF Format .................................................................................. 134
Deleting Matter Billing Activity ................................................................................. 134
Viewing Matter Billing Activity for a Deleted Matter ................................................ 134
Split Billing ............................................................................................................................ 135
What is Split Billing? ................................................................................................ 135
Setting Up Split Billing ............................................................................................. 136
Entering Time and Costs for Split Billing Matters ................................................... 138
Processing Split Billing Time and Costs ................................................................. 139
Printing Split Billing Prebills and Actual Bills ........................................................... 140
Posting Split Billing Bills .......................................................................................... 141
Unposting Split Billing Bills ...................................................................................... 141
LEDES 1998B Billing ........................................................................................................... 141
Configuring LEDES Billing ...................................................................................... 141
LED File................................................................................................................... 142
5. Trust Accounts ......................................................................................................................... 145
Matter Trust Activity Ledger ................................................................................................. 145
Viewing the Matter Trust Activity Ledger ................................................................ 145
Editing Matter Trust Activity .................................................................................... 145
Deleting Matter Trust Activity .................................................................................. 146
Viewing Trust Activity for a Deleted Matter ............................................................. 147
Handling Multiple Trust Accounts......................................................................................... 147
Trust Deposits ...................................................................................................................... 148
Adding/Editing Trust Deposits ................................................................................. 148
Deleting Trust Deposits ........................................................................................... 150
Printing Trust Deposits ............................................................................................ 150
Printing Deposit Slips for Trust Deposits ................................................................ 151
Posting Trust Deposits ............................................................................................ 152
Contents
iii
Processing Trust Checks ..................................................................................................... 152

Processing Trust Checks with the Trust Demand Check Writer ............................. 153
Processing Trust Checks with the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks ...................... 154
Voiding Trust Checks ........................................................................................................... 160
Reconciling Trust Accounts .................................................................................................. 160
Viewing the Check Register ................................................................................................. 160
Distributing Trust Account Interest ....................................................................................... 160
6. Accounts Payable ..................................................................................................................... 162
Processing Payables ............................................................................................................ 162
Processing Payables with the Demand Check Writer ............................................ 162
Processing Debit Transactions for Multiple Expense Accounts.............................. 166
Processing Payables with the 2-Step Method for Payables ................................... 166
Processing Payables with Credit Cards .................................................................. 173
Processing Payables for Credit Card Payments ..................................................... 173
Holding A/P Invoices ............................................................................................................ 173
To place an invoice on hold: ................................................................................... 173
To remove the hold on an invoice: .......................................................................... 174
Adjusting Posted Payables .................................................................................................. 174
Correcting for Common Check Errors .................................................................................. 175
Voiding Checks for Accounts Payable .................................................................... 175
Changing an Incorrect Check Number .................................................................... 175
Deleting Checks ...................................................................................................... 175
Reconciling Bank Accounts..................................................................................... 175
Recurring Payables .............................................................................................................. 175
Adding/Editing Recurring Payables ........................................................................ 176
Merging Recurring Payables for Payment .............................................................. 177
Automatic Merging of Recurring Payables .............................................................. 178
Using Credit Cards ............................................................................................................... 178
Creating a Credit Card Liability Account ................................................................. 178
Recording Credit Card Transactions ....................................................................... 179
Downloading Credit Card Statements ..................................................................... 180
Reconciling Credit Card Accounts .......................................................................... 182
Viewing the Vendor Ledger .................................................................................................. 182
Viewing/Editing Vendor Transactions ..................................................................... 183
7. General Ledger ......................................................................................................................... 185
Viewing the General Ledger................................................................................................. 185
Viewing More Detail for General Ledger Journal Entries ........................................ 186
Editing Description for General Ledger Journal Entries .......................................... 187
Posting Journal Entries ........................................................................................................ 187
Adding/Editing General Ledger Journal Entries before Posting ............................. 188
Adjusting Trust Activity ............................................................................................ 190
Recurring General Ledger Journal Entries .......................................................................... 191
Adding/Editing Recurring Journal Entries ............................................................... 192
Merging Recurring Journal Entries for Posting ....................................................... 192
Automatic Merging of Recurring Journal Entries .................................................... 193
Reversing Journal Entries .................................................................................................... 193
Account Budgeting ............................................................................................................... 194
Adding/Editing Account Budgets ............................................................................. 195

Closing the General Ledger ................................................................................................. 196
Closing the General Ledger for a Month ................................................................. 196
Closing the General Ledger for a Year ................................................................... 197
Viewing Closed Journal Activity .............................................................................. 198
Modifying General Ledger Closing Dates ............................................................... 199
Reconciling Bank Accounts .................................................................................................. 199
8. Payroll ........................................................................................................................................ 201
Overview of Payroll .............................................................................................................. 201
Managing Deduction Codes ................................................................................................. 201
Adding/Editing Deduction Codes ............................................................................ 201
Managing State Unemployment Taxes ................................................................................ 202
Managing Employee Profiles ............................................................................................... 203
Adding/Editing Employee Profiles ........................................................................... 204
Printing Employee Profiles ...................................................................................... 207
Processing Payroll ............................................................................................................... 208
Adding Paychecks for Processing .......................................................................... 208
Editing Paychecks before Processing ..................................................................... 209
Printing/Posting Paychecks..................................................................................... 211
Voiding Payroll Checks ........................................................................................................ 211
Viewing Employee Payroll Activity ....................................................................................... 212
Viewing/Editing Payroll Activity ............................................................................... 212
9. Reports ...................................................................................................................................... 214
When to Run Reports ........................................................................................................... 214
Report Customization ........................................................................................................... 214
Emailing Reports .................................................................................................................. 214
Saved Reports...................................................................................................................... 215
1099/1096 Reports ............................................................................................................... 216
Generating 1099/1096 Reports ............................................................................... 216
1099 Miscellaneous Income Report ........................................................................ 218
1096 Annual Summary............................................................................................ 218
Accounts Payable Reports ................................................................................................... 219
Generating Accounts Payable Reports ................................................................... 219
A/P Cash Requirements .......................................................................................... 220
A/P Unpaid Invoice Aging Summary ....................................................................... 220
Cash Disbursement Listing ..................................................................................... 220
Cash Disbursements Detail..................................................................................... 220
Recurring Payables Listing ..................................................................................... 220
Vendor Detail Report ............................................................................................... 220
Vendor Summary Report ........................................................................................ 221
Accounts Receivable Reports .............................................................................................. 221
Audit Trail / Transaction Log Report .................................................................................... 221
Billing Reports ...................................................................................................................... 222
Generating Billing Reports ...................................................................................... 222
Billing Report ........................................................................................................... 223
Credit Card Activity Report...................................................................................... 223
Matter Summary Report .......................................................................................... 223
Contents
Unbilled Cost Report ............................................................................................... 223

Unpaid Invoice Report............................................................................................. 223
General Ledger Reports ....................................................................................................... 224
Generating General Ledger Reports ....................................................................... 224
Balance Sheet ......................................................................................................... 225
Cash Disbursement Listing Report ......................................................................... 225
Cash Disbursements Detail Report ......................................................................... 225
Cash Flow Report ................................................................................................... 225
Checkbook Register Report .................................................................................... 225
Closed Years GL Detail Listing ............................................................................... 225
Daily Posted Cash Receipts Report ........................................................................ 225
Expense Summary Report ...................................................................................... 226
General Journal Listing Report ............................................................................... 226
General Ledger Budget Listing Report ................................................................... 226
General Ledger Cash Receipts Report ................................................................... 226
General Ledger Detail Listing Report ...................................................................... 226
Income Statement Budget Comparative Report ..................................................... 227
Income Statements ................................................................................................. 227
Income/Expense Summary Report ......................................................................... 227
Recurring Journal Entries Listing Report ................................................................ 227
Revenue Summary Report...................................................................................... 227
Single Journal Entry Listing Report ......................................................................... 228
Subsidiary Ledger Report ....................................................................................... 228
Trial Balance Report ............................................................................................... 228
Matter Reports...................................................................................................................... 228
Generating Matter Reports...................................................................................... 228
Accounts Receivable Aging Report ........................................................................ 229
Accounts Receivable Report ................................................................................... 230
Advanced Costs Detail Report ............................................................................. 230
Advanced Costs Timekeeper Summary Report................................................... 230
Advanced Costs Expense Code Summary Report .............................................. 231
Billing Anniversary Report ....................................................................................... 231
Client & Matter Listing Report ................................................................................. 231
Client Cash Disbursement Report .......................................................................... 232
Client Cash Receipts Report ................................................................................... 232
Client Income Summary Report .............................................................................. 232
Client Matter Financial Ledger Report .................................................................... 232
Closed Matter Report .............................................................................................. 232
Fee Warning/Authorization Report .......................................................................... 232
Matter Listing Report ............................................................................................... 232
Matter Rates Listing Report .................................................................................... 233
Time Ticket Diary Listing Report ............................................................................. 233
Write Off Report ...................................................................................................... 233
Payroll Reports ..................................................................................................................... 234
Generating Payroll Reports ..................................................................................... 234
Employee Payroll Summary Report ........................................................................ 235
Employee Profile Printouts Report .......................................................................... 235
Employers 940 Tax Return..................................................................................... 235
Employers 941 Tax Return..................................................................................... 236
Firm Payroll Summary Report ................................................................................. 237
Payroll Deduction Listing Report ............................................................................. 237
Payroll Register Report ........................................................................................... 237

Payroll Tax Report .................................................................................................. 237
Quarterly Unemployment Compensation Report .................................................... 237
W-2 Wage and Tax Statement ................................................................................ 237
W-3 Transmittal ....................................................................................................... 238
Productivity Reports ............................................................................................................. 238
When Are Productivity Reports Updated? .............................................................. 238
How Post On Ticket Date Affects Productivity Reports .......................................... 238
Generating Productivity Reports ............................................................................. 239
Billed & Unbilled Hours Detail Report, Billed & Unbilled Hours Summary Report .. 240
Billed Hours Detail Report, Billed Hours Summary Report ............................... 240
Billed/Paid Fees Detail Report, Billed/Paid Fees - Summary Report .................. 240
Blled & Unblled Hrs Detail By Matter Report ....................................................... 241
Hours & Fees Budget Comparison Report ............................................................. 241
Hours Report ........................................................................................................... 241
Matter Profit/Loss Report ........................................................................................ 242
Monthly Hours & Fees Recap Report ..................................................................... 242
Receipts Pending by Orig/Resp Report .................................................................. 242
Referrals Report ...................................................................................................... 243
Timekeeper Cash Receipts Report ......................................................................... 243
Timekeeper Performance Summary Report ........................................................... 244
Unbilled Hours Detail Report, Unbilled Hours Summary Report ...................... 244
Weekly Time Ticket Value Report ........................................................................... 244
Work in Process Aged Report, Work in Process Summary Report, Work in
Process Summary with Prior Balance .................................................................. 245
Write Off Report ...................................................................................................... 245
Trust Reports........................................................................................................................ 245
Generating Trust Reports........................................................................................ 245
Cash Disbursement Listing Report ......................................................................... 246
Daily Posted Cash Receipts Report ........................................................................ 246
Subsidiary Ledger Report ....................................................................................... 246
Trust Ledger Report ................................................................................................ 247
Trust Ledger Fees/Costs Breakout Report ............................................................. 247
Trust Reports Detail Report ................................................................................. 247
Trust Reports Summary Report ........................................................................... 247
Setup Reports ...................................................................................................................... 248
Generating Setup Reports ...................................................................................... 248
Activity Code Listing Report .................................................................................... 248
Billing Format Listing Report ................................................................................... 248
Case Code Listing Report ....................................................................................... 249
Chart of Accounts Listing Report ............................................................................ 249
Client Expense Code Listing Report ....................................................................... 249
Default Accounts Report ......................................................................................... 249
Task Based Billing Code Listing Report .................................................................. 249
Time Entry Abbreviation Code Listing Report ......................................................... 249
Timekeeper Budget Listing Report ......................................................................... 249
Timekeeper Listing Report ...................................................................................... 249
Vendor Listing Detail Report ................................................................................ 249
Report Groups ...................................................................................................................... 249
Adding/Editing Report Group Names ...................................................................... 250
Setting Up Report Groups ....................................................................................... 251
Contents
vii
Running Report Groups .......................................................................................... 251

10. Housekeeping ........................................................................................................................... 253
Voiding Checks .................................................................................................................... 253
Check Register ..................................................................................................................... 254
Deposit Breakdown Information ........................................................................................... 255
Reconciling Bank Accounts .................................................................................................. 256
Step 1: Import Your Online Bank Statement ........................................................... 256
Step 2: Reconcile Your Bank Account .................................................................... 257
Bank Reconciliation Troubleshooting ...................................................................... 259
Backing Up Databases ......................................................................................................... 259
Reindexing Databases ......................................................................................................... 260
Packing Databases .............................................................................................................. 260
11. Productivity Tools .................................................................................................................... 261
General Productivity Tools ................................................................................................... 261
Speedbar ................................................................................................................. 261
Calendar .................................................................................................................. 261
Calculator ................................................................................................................ 262
Database Productivity Tools ................................................................................................ 263
Making Global Database Changes ......................................................................... 263
Importing Data ......................................................................................................... 264
Exporting Data ........................................................................................................ 268
Credit Card/ACH Payment Support ..................................................................................... 272
Applying to X-Charge for a Credit Card/ACH Payment Account ............................ 272
Setting Up Credit Card/ACH Payment in Abacus Accounting ................................ 273
Configuring Matters for Credit Card/ACH Payment ................................................ 274
Billing with the Credit Card/ACH Payment Feature ................................................ 275
Posting Client Payments with the Credit Card/ACH Payment Feature .................. 276
Billing Format Codes for the Credit Card/ACH Payment Feature........................... 276
12. Timeslips ................................................................................................................................... 277
Bill for Time Spent on Emails and Documents using TimeSlips .......................................... 277
For More Advanced Users ...................................................................................... 277
Matters to Gold ..................................................................................................................... 278
13. Support ...................................................................................................................................... 279
Using Help ............................................................................................................................ 279
Opening the Online Manual .................................................................................... 279
Using Context-Sensitive Help ................................................................................. 279
Finding Which Version You Are Using ................................................................................. 279
Contacting Sales .................................................................................................................. 279
Contacting Customer Support .............................................................................................. 279
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................... 280
Training ................................................................................................................................ 280
Other Resources .................................................................................................................. 280
14. Index........................................................................................................................................... 281
1.
Getting Started
What Is Abacus Accounting?

Abacus Accounting is a time recording, billing, trust, payroll, and
accounting software package that makes it easier to manage your law
office.
When you use Abacus Accounting:
Your staff can easily and accurately record the time they spend on
handling client matters - and accurate time tracking is important for
your firms profitability and accountability.
Because the program automates time tracking, accounting, and

billing, you can manage the financial side of your firm with less
effort and time.
You can support management decisions by providing up-to-theminute snapshot reports on your firms clients, matters, and
financial picture.
Logging in to Abacus Accounting

1.
Click Start and select All Programs/Abacus Accounting/Abacus

Accounting.
If you are using more than one company database, the Company
Selection window appears. Select the company and click Open.
The Abacus Accounting Login window appears.
NOTE: You can also click the Billing button on the toolbar of
AbacusLaw to open Abacus Accounting.
Getting Started
2.
Enter your user ID and password.
3.
Click Login.
Exiting Abacus Accounting

Select File/Exit.
Accounting Basics
This section provides some basic accounting information you may find
useful as you use Abacus Accounting.
Quick Review of Debits vs. Credits

In Abacus Accounting, you will find yourself frequently debiting and
crediting accounts. Dont worry if you are confused about debits and
credits so is everyone else! But here is a table that will clear
everything up.
Type of Account
Asset
Liability
Capital
Revenue
Expense
Account
Prefix
1
2
3
4
5
Debit
Credit
Increase
Decrease
Decrease
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Increase
Increase
Decrease
For example:
If you DEBIT an ASSET account, you INCREASE the balance.
If you CREDIT an ASSET account, you DECREASE the balance.
Hard Costs vs. Soft Costs

Hard and soft costs are client-incurred costs where:
10
Getting Started
Hard costs are costs for which you write a check, such as paying
an invoice that you received from a court reporter.
Soft costs are costs for which you would NOT write a check, such
as faxes and photocopies.
General Accounting Definitions

Account
Formal record that represents, in words, money or other unit of
measurement, certain resources, claims to such resources,
transactions or other events that result in changes to those resources
and claims.
You can have asset, liability, capital (equity), revenue and expense
accounts. All of these accounts together make up the general ledger.
Accounts Payable
Amount owed to a creditor for completed services.
Accounts Receivable
Amount billed to client but not yet paid.
Asset
Resources belonging to a person or business, tangible or intangible.
Includes accounts receivable, cash, inventory, equipment, good will,
etc.
Assets = Liabilities + Owners Equity
Balance
Sum of debit entries minus the sum of credit entries in an account. If
the debits are higher, there is a debit balance; if the credits are higher,
there is a credit balance.
Balance Sheet
Basic financial statement presenting an entity's assets, liabilities, and
the owners equity as of a specified date.
Bill
An itemized statement of charges for services sent to your clients.
Budget
Financial plan that serves as an estimate of future cost and revenues.
Calendar Year
Period of 12 consecutive months starting in January and ending in
December.
Getting Started
11
Credit
Entry on the right side of a double-entry bookkeeping system that
represents the reduction of an asset or expense or the addition to a
liability, equity, or revenue account.
Debit
Entry on the left side of a double-entry bookkeeping system that
represents the addition of an asset or expense or the reduction to a
liability, equity, or revenue account.
Disbursement
Payment by cash, check, debit card, or automatic withdrawal.
Double-Entry Bookkeeping
Method of recording financial transactions in which each transaction is
entered in two or more accounts and involves two-way, self-balancing
posting. Total debits must equal total credits.
Fiscal Year
Period of 12 consecutive months chosen by an entity as its accounting
period which may or may not be a calendar year.
General Ledger
Collection of all asset, liability, owners equity, revenue, and expense
accounts.
Income Statement
Summary of revenues and expenses over a period of time. Shows
profit or loss.
Invoice
An itemized statement of charges for services sent to you for payment.
Journal
Any book containing original entries of daily financial transactions. Also
called ledger.
Ledger
Any book of accounts containing the summaries of debit and credit
entries. Also called journal.
12
Getting Started
Liability
Debts or obligations owed by the debtor to the creditor.
Receivable
Amount of money due from customers or other debtors.
Revenues
Sales of products, merchandise, and services; and earnings from
interest, dividend, rents.
Trust
Ancient legal practice where one person (the grantor) transfers the
legal title to an asset, called the principle or corpus, to another person
(the trustee), with specific instructions about how the corpus is to be
managed and disposed.
Trustee
Person who is given legal title to and management authority over the
money or property placed in a trust.
Overview of Ledgers
A ledger is a collection of certain types of recorded transactions. In a
traditional sense, this could be a notebook where financial transactions
have been recorded. However, in Abacus Accounting, ledgers are
tables that are viewed through specific functions or windows.
Abacus Accounting has the following 4 major ledgers that it uses to
categorize and record financial transactions.
Matter Billing Activity Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to

billing activity for matters.
For more information, see Viewing the Matter Billing Activity Ledger
on page 131.
Matter Trust Activity Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to

activity for trust accounts.
For more information, see Viewing the Matter Trust Activity Ledger
on page 145.
Vendor Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to vendors.
Getting Started
13
For more information, see Using Credit Cards

Creating a Credit Card Liability Account
To use credit cards you need to have an associated credit card liability
account for each credit card. You create accounts in your chart of
accounts. Ensure that credit card liability accounts start with the
number 2.
For help creating accounts, see Adding/Editing Accounts on page 56.
Recording Credit Card Transactions

1.
2.
Select A/P/Credit Cards/Add Credit Card Transaction. The Credit

Card Input window appears.
Complete the General tab as follows:
CC Liability Account #: Select the credit card liability account

you want to write the payment against. See Creating a Credit
Card Liability Account on page 175 for more information.
Date, Payee, Amount, Address, Memo: Complete the

payment information just as you would complete a check.
Note that for Payee you click the lookup button, highlight a
vendor on the Vendors Browse window, and click Done.
SHORTCUT: You can just start entering the name and if the
name exists in the Abacus Accounting database, it will be
completed for you.
If you do not see the vendor you want, you can click Add to
add the vendor or you can click Misc. Vendor, which opens a
window that prompts you for an ad hoc vendor name.
14
Getting Started
NOTE: Never use a miscellaneous vendor if the person or

company receiving the check is to receive a 1099.
Miscellaneous vendors are not included in 1099 filings.
Expense Account #: If you have set up a default account for

the vendor, this field displays that account number. Otherwise,
select the number of the expense account to be debited for this
check. For hard costs, use the Client Costs Advanced account.
Invoice #: Select the invoice number with which this cost is

associated.
Description: Enter a description of the cost.
Matter ID: Select the matter associated with this cost.

NOTE: Use this field if there is only ONE matter to charge. For
multiple matters you must complete the Matters to Charge tab
see the next step in this procedure.
3.
Exp. Code: Select the client expense code for this cost.
If there is more than one matter to charge, select the Matters to

Charge tab and distribute the cost to the matters as necessary. For
each matter, you need to select an appropriate expense cost and
you need to enter the portion of the total cost in the Amount box.
Getting Started
15
4.
Click Save.
Downloading Credit Card Statements
16
Getting Started
1.
Select A/P/Credit Cards/Download Credit Card Statement. The

Download Credit Card Statement window appears.
2.
Do one of the following:
If you have created an automatic online connection with your

bank for this account (see Adding/Editing Accounts on page
56), then select the credit card liability account.
If you have not created an online connection with you bank for
this account, you need to go to your online banking site and
download your statement in an .ofx format. Then, click the
Browse button for Input File and select the .ofx file.
3.
Your transactions for the selected time period are listed on one of 2
tabs: Matched Entries and Unmatched Entries. Matched entries
are those entries that are found both on your bank statement and in
Abacus Accounting. Unmatched entries are those that are found on
your bank statement, but cannot be found in Abacus Accounting.
The objective is to get all of the unmatched entries matched or
removed so that there are no transactions unaccounted for in
Abacus Accounting.
4.
On the Unmatched Entries tab, you need to match, add, or delete

entries to remove them from the tab.
Match entries if for some reason Abacus Accounting has

missed the match. To match an entry, highlight the record and
click Match. A list of Abacus Accounting records appears.
Highlight the entry that matches the entry on your banking
statement and click Done.
You add entries if the entry on your online banking statement is

correct and you have not entered the transaction into Abacus
Accounting. To add an entry, highlight the unmatched entry
and click Add. The Demand Check Writer window appears
populated with the existing record data. From this window, you
can enter the transaction into Abacus Accounting. For help,
see Processing Payables with the Demand Check Writer on
page 159.
5.
6.
You delete unmatched entries if they are not valid and should
not be in Abacus Accounting. To remove an entry from the list,
highlight it and click Delete. (This does not delete the entry
from Abacus Accounting it only removes it from the list.)
On the Matched Entries tab, do any of the following:
Highlight an entry and click Accept to set the selected

transaction to cleared for the bank reconciliation.
Click Accept All to set all transactions on the Matched Entries

tab to cleared for the bank reconciliation.
Highlight an entry and click Unmatch to place the transaction

on the Unmatched Entries tab.
Once you have adjusted all transactions to your satisfaction, you

can go on to the next step, which is Reconciling Credit Card
Accounts. Click Reconcile Account on the screen and then skip to
step 5 in the Reconciling Bank Accounts procedure.
Reconciling Credit Card Accounts

For more information, see Reconciling Bank Accounts on page 253.
Viewing the Vendor Ledger on page 178.
General Ledger: Records transactions for all asset, liability,

owners equity, revenue, and expense accounts.
For more information, see Viewing the General Ledger on page
185.
Daily, Monthly, and Year-End Activities in Abacus

Accounting
This section provides tips on which activities should be performed daily,
monthly, and yearly.
Daily Abacus Accounting Activities

Daily Activity
Enter time tickets for all timekeepers.
For more
information, see
Entering Time on page
95
Getting Started
17
Enter all soft costs incurred each day via cost and
adjustments.
Process daily payables.
Enter a client payment for each check received from
your clients.
Enter a trust deposit for each check received for the
trust accounts.
Enter deposits received from sources other than clients
via general ledger journal entries. Be sure to call these
entries Cash Receipts so they will appear on the bank
reconciliation.
Enter new clients and matters as needed.
Process trust checks as needed.
Process operating checks as needed.
Managing Soft Costs

and Adjustments on
page 101
Processing Payables
on page 162
Adding/Editing Client
Payments on page
121
Trust Deposits on
page 148
Posting Journal
Entries on page 187
Adding Matters on
page 69
Processing Trust
Checks on page 152
Processing Payables
on page 162
Monthly Abacus Accounting Activities

Monthly Activity
Print prebills. Give to the responsible timekeeper to
review.
Make any necessary adjustments to correct prebills.
Print actual bills.
If you are billing for more than one matter per client,
print appropriate Combined Matters Cover Page.
Print the posting report for billing. Compare the posting

report against the Trust Check Requests listing to be
sure all check requests appear correctly.
Post bills. Also, make sure to actually mail the bills!

Print and post trust checks from the requests that
appeared after the actual bills were printed.
Post the trust checks that were generated through billing
as payments received.
18
Getting Started
For more information,

see
Printing Prebills and
Bills on page 110
Adjusting Prebills on
page 111
Printing Prebills and
Bills on page 110
Generating the
Combined Matters
Cover Page on page
116
Posting Bills on page
118
Printing a List of Trust
Check Requests on
page 157
Posting Bills on page
118
Step 2: Processing
Trust Check Requests
on page 157
Adding/Editing Client
Payments on page 121
If you dont have your system automated to merge your

recurring payables, remember to merge your recurring
payables manually. If you merge each month at the end
of the month for the following month, your cash
requirement report will be accurate.
Reconcile operating accounts to the general ledger and
reconcile trust bank accounts to the general ledger and
the matter trust activity ledger.
For both reconciliations, print out the check register to
attach to the bank reconciliation report. Also, be sure to
print the Trust Detail report to verify that the ending
balance matches the check register.
Print monthly reports.
Process payroll (weekly, biweekly, etc.) or make the
journal entries for payroll.
Merging Recurring
Payables for Payment
on page 177
Reconciling Bank
Accounts on page 256
When to Run Reports

on page 214
Processing Payroll on
page 208
Yearly Abacus Accounting Activities

Yearly Activity
Balance your operating account for December or the
last month of your fiscal year.
Balance your trust accounts for December or the last
month of your fiscal year. Remember the Trust Detail
report must balance to the check book register.
Print yearly reports.
For more information,

see
Reconciling Bank
Reconciling Bank
When to Run Reports
on page 214
Send all required reports to your tax accountant.

Enter the adjusting entries you will receive from your tax
accountant. Be sure to enter them with their proper
dates. Ask if your accountant needs any further
information.
Perform a full backup of your Abacus Accounting
database.
Perform the year-end closing.
Adding/Editing General
Ledger Journal Entries
on page 188
Backing Up Databases
on page 259
Closing the General
Ledger for a Year on
page 197
Getting Started
19
2.
Setup
Changing Your Company Preferences

You can change your company preferences when necessary. For
example, if you purchase additional modules or change your check
type you would need to reflect those changes in your company
preferences.
Company preferences include:
General company preferences information
Check types identification
Company address information
Changing General Information for Your Company

Preferences
1.
20
Setup
Select File/Setup/Company Preferences. The Abacus Accounting

Company Preferences window appears. Select the General tab.
2.
Use the following to help you change the settings on the window:
Post on Ticket Date: When checked, bills will be posted to

productivity reports using the date on the time ticket instead of
the date on the bill.
Auto Trust Check Request upon posting bills: When

checked, Abacus Accounting will automatically create a trust
check request for all bills that have trust transfers. The request
is made at the time the actual bill is posted.
Allow Individual Trust Account to be OverDrawn: When

checked, Abacus Accounting will allow you to withdraw more
money from a trust account than is deposited.
Force Activity Codes on Time Tickets: When checked,

Abacus Accounting will force you to include an activity code for
each time ticket.
Force Double-Sided Journal Entries: When checked, no

single journal entries will be allowed. NOTE: You may need to
allow single-sided journal entries when initially setting up your
general ledger.
Create a vendor ledger for all payees. Not just 1099

vendors: When you add a vendor through AbacusLaw, you are
asked if you want to make the vendor a billing vendor or not.
Vendor ledgers are usually only created for billing vendors.
Check this option if you want to create a vendor ledger for all
vendors (not just for billing vendors).
Save Bills to .PDF: When checked, a .pdf copy of a posted bill

will always be automatically linked to the related matter (as
seen from the Linked Docs tab on the Matters window in
AbacusLaw).
Allow Ledger Deletions: When checked, the user is allowed

to delete entries from the General Ledger.
Firm Vendor ID: The vendor ID to be used for the Auto Trust
Check Request upon posting bills feature.
Next A/P Merge Date: The next date you want Abacus
Accounting to prompt you about recurring account payables
you have to merge. This date will increment by a month once
the entries have been merged.
Next G/L Merge Date: The next date you want Abacus
Accounting to prompt you about recurring journal entries you
have to merge. This date will increment by a month once the
entries have been merged.
Months to Keep Audit Trail: The number of months you want

the system to maintain the audit trail information.
Next Invoice Number: (optional) Enter the next starting

invoice number.
Setup
21
3.
Rates: The rates to be used as default rates for sales tax, late
charges, and administrative costs that will be used when
adding new matters to the system. These rates can be
customized by matter.
Accounting Method: Select whether your law firm uses the

cash or accrual accounting method.
Region: Select your firms region.
Currency Word: The term to be used for currency.
Logo Bitmap: Click the browse button and select the location
of the image file (.bmp) you want to appear on your actual bills.
The logo image file needs to be 1 inch x 1 inch.
Click Done to save your changes.
Changing the Check Types You Use

1.

Company Preferences window appears. Select the Check Types
tab.
2.
Complete the check stock preferences for each module.

For each type of check, Trust, Operating, and Payroll, you can
adjust the following settings:
22
Setup
Format indicates how you want to print the check where:

Laser/Ink Jet Standard feeds checks through your printer by
rollers.
Pin Fed Standard feeds checks through your printer by
sprockets. This option is no longer applicable.
Laser/Ink Jet Quicken feeds checks through your printer by
rollers. The layout of checks is in a Quicken format.
European Check Format 1 is not currently in use.
3.
Check at Top of Page, Check at Middle of Page: Indicates

the position of the check on the printed page. TIP: Select
different orientations for check types to help you differentiate
between them. For example, print all your operating checks at
the top of the page and print all your trust checks in the middle
of the page.
Changing Your Company Address Information

If you have moved, you dont need a new registration code to enter a
new address.
Setup
23
1.

Company Preferences window appears. Select the Configuration
tab, and then select the Address Info tab.
NOTE: This information appears on your bills.

2.
Change your address information as necessary.
3.
Setting Up Multiple Companies

To use a different company in Abacus Accounting, you need to create
a new Abacus database in AbacusLaw (refer to the AbacusLaw
Reference Guide for more information).
Once a new database is created, select that database in AbacusLaw
using the File/Change Directory menu option and then click the Billing
button on the toolbar in AbacusLaw to open Abacus Accounting to use
the new database.
24
Setup
Setting Workstation Options

You can customize some of the Abacus Accounting settings for your
workstation including:
Display and print options
Data Entry options
Miscellaneous options (Internet connection and prompts)
Email options
Spell check options
Setting Display/Printing Options

1.
Select File/Setup/Workstation Options. The Workstation Options

window appears. Select the Display/Printing tab.
2.
Complete or change the settings on the window as follows:

Display Options
Show All Messages: On some windows in Abacus

Accounting, you have the option of requesting not to see the
window again. For example when you exit, there are
informational message windows with a check box that lets you
elect not to see the windows again. Once you elect not to see a
window, the only way to see it again is to check the Show All
Messages option. This is useful if you get a new employee that
needs to see the messages that the old employee had turned
off.
Setup
25
Show Status Bar: When checked, the status bar will display.
The status bar is located at the bottom of the window and
provides general information about Abacus Accounting.
Show SpeedBar: When checked, the speedbar will display.

For more information about the speedbar, see Speedbar on
page 261.
Show Toolbar: When checked, the toolbar will display. The

toolbar contains buttons and is located directly under the menu.
Desktop Bitmap: Select the image you want to appear in the

background for the Abacus Accounting desktop.
Printing Options
3.
Default Print Destination: When you print something in

Abacus Accounting (like bills or reports), you have the choice
of sending output to the printer (Print) or seeing the output on
the screen (Preview). This setting indicates whether you want
the default print destination to be Print or Preview.
Default Printer: The default printer to use.
Setting Data Entry Options

1.
26
Setup

window appears. Select the Data Entry tab.
2.
Enter key moves from field to field the same as the Tab
key: When checked, the Enter key will behave the same way
as the Tab key so that when you press Enter, the cursor will
move from field to field in a window.
Hide the type of entry from the Trust Deposit and Check
Screens: When checked, the Type of Deposit section will be
hidden on the Trust Deposits Add/Modify window and the
Type of Check Request section will be hidden on the Trust
Check Requests Add/Modify window. When checked, it will
also hide the Type of Check section on the Print Demand
Trust Checks window (when using the Trust Demand Check
Writer).
Default Time Ticket Type: Select the default time ticket type
to use when adding time tickets.
Automatically Spell Check Time Ticket Text: When checked,

Abacus Accounting will automatically spell check the time ticket
text without you having to press F7 to activate the feature.
Setup
27
28
Setup
Automatically insert Time Entry Abbreviation Code text

when pressing the space bar: When you enter a time ticket,
you can get a list of time ticket codes to select from by pressing
F5. When you select the Automatically insert option, you
can also manually enter the time ticket code in the text box and
press the space bar to enter the time ticket code text
automatically.
Hide Tax Status on Time Ticket Screen: When checked, the

Tax Status section will NOT appear on the Time Tickets
Entering New Time/Modifying Existing Time window.
Show Time Entry Abbreviation Code Entry Field: Currently

not in use.
Select Time Ticket Types that are non-applicable: When an

option in this section is checked, that time ticket type will not
appear as an option in the Time Ticket Type section on the
Time Tickets Entering New Time/Modifying Existing Time
window.
3.
Post Direct: When you select to post direct, your entries are
automatically posted for you. Check the types of entries you
want to post direct. RECOMMENDATION: New users should
not use post direct at all. If you choose to use post direct you
cannot edit your entries before they are posted.
Setting Miscellaneous Workstation Options

1.

window appears. Select the Miscellaneous tab.
Setup
29
2.
This Computer is connected to the internet: When checked,

this workstation is connected to the Internet.
Show Internet Messages: When checked, upon startup

Abacus Accounting will display various messages/reminders
(i.e. tax tables available for download, new version available for
download, etc.).
Prompt me about merging Recurring Payables: When

checked, Abacus Accounting will prompt you about recurring
payables that need to be merged, based on the date entered in
the Company Preferences (see Changing General Information
for Your Company on page 20).
Prompt me about merging Recurring Journal Entries:

When checked, Abacus Accounting will prompt you about
recurring journal entries that need to be merged, based on the
date entered in the Company Preferences (see Changing
General Information for Your Company on page 20).
Memorize Online Banking Descriptions: When this option is

checked, online banking transactions (like debit card
transactions) can be tied to existing vendors. If the description
in your transaction matches the Online Banking Description
for the vendor, then Abacus Accounting uses the default
expense account to help enter the transaction.
Use Advanced Report Designer: The Report Designer is

available to you when editing the actual bill report file for billing
code formats (see Using Report Editor for Billing Format Codes
on page 56). When this option is checked, you will have more
advanced functionality available to you in the Report Designer.
LEDES Client/Matter Reference Formatting Options: Used

for LEDES billing.
Select Client and Matter Numbers to see both client and
matter numbers for LEDES billing entries.
Select Comments Line 1 if a number other than the client or
matter number is required for LEDES billing. If you select this
option, then you need to enter the number to be used for billing
on the Matter Maintenance windows Comments tab. (To open
the Matter Maintenance window, select Matters/Matters and
then double-click the matter you want to work with.)
Select Matter Number Only to see only matter numbers for
LEDES billing entries.
For more information about LEDES billing, see LEDES 1998B
Billing on page 141.
30
Setup
Exclude Client ID Field: Check if you do not want the client ID

to appear in LEDES billing.
3.
Setting Email Options for Reporting

When working with reports, you have the ability to attach certain
reports to an email. This procedure describes how to set the options for
email reporting.
1.

window appears. Click Email Settings.
2.
The Email Settings window appears.
Use Outlook to send mail: Check this option if you use

Microsoft Outlook as your mail client. Note that if you check this
option, you do not need to complete any other fields on the
window.
Your Email Address: Enter your email address.
SMTP Server: Enter the SMTP server name for your email.
Server Port: Enter your server port number. Leave the value at
25 unless your system administrator tells you to change it.
My SMTP Server Requires Authentication: Check if your

SMTP server requires you to login to the server. Notice that
when you check this option, more fields appear in the SMTP
Server Login Information section. Enter your SMTP server user
ID and password in the fields provided.
Setup
31
3.
Setting Spell Check Options

1.

window appears. Click Spell Check Settings. The Spell Checker
Options window appears.
2.
3.
Custom dictionary file: The dictionary file that is created from

entries you add during the spell check process.
Main dictionary file: The dictionary file provided with Abacus

Accounting.
Words in UPPERCASE: When checked, the spell checker will

NOT spell check words in uppercase letters.
Word with numbers: When checked, the spell checker will

NOT spell check words that contain numbers.
Always suggest: When checked, the spell checker will

automatically suggest correct spellings for misspelled words.
Click OK to save your changes.
User Management
User management is performed in AbacusLaw. For more information,
refer to AbacusLaw documentation.
32
Setup
Setting New Matter Defaults

You can define certain defaults that will be used when a matter is
added to Abacus Accounting. These default settings can be edited
when entering a new matter.
1.
Select File/Setup/New Matter Defaults. The New Matter Defaults

window appears.
2.
Complete/edit the default matter settings as follows:
Billing Format Code: Select the default billing format code to

be used for added matters. For more information about billing
format codes, see Maintaining Billing Format Codes on page
50.
Default Trust Account #: Select the default trust account to be

used for added matters.
Type of Law Tax Status: If your state requires sales tax on

services and/or costs, select Taxable.
Default Timekeeper Rate Level: When you enter timekeeper

codes, you construct different rate levels for the timekeeper
(see Adding/Editing Timekeeper Codes on page 34). This
option indicates the default per timekeeper rate level to use for
hourly fees.
Billing Mode: Select the default billing mode to be used for

added matters.
Setup
33

3.
Billing Frequency: Select the default billing frequency to be

used for added matters.
Maintaining Timekeeper Codes

Timekeeper codes are used to identify any person in your firm for
whom your firm usually bills clients for their time. This includes
attorneys, paralegals, "runners," and secretarial/administrative staff. A
timekeeper code must be assigned to each person whose time is billed
to clients.
You maintain timekeeper codes from the Timekeepers Browse window.
To open the window, select File/Setup/Timekeeper Codes.
If you want to list inactive timekeepers, check Show Inactive

Timekeepers.
From this window you can:
Add or edit a timekeeper code.
Delete a timekeeper code by highlighting a timekeeper code and

clicking Delete. You will not be able to delete a timekeeper code if
it is being used in Abacus Accounting.
Generate the Timekeeper Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Timekeeper Codes. The Timekeepers Browse

window appears.
2.
34
Setup
To add a timekeeper code, click Add.
To edit a timekeeper code, highlight the timekeeper code and

click Edit.
The Timekeeper Maintenance window appears.

3.
Complete the settings on the General tab as follows:
Timekeepers Initials: Enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters

to uniquely identify the person whose time will be tracked with
this code. Normally, these characters will be the persons
initials.
First Name: Enter up to 35 alphanumeric characters for the

persons first name.
Middle Initial: Enter 1 alphanumeric character to indicate the

persons middle initial.
Last Name: Enter up to 35 alphanumeric characters of the

persons last name.
Inactive: Check if the timekeeper is inactive, for example if the

timekeeper leaves the firm or takes an extended leave.
Seniority Level: Enter up to 2 numbers to indicate this

timekeepers seniority level. The seniority level is used to sort
information in reports so that seniority level 1 is first on the
report. If all timekeepers are assigned seniority level 1, the
report is sorted alphabetically by timekeeper code.
Default Hourly Rate: Enter up to 6 numbers to indicate the

timekeepers standard hourly rate (dollars charged per hour), if
applicable. Abacus Accounting uses this assigned hourly rate
for this timekeeper when no rate level is set up for the
client/matter being billed.
Setup
35
Type: Indicate if this is a main timekeeper or an alias. If this is

an alias you must indicate the timekeeper code the alias is
associated with. All time for an alias timekeeper will appear on
the actual bill with the associated main timekeeper. This allows
the same timekeeper to charge multiple rates on one matter.
Division: (optional) Select the division to which this timekeeper

is assigned. Note that divisions are maintained separately
see Maintaining Timekeeper Divisions on page 36. This
information is used in 2 productivity reports: Hours report and
Monthly Hours & Fees Recap report.
Job Title: (optional) Select the job title for this timekeeper.
Note that titles are maintained separately see Maintaining
Timekeeper Titles on page 38. This information is used in 2
productivity reports: Hours report and Monthly Hours & Fees
Recap report.
4.
Select the Rates tab. For each rate level enter the dollar amount
for the hourly rate this timekeeper will charge.
5.
Maintaining Timekeeper Divisions

Timekeeper divisions are used in firms with multiple offices. Each
timekeeper division can be assigned to a timekeeper.
You maintain timekeeper codes from the Division Codes Browse
window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Timekeeper Division.
36
Setup
Add or edit a timekeeper division.
Delete a timekeeper division by highlighting a timekeeper division

and clicking Delete.
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Divisions

1.
Select File/Setup/Timekeeper Division. The Division Codes Browse

window appears.
2.
To add a timekeeper division, click Add.
To edit a timekeeper division, highlight the timekeeper division

and click Edit.
The Timekeeper Division Codes window appears.
Setup
37
3.
In the Code box, enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters to uniquely

identify the timekeeper division.
4.
In the Description box, enter a description of the division.
5.
Maintaining Timekeeper Titles

Timekeeper titles are job titles that could be assigned to employees in
your firm. Each timekeeper title can be assigned to a timekeeper.
You maintain timekeeper titles from the Job Title Codes window. To
open the window, select File/Setup/Timekeeper Title.
Add or edit a timekeeper title.
Delete a timekeeper title by highlighting a timekeeper title and

clicking Delete.
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Titles

1.
Select File/Setup/Timekeeper Title. The Job Title Codes window

appears.
2.
To add a timekeeper title, click Add.
To edit a timekeeper title, highlight the timekeeper title and

click Edit.
The Timekeeper Job Title Codes window appears.
38
Setup
3.
In the Code box, enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters to uniquely

identify the timekeeper job title.
4.
In the Description box, enter a description of the job title.
5.
Maintaining Timekeeper Budgets

Timekeeper budgets are used to create monthly billable hourly goals
for your timekeepers.
You maintain timekeeper budgets from the Timekeepers Budget
Maintenance window. To open the window, select
File/Setup/Timekeeper Budget.
Add or edit a timekeeper budget.
Delete a timekeeper budget by highlighting a budget and clicking

Delete.
Setup
39
Adding/Editing Timekeeper Budgets

1.
Select File/Setup/Timekeeper Budget. The Timekeeper Budget

Maintenance window appears.
2.
To add a timekeeper budget, click Add.
To edit a timekeeper budget, highlight the timekeeper budget

and click Edit.
The Timekeeper Budget Maintenance Adding a new Budget or

Timekeeper Budget Maintenance Modifying existing Budget
window appears.
3.
4.
Complete the settings on the window as follows:
Timekeepers Initials: Select the timekeeper code for the

budget.
Budget Year: Enter the 4-digit year for the budget.
Total Hours: Enter the total number of hours for the budget
year that you expect this timekeeper to bill.
January December: Abacus Accounting will distribute total

hours evenly over the 12 months. You can accept these
numbers or make changes as necessary.
Maintaining Case Codes

Case codes identify the types of law practiced by your firm. In addition,
these codes are used to maintain statistical data regarding different
type of laws practiced. Each matter is assigned a case code.
40
Setup
AbacusLaw and Abacus Accounting share case codes, so any

maintenance you perform in either module will be reflected in the other
module.
You maintain case codes from the Case Codes Browse window. To
open the window, select File/Setup/Case Codes.
Add or edit a case code.

Generate the Type of Law Codes Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Case Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Case Codes. The Case Codes Browse window

appears.
2.
To add a case code, click Add.
To edit a case code, highlight the case code and click Edit.
The Case Code Maintenance Adding a New Item or Case Code

Maintenance Modifying existing Item window appears.
Setup
41
3.
4.
Case Code: Enter up to 8alphanumeric characters to uniquely

identify the type of law.
Description: Enter up to 35 alphanumeric characters to

describe the type of law. The description is printed on pre-bills
and internal firm reports.
Tax Status: Select the tax status of the matter. Used to

calculate and bill for taxes, when applicable.
Maintaining Client Expense Codes

Client expense codes identify the types of costs your firm incurs on
behalf of a client. Abacus Accounting provides a list of standard client
expense codes. You can change the descriptions (which appear on the
bill) of these codes, but you should not change any of the standard
code settings. Apart from using FEE to input balance forwards,
generally you would never use the following standard codes as they
are for automated features. Add a custom code if necessary.
You maintain client expense codes from the Client Expense Codes
Browse window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Client Expense
Codes.
42
Setup
Add or edit a client expense code.
Delete a client expense code by highlighting the code and clicking

Delete. You cannot delete any codes being used in Abacus
Accounting.
Generate the Client Expense Code Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Client Expense Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Client Expense Codes. The Client Expense

Codes Browse window appears.
2.
To add a client expense code, click Add.
To edit a client expense code, highlight the code and click Edit.
The Client Expense Code Maintenance Adding a New Item or

Client Expense Code Maintenance Modifying existing Item
window appears.
Setup
43
3.
4.
Client Expense Code: Enter up to 3 alphabetic characters

and/or digits to uniquely identify this type of client expense.
Description: Enter up to 250 alphabetic characters and/or

digits to describe this client expense. This description will be
printed on various reports, prebills, and actual bills.
Type of Code: Select the type of client expense.
Letter of Protection: Check this box when the code is for a

Letter of Protection (usually used in personal injury suits).
Per Item Cost: Enter the per item charge for soft/hard cost
expenses. For example, the per item cost for photocopies
might be 25 cents. (This is only a default amount - you can
modify this amount when entering costs.)
Task Based Expense Code: [applicable for task based billing

only] Select the task based billing code associated with the
client expense code. For more information, see Maintaining
Task Based Billing Codes on page 48.
Tax Status: Specify whether this client expense is taxable or

non-taxable. Used to calculate and bill for taxes, when
applicable.
Maintaining Activity Codes

Activity codes are shortcuts that let you assign default text, hours,
rates, and task based billing codes for specific activities when entering
time tickets.
44
Setup
NOTE: You can only use activity codes when working with time tickets
if you have turned on Force Activity Codes on Time Tickets for your
company preferences (see Changing General Information for Your
Company on page 20).
Activity codes are also used for task-based billing. The activity codes
for task-based billing are established by the American Bar Association,
and Abacus Accounting is preloaded with these codes. For more
information, see Maintaining Task Based Billing Codes on page 48.
You maintain activity codes from the Activity Codes Browse window. To
open the window, select File/Setup/Activity Codes.
Add or edit an activity code.
Delete an activity code by highlighting the code and clicking

Delete. You cannot delete codes being used in Abacus
Accounting.
Generate the Activity Code Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Activity Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Activity Codes. The Activity Codes Browse

window appears.
2.
To add an activity code, click Add.
To edit an activity code, highlight the code and click Edit.
The Activity Code Maintenance Adding a New Item or Activity

Code Maintenance Modifying existing Item window appears.
Setup
45
3.
4.
Complete the settings on General tab as follows:
Activity Code: Enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters to

uniquely identify this activity.
Description: Enter up to 35 characters to describe the code.

This text is printed on reports.
Task Based Code: Enter the task based billing code

associated with this activity code.
Time Ticket Text: Enter the default text for this activity. This is
the text that will appear on the time ticket when the activity
code is selected. The text can be modified after adding it to the
time ticket.
Select the Rates tab. This tab lists rates related to the activity. You
can have up to 3 levels of activity rates so that different matters can
be charged different activity rates.
NOTE: Activity rate levels are assigned to matters through matter
maintenance. See Editing Rates for Matters on page 77for more
information.
For each rate level, select the type of rate: flat charge or hourly.
Then, if you selected a flat charge rate, enter the flat rate in the
46
Setup
Rate box; if you selected an hourly rate, enter the hourly rate in the
Hours box.
5.
Maintaining Time Ticket Codes

Time ticket codes are shortcuts that let you assign a preset text phrase
to a time ticket. Time ticket codes are added to a time ticket through the
Text box. You place the cursor in the Text box and press F5. A list of
time ticket codes appears. When you select a time ticket code, the text
associated with the code automatically appears as the time ticket
description. Once the text is added to the time ticket, you can edit the
text as necessary.
You maintain time ticket codes from the Time Ticket Codes Browse
window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Time Ticket Codes.
Add or edit a time ticket code.
Delete a time ticket code by highlighting the code and clicking

Delete.
Generate the Time Ticket Abbreviation Code Listing report by

clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Time Ticket Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Time Ticket Codes. The Time Ticket Codes

Browse window appears.
2.
To add a time ticket code, click Add.
To edit a time ticket code, highlight the code and click Edit.
Setup
47
The Time Ticket Abbreviation Code Maintenance Adding a New

Time Ticket Code or Time Ticket Abbreviation Code Maintenance
Modifying an existing Code window appears.
3.
Enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters to uniquely identify the

code. Then, enter a description of up to 1,000 alphabetic
characters and/or digits as the text for the code. This text is printed
on bills and reports. Spaces and punctuation marks are counted as
characters.
4.
Maintaining Task Based Billing Codes

Task based billing codes were established by the American Bar
Association and are used to organize time entries by category to meet
the American Bar Association billing standards. Abacus Accounting is
preloaded with the ABA task based billing codes. You do not need to
modify or delete these codes unless the ABA changes its code
set.
For more information about task based billing, contact the American
Bar Association.
You maintain task based billing codes from the Task Based Codes
Browse window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Task Based
Billing Codes.
48
Setup
Add or edit a task based billing code.
Delete a task based billing code by highlighting the code and

clicking Delete. You cannot delete codes being used in Abacus
Accounting.
Generate the Task Based Billing Code Listing report by clicking

Print.
Adding/Editing Task Based Billing Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Task Based Billing Codes. The Task Based

Codes Browse window appears.
2.
To add a task based billing code, click Add.
To edit a task based billing code, highlight the code and click
Edit.
The Task Based Billing Code Maintenance Add a New Task

Based Billing Code or Task Based Billing Code Maintenance
Modify existing Task Based Billing Code window appears.
Setup
49
3.
4.
Category Code: Enter the 5-character code for the task as set
by the American Bar Association.
Text: Enter up to 50 characters to describe the task.
Type of Category: Select the category type as defined for the

code by the American Bar Association.
Summary Level: When checked, the code is to be used to

summarize tasks of the same type. For information about
summary codes, refer to the task based billing information from
the American Bar Association.
Maintaining Billing Format Codes

Billing format codes define how you want your bills to look. Billing
format codes determine:
Whether you are going to print bills on letterhead stationary or print

your letterhead information directly on bills.
The type and level of detail of information you want printed on bills.
Whether to include trust information on bills.

Billing format codes are assigned to matters so that each matter can
have its own billing format.
The following standard billing codes are included with each installation
of Abacus Accounting:
50
Setup
C - Contingency Settlement Statement Format: To be used for

contingency work. Shows no time entries. Starts out with the
settlement from court and calculates attorney fees based on
percentage and then lists in-house costs and then out-of house or
letters of protection costs and then the dollar amount the client is to
receive.
FFS Scheduled Flat Fee: To be used for scheduled flat fee

billing.
GEN General: To be used for flat fee or hourly billing.
H Hourly Format: To be used when charging hourly fees. Shows

the dollar amount per time ticket.
NJ New Jersey Contingency: When you use this format,

Abacus Accounting will deduct costs before allocating a judgment
split.
SB Split Billing: To be used with split billing.
TB Task-Based Billing: To be used with task-based billing.

You maintain billing format codes from the Billing Format Codes
Browse window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Billing Format
Codes.
Add or edit a billing format code.
Delete a billing format code by highlighting the code and clicking

Delete. You cannot delete a code that is being used in Abacus
Accounting.
Generate the Billing Format Codes report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Billing Format Codes

1.
Select File/Setup/Billing Format Codes. The Billing Format Codes

2.
To add a billing format code, click Add.
To edit a billing format code, highlight the code and click Edit.
The Billing Format Code Maintenance Adding a New Billing

Format Code or Billing Format Code Maintenance Modifying
existing Billing Format Code window appears.
Setup
51
3.
Complete the settings on the General Information tab as follows.
Code: Enter up to 3 alphanumeric characters to uniquely

identify this billing format. (We recommend you use alphabetic
codes.)

describe this billing format. This description is printed on
prebills and reports.
Message: Enter up to 5 lines of text to be printed on the bill.

Press the Tab key at the end of each line to move to the next
line. Each line is processed as a separate line of text and is
centered on the bottom of your bill.
For example, if you enter the following text:
Thank you for your prompt payment. [TAB]
If you have any questions about this bill, [TAB]
please contact Mary Smith at extension 1234.
The text is printed on your bills as:
Thank you for your prompt payment.
If you have any questions about this bill,
please contact Mary Smith at extension 1234.
Memo Field: (optional) Enter a memo to appear on bills using

this billing format code.
Actual Bill Rpt File Name: The standard .rpt file used by
Abacus Accounting for actual bills is ACTUAL.RPT. However,
you can customize your actual bills by using a custom .rpt file.
To create a custom.rpt file, you can either outsource Abacus or
you can do it yourself by clicking the Edit button, which opens
the Report Editor (see Using Report Editor for Billing Format
Codes on page 56). If you are using a custom .rpt file, enter the
name of the file in the box.
NOTE: For window envelopes, you can use ACTUALL.RPT
and the output will be left-justified for window envelopes.
52
Setup
4.
PreBill Rpt File Name: The standard .rpt file used by Abacus
Accounting for prebills is PREBILL.RPT. However, you can
customize your prebills by using a custom .rpt file. To create a
custom .rpt file, you can either outsource Abacus or you can do
it yourself if you have CRYSTAL 8.5. If you are using a custom
.rpt file, enter the name of the file in the box.
Select the Reporting Options tab. This tab determines which

information is to be included on the bills.
Complete the settings on the tab as follows:
Tickets on Bill: Check to include time ticket information on the

bill.
Initials On Each Ticket: Check to include the timekeepers

initials for each time ticket included on the bill.
Hours Per Ticket: Check to include the hours for each time
ticket included on the bill.
Fees Per Ticket: Check to include the fees for each time ticket
included on the bill.
Date Per Ticket: Check to include the date for each time ticket
included on the bill.
Text Per Ticket: Check to include the text description of each

time ticket included on the bill.
Hours Totaled: Check to include the total hours of all time

tickets for the current billing period on the bill.
Fees Totaled: Check to include the total fees of all time tickets
for the current billing period. Printed at the end of the time
ticket section of the bill.
Trust Recapped: Check to include a recap of the transactions

(deposits and disbursements) of a client matters trust account.
Printed at the end of the bill.
Trust Transfers Shown on Bill: Check to include trust transfer

transactions on the bill. When checked, during billing Abacus
Setup
53
Accounting will check to see if the matter has money in trust,

and if so, that money will be applied against the bill.
Start New Page: When checked, all trust information in the bill
will begin on a new page.
Date of Last Payment On Bill: Check to include the date the

last payment was received on the bill.
Previous Balance/Payments Received on Bill: Check to

include the previous account balance and payments received
on the bill. Generally, this option should always be checked.
Task Based Billing: Check if your client requires their bill to be

generated following the American Bar Association task based
billing system. (In order to support task based billing, you must
enter task based codes when entering time and billing
information.) Leave this field unchecked unless you are sure
that task based bills are required.
For more information about task based billing, see Maintaining
Task Based Billing Codes on page 48.
5.
Print Settlement Statements on Contingent Matters: Check

to generate actual bills generated in a settlement statement
format for matters set up with a contingency billing mode.
When unchecked, an actual bill will be generated using a
regular format.
Select the Format Options tab. The tab defines additional

formatting for the bill.
54
Setup
Letter Head Printed: Check to include your firm name and

mailing address on each bill. (This information comes from your
company preferences see Changing Your Company Address
Information on page 23.) If you do NOT check this option, when
printing the bill, you will be asked which bin to use to pull your
letterhead paper. This forces the first page of the bill to print on
paper from one bin (containing your letterhead paper) and the
remaining pages of the bill to be printed on plain paper.
Invoice Number on Bill: Check to include the bill number on

the bill.
Include Logo on Actual Bills: Check to include a logo on your

actual bill. The location of the logo image file is defined in your
company preferences see Changing General Information for
Your Company on page 20. (This option will be greyed out if
there is no logo selected for company preferences.)
Include Payment Detail Section on Bill: Check to include a

section detailing payments received. A break out of how the
payment was applied will be printed on the bill. This breakout
shows how much money was applied against fees, hard costs
and soft costs.
Include Aging on Bill: Check to include accounts receivable

aging information on the bill.
Include Credit Card Section on Bill: Check to include a credit

card remittance page with the bill. This will print as a separate
page and provides a place for clients to include credit card
information to pay their bill. Select the type(s) of credit cards
you accept.
Fee Detail Level: Select the type of fee information you want
recapped on the bill. Detail includes detailed timekeeper
information including hourly rate, hours worked, and total fees
of each timekeeper who worked on the matter during the time
period covered by the bill. Summary excludes this detailed
timekeeper information.
Display Timekeeper Initials / Display Full Name: Select

Display Timekeeper Initials to include the timekeepers initials
on the bill. Select Display Full Name to include the
timekeepers full name on the bill.
Cost Detail Level: Select the type of cost information you want
printed on the bill. Detail includes an itemized list of each cost
incurred during the time period covered by the bill. You can
also check Date of Cost Detail Only to include the date of
cost in this itemized list and/or check Check Number Detail
Only to include check number information in the itemized list.
Summary lists costs incurred during the time period covered
by the bill summarized by client expense code (for example, all
photocopy charges will be grouped as one amount).
Include Percentages on Bill for Split Billing Matters: Check

to include the split billing percentage information on the bill.
Setup
55
6.
Using Report Editor for Billing Format Codes

When editing a billing format code, you can click the Edit button for the
actual bill report to customize the report file. You cant overwrite
actual.rpt, sbactual.rpt, or actask.rpt, but you can customize these
reports and save them under a new file name.
When you click the Edit button, the Report Editor appears.
NOTE: If you want to have advanced functionality available for the

Report Editor, check Use Advanced Report Designer for your
workstation options (see Setting Miscellaneous Workstation Options on
page 29).
Report Editor contains Crystal Reporting functionality that can change
the .rpt file. If you know how to program in Crystal, you can significantly
change the report.
It is extremely important to note that numeric changes can cause
mistakes in billing. If you change anything to your report billing format
other than cosmetic changes, Abacus support may not be able to
troubleshoot your billing.
Sections in the Report Editor
56
Setup
Report Header: The header or title of the report. Appears only at

the top of the first page of the report.
Page Header: The header at the top of each page.
Details: The body of the report. Contains sub reports.
Report Footer: The footer at the bottom of every page of the

report.
Page Footer: The footer at the end of the report. Appears only on
the last page of the report.
Making Cosmetic Changes to the Custom Report File

1.
In the Report Editor, do any of the following.

To add fields to the custom report file:
NOTE: You need to have the Report Editor in advanced mode for
this procedure. To do this, you check Use Advanced Report
Designer on the Miscellaneous tab on the Workstation Options
window see Setting Miscellaneous Workstation Options on page
29.
Double-click the subheader report to which you want to add a field.
Under the Main Report tab, expand Database Fields until you see
the table that contains the field you want to add to the subheader
report. Drag and drop the field into the appropriate section.
To modify existing text in the custom report file:
Double-click a field so that you are in edit mode. Make changes to
the text as necessary. Click outside the field to exit edit mode.
To modify fonts in the custom report file:
Right-click the field and click Format. The Format Editor window
appears. Select the Font tab. Make your changes and click OK.
Setup
57
To reposition fields in the custom report file:

To reposition a field, grab and drag it within the Report Editor
section or you can drag it into another section. Drop it in the
desired new position.
2.
After you have made your changes to the report, click Save
Report. You will be prompted to enter a name for your custom
report file. You cannot use the name actual.rpt. You must enter a
different name for your custom report file.
REMINDER: Back in the Billing Format Code Maintenance window,

dont forget to enter the name of the new custom report file in the
Actual Bill Rpt File Name box.
Maintaining the Chart of Accounts

Your asset, liability, capital, revenue, and expense accounts need to be
identified in Abacus Accounting. All of your accounts are grouped
together as one entity, called the chart of accounts. A chart of accounts
is included in Abacus Accounting, but you can modify and enhance
each account to fit your firms needs.
You maintain the chart of accounts from the Chart of Accounts Browse
window. To open the window, select File/Setup/Chart of Accounts.
To see inactive accounts, check Show Inactive Accounts.
58
Setup
Add or edit an account.
Delete an account by highlighting the account and clicking Delete.

NOTE: You can only delete an unused account.
Generate the Chart of Accounts Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Accounts
1.
Select File/Setup/Chart of Accounts. The Chart of Accounts

2.
To add an account, click Add.
To edit an account, highlight the code and click Edit.
The Chart of Accounts Maintenance Adding a new Account or

Chart of Accounts Maintenance Modifying existing Account
window appears.
3.
Account Number: Enter 8 digits to uniquely identify the

account (for example, 52020.00). Enter the number using the
format thhss.dd, where:
t = a type account 1 = asset accounts; 2 = liability accounts;
and 3 = capital accounts; 4 = revenue accounts; and 5-9 =
expense accounts.
hh = a header account use 2 digits
ss = a sub-header account use 2 digits
dd = a detailed account use 2-digits and remember to enter a
decimal point before the detailed account numbers.

describe the account. This description is printed on reports.
Type of Account: Highlight the type of account.
Level: Select the level of the account. Abacus Accounting

includes the following levels of accounts:
Setup
59
Type accounts: The format tool for financial statements. There

are nine categories of type accounts:
10000.00 = asset accounts
20000.00 = liability accounts
30000.00 = capital accounts
40000.00 = revenue accounts
50000.00 90000.00 = expense accounts
Header accounts: The format tool for financial statements.
You can have multiple header accounts for each type account.
You cannot post activity to header accounts.
Subheader accounts: Working accounts into which activity is
directly posted (if NO detail accounts exist for the subheader
account). Examples of subheader accounts include rent
expense, office expense, or car expense. You can post activity
to subheader accounts if no detail accounts exist for the
subheader account.
Detail accounts: Working account that further details a
subheader account. The balance of the detail accounts are
rolled into the relating subheader account on the Balance
Sheet and Income Statement, but are listed individually on the
Trial Balance. Examples of detail accounts include car expense
for attorney A, car expense for attorney B, car expense for
attorney C, etc.
Enable Online Banking: Check if you want this account to

have an online connection with your bank so that you can
download bank statements directly into Abacus Accounting.
This online connection is used when reconciling your accounts.
When you check this option, the Online Banking Information
tab appears.
NOTE: If you are not the Administrator, you will only have
access to this tab if you have been granted access to online
banking for the user profile. You do this by editing the user
profile in AbacusLaw and checking Online Banking in the
Utilities/Multiples menu section.
60
Setup
Rent Account: Check if you want the account to be a rent

account.
Inactive: Check if you want the account to be inactive. Abacus

Accounting will NOT post to an inactive account.
Specialized Income Statement Account: [only available for

revenue and expense accounts and only available when
adding an account] Check if you want this account to be
considered a specialized income statement account. When
generating the Income Statement, you have the option of
selecting Include only the Specialized Income Statement
Accounts. When this option is selected, the report will only

include specialized income statement accounts.
4.
If you checked Enable Online Banking, you need to complete the

Online Banking Information tab to create a direct connection to
your bank. Complete all the information for your account.
Note that user ID and password are for your online banking
account not for Abacus Accounting.
You can find your bank routing number and account number on
your checks:
NOTE: This connection only works if your bank has Direct Connect
to MS Money.
If your bank was listed, then the Advanced Details tab is
completed for you by Abacus Accounting. If your bank is not one of
the available banks listed, then you may need to contact them for
help in completing the settings on the Advanced Details tab.
Setup
61
5.
Click Test Bank Connection to confirm that you have an online

connection with your bank through Abacus Accounting.
6.
Setting Default Accounts

Default accounts let you determine which accounts will be used by
default to process various types of transactions. For example, when
you are writing a check, it will automatically be written against your
default operating account so you wont have to select the operating
account every time you write a check. Abacus Accounting automatically
uses the default account as defined by your criteria; however, you can
override the account when you enter the details of a transaction.
NOTE: If you add or change your chart of accounts at any time, be sure
to change the default accounts where applicable.
1.
Select File/Setup/Default G/L Accounts. The Default Accounts

window appears.
2.
On the Default Accounts tab, select the default accounts you want
to use for the listed types of transactions. For example, for
Operating Cash Acct. Default, you might select your operating
account to be the default account to be used for your general
operating transactions.
NOTE: If you run on a cash-based system, leave all receivable
fields blank.
3.
62
Setup
Select the Payroll Accounts tab. This lists all the default accounts
for types of payroll processing transactions. Again, select the
default accounts you want to use for the listed types of payroll
transactions.
Abacus Accounting assumes that you have a payroll account
separate from your operating account. So, if you do NOT have a
separate payroll cash account, be sure to change Payroll
Checking Account to your cash operating account on the Payroll
Accounts tab.
4.
Maintaining Vendors
Vendors are the individuals and businesses that provide services to
your firm, such as printers, court reporting firms, transcription services,
messengers, landlord, office supplier, etc.
You maintain vendors from the Vendors Browse window. To open the
window, select File/Setup/Vendors.
Billing vendors are those vendors that can be associated with billing
transactions. To see only billing vendors on the Vendors Browse
window, check Show Billing Vendors Only.
Setup
63
64
Setup
Add a vendor
Edit a vendor.
Change a vendor to a billing vendor by highlighting the vendor and

clicking Setup Vendor.
Highlight a vendor and then click the Select Action arrow. A list of
actions appears. Click the action you want to perform for the
selected vendor.
Adding Vendors
1.
Select File/Setup/Vendors. The Vendors Browse window appears.
2.
Click Add.
3.
AbacusLaw opens where you can add the vendor as a name. After
you click Save, a window appears asking you if you want to
establish this name as a vendor for accounting purposes. Click
Yes.
4.
The Vendors Accounting Information window appears.
Allow multiple Invoices on Operating Checks: Check to

combine payments for multiple invoices from this vendor on the
same check.
Allow multiple Invoices on Trust Checks: Check to combine

payments for multiple invoices from this vendor on the same
trust check.
Year End 1099: Check if you need to generate a Form 1099

for this vendor at the end of the year.
Vendor is providing legal services: Check if the vendor is

providing legal services. This is used for 1099s.
Comments: Enter up to 40 alphabetic characters. This is for

informational purposes only; it will NOT appear on the vendors
checks.
Federal ID Number: Enter the vendors federal ID number or

social security number. This is used for 1099s.
Firms Account Number: Enter up to 20 alphanumeric

characters to identify the account number assigned to your firm
by this vendor. This account number will be printed on the
vendors check stubs.
Setup
65
5.
Default Expense Account Number: Select the general ledger

expense account number to which incurred expenses from this
vendor are to be posted.
Default Client Expense Code: Select the client expense code

most likely to be associated with expenses from this vendor.
Default Amount: Enter the default amount that you want on

the vendors checks.
Default Description: Enter the default description you want to

appear on the vendors checks and your general ledger.
Balance Forward for 1099 Purposes: Enter the amount of the

balance forward for this vendor for 1099 purposes. This field
will be used when 1099s are generated. The amount in this
field will be added to the amount of invoices actually paid in the
year the 1099 is generated for.
As of: The date to begin the balance forward.
Editing Vendors
NOTE: You can only edit a name with a Class of VENDOR in Abacus
Accounting.
1.
Select File/Setup/Vendors. The Vendors Browse window appears.
2.
Highlight the vendor and click Edit. The Vendor Modify existing
Vendor window appears.
3.
Name and address information is listed on the Vendor Information

tab. To edit, click Edit Address. AbacusLaw opens with the vendor
selected where you can edit and save the information.
Set Invoice Terms to the vendors specific time period for invoice
payment (net 15, net 30, etc.).
66
Setup
4.
Select the Account Information tab. This tab describes how to

integrate the vendor information into the general ledger. This
information will default when writing check to vendors.
Complete/edit the setting on the tab as follows:
Allow multiple Invoices on Operating Checks: Check to

combine payments for multiple invoices from this vendor on the
same check.
Allow multiple Invoices on Trust Checks: Check to combine

payments for multiple invoices from this vendor on the same
trust check.
Year End 1099: Check if you need to generate a Form 1099

for this vendor at the end of the year.
Vendor is providing legal services: Check if the vendor is

providing legal services. This is used for 1099s.
Comments: Enter up to 40 alphabetic characters. This is for

informational purposes only; it will NOT appear on the vendors
checks.
Federal ID Number: Enter the vendors federal ID number or

social security number. This is used for 1099s.
Firms Account Number: Enter up to 20 alphanumeric

characters to identify the account number assigned to your firm
by this vendor. This account number will be printed on the
vendors check stubs.
Setup
67
Default GL Account Number: Select the general ledger

expense account number to which incurred expenses from this
vendor are to be posted.
Default Client Expense Code: Select the client expense code

most likely to be associated with expenses from this vendor.
Default Amount: Enter the default amount that you want on

the vendors checks.
Default Description: Enter the default description you want to

appear on the vendors checks and your general ledger.
Online Banking Description: Enter the default description you

want to appear for online banking transactions (like debit card
transactions) for this vendor.
Balances for 1099 Purposes As of: The date to begin the

balances forward and the amount of the balances forward
(1099 Non-Employee Compensation, 1099 Rent, and 1099
Legal Fees) for this vendor for 1099 purposes. These balances
will be used when 1099s are generated. The amount in these
fields will be added to the amount of invoices actually paid in
the year the 1099 is generated for.
IMPORTANT: You need to calculate the 1099 vendor fields to
populate these fields. See Generating 1099/1096 Reports on
page 216 for more information.
5.
68
Setup
3.
Matters
Adding Matters
You add matters in AbacusLaw and then link them to Abacus
Accounting so that they show up on the accounting side.
1.
In AbacusLaw, add the new matter. For help, refer to AbacusLaw

documentation.
2.
Click the Linked Names tab on the Matter window.
3.
If you see the name to bill for the matter listed on the tab,
highlight the name and click BillTo.
If you do not see the name to bill, click Add link. The Names
Browse appears. Select the name to add and click OK. The
Name-to-Matter Link window appears. Select the BILLTO link
type and click Done.
NOTE: This is a very important step. If there is no billing party

assigned to a matter (with a link type of BILLTO), the matter will
not be available in Abacus Accounting!
Matters
69
4.
The Accounting Data for Matter window appears.
70
Matters
Originating Timekeeper: The timekeeper who brought the

matter (business) into the firm.
Assigned Timekeeper: The timekeeper who is working the

matter.
Responsible Timekeeper: The timekeeper who is responsible

for the matter.
Billing Format Code: The billing format code to be used when

printing bills for the matter.
Default Trust Account: The default trust account for the

matter.
Activity Rate Level: Enter the rate level for the activity codes
to use for this matter when entering time tickets. Minimum
Retainer: Enter the amount of the clients money you want to
have in the operating account as a balance at all times.
Billing Frequency: Select the time period at which bills are to

be generated for this matter. Note that On Hold means that the
bill will not be produced in a mass billing; rather, it is generated
only when requested individually. Essentially, it puts the matter
on hold. End of Matter also means that the bill will not be
produced in a mass billing.
Billing Mode: Select the method by which this matter is to be

billed:
Hourly: Generates a bill calculated by multiplying hours for
timekeepers by their rate levels for this matter and adding all
other costs.
Flat Fee: Generates a bill for a predetermined amount. When
you select this option, you should enter the flat fee amount to
be charged for this amount in the box provided.
Monthly Fee: This can be used in one of two ways: (1) Abacus
Accounting generates a bill for the predetermined amount that
you enter every month, or (2) Abacus Accounting generates a
bill for the predetermined amount for a specified number of
monthly periods as setup on the Mth Schd. tab. In case (2),
leave the monthly fee amount blank.
Minimum Fee: Abacus Accounting tracks all hours and costs
for the matter then generates a bill for the predetermined
minimum fee plus all hours and costs above that fee. When
you select this option, you must enter the minimum fee amount
in the box provided. The Fees Previously Billed field also
appears. This field will be updated as invoices for the matter
are posted, reflecting how much of the minimum fee has been
incurred.
Contingency: Generates a bill calculated on the percentage of
the settlement. When you select this option, you must enter a
percentage in the Contingency box. The settlement amount is
entered during the actual generation of the bill.
Minimum Retainer: Enter the amount of the clients money

you want to have in the operating account as a balance at all
times.
Minimum Trust Retainer: Enter the amount of the clients

money you want to have in the trust account as a balance at all
times.
Prior Balance: If you are bringing this matter in from another

system, enter the existing balance for the matter.
Trust Balance: If you are bringing this matter in from another

system, enter the existing trust balance for the matter.
Non-Hourly Billing Status: If Billing Mode is set to anything

other than Hourly, select whether the matter is to be Billed
(which indicates that matters that are not hourly have had their
special fees billed) or Unbilled (which indicates that matters
that are not hourly have not had the special fees billed yet).
Balance date: The date of the balance transfer.
Matters
71
5.
Tax Status: Indicates if the matter is taxable or non-taxable.
Matter Fee Warnings: Lets you set warning limits for matter
fees. Enter the dollar amount to initiate the warnings and the
amount for a warning that you have reached the escalation
limit.
Billing Remarks: Enter any notes that you want to appear on

the bills for the matter.
Open Advanced Billing Options on save: When checked,

advanced billing options open in Abacus Accounting after
saving the matter in AbacusLaw to let you set custom rates or
specify detailed options.
Viewing Matters
Select Matters/Matters. The Matters Browse window appears.
To see matters for a specific client, set Client Number to the client.
From this window, you can:
Edit a matter.
Highlight a matter and then click the More Actions arrow. A list of
actions appears. Click the action you want to perform for the
selected matter.
Editing Matters
While you add matters in AbacusLaw, you can edit them in Abacus
Accounting for additional functionality.
72
Matters
Editing General Information for Matters

1.
2.
Highlight the matter you want to edit and click Open. The Matter
Maintenance Modifying existing Matter window appears.
3.
From the General tab, complete/edit the settings as follows:
Client Number: [read only] The associated client.
Matter Number: [read only] The matter number.
Split Billing Master Matter: When checked, this matter will be

considered the master matter for split billing purposes. Note
that when you select this option, the Splt Bllg tab appears. For
more information, see Split Billing on page 135.
Inactive: Check if you want to make the matter inactive.
Open Date: Enter the date on which you opened the matter for
this client.
Close Date: When applicable, enter the date on which the

matter was closed for this client.
Default Trust Account: If you have more than one trust

account, enter the default trust account to be used for this
matter.
Responsible Timekeeper: Select the timekeeper who is

responsible for the matter.
Originating Timekeeper: Select the timekeeper who brought

the matter (business) into the firm.
Assigned Timekeeper: Select the timekeeper who is working

the matter.
Case Code: Select the case code for the type of law related to
the matter.
Matters
73
4.
Tax Status: Select whether services for the matter are taxable
or not.
Matter Description: Enter a description of the matter. This text

will appear on invoices, statements, and reports.
Comments: Enter comments for the matter. This text appears

on prebills only.
Editing Billing Information for Matters

1.
2.
3.
Select the Billing tab.
4.
Billing Format Code: Select the billing format to be used when

printing bills for the matter. For more information about billing
format codes, see Maintaining Billing Format Codes on page
50.
For matters with flat fees and a payment schedule, delete the
current billing format code and enter FFS.
Billing Mode: Select the method by which this matter is to be

billed.
Hourly: Generates a bill calculated by multiplying hours for
timekeepers by their rate levels for this matter and adding all
other costs.
Flat Fee: Generates a bill for a predetermined amount. When
you select this option, you should enter the flat fee amount to
74
Matters
Comment [SH1]: added
be charged for this amount in the box at the bottom of the

Billing Mode section.
Monthly Fee: This can be used in one of two ways: (1) Abacus
Accounting generates a bill for the predetermined amount that
you enter (at the bottom of the Billing Mode section) every
month, or (2) Abacus Accounting generates a bill for the
predetermined amount for a specified number of monthly
periods as setup on the Mth Schd. tab. In case (2), leave the
monthly fee amount on the Billing tab blank. See Editing
Monthly Fee Billing for Matters on page 76 for more information
about the Mth Schd. tab.
Minimum Fee: Abacus Accounting tracks all hours and costs
for the matter then generates a bill for the predetermined
minimum fee plus all hours and costs above that fee. When
you select this option, you must enter the minimum fee amount
in the box at the bottom of the Billing Mode section. The Fees
Previously Billed field also appears. This field will be updated
as invoices for the matter are posted, reflecting how much of
the minimum fee has been incurred.
Contingency: Generates a bill calculated on the percentage of
the settlement. When you select this option, you must enter a
percentage in the Contingency box at the bottom of the
Billing Mode section. The settlement amount is entered during
the actual generation of the bill.
Billing Frequency: Select the time period at which bills are to

be generated for this matter. Note that On Hold means that the
bill will not be produced in a mass billing; rather, it is generated
only when requested individually. Essentially, it puts the matter
on hold. End of Matter also means that the bill will not be
produced in a mass billing.
If you select Payment Schedule, the Pmt Schd tab appears
on the window. Add monthly payments on this tab
Bill Distribution Options: Select how you want to deliver bills

for this matter.
Non-Hourly Billing Status: [only used with Flat Fee, Minimum

Fee, and Contingency billing modes] Select whether the matter
is to be Billed (which indicates that matters that are not hourly
have had their special fees billed) or Unbilled (which indicates
that matters that are not hourly have not had the special fees
billed yet).
Billing Remarks: Enter comments about the matter that will

appear on the matter bills.
Activity Code Rate Level: Enter the rate level for the activity
codes to use for this matter when entering time tickets. For
more information about activity codes, see Maintaining Activity
Codes on page 44.
Matters
75
5.
Minimum Retainer: Enter the amount of the clients money

you want to have in the operating account as a balance at all
times.
Minimum Trust Retainer: Enter the amount of the clients

money you want to have in the trust account as a balance at all
times.
Reference: Enter reference information about the matter. The

information entered in this field is for your records only; it is not
printed on the bill.
Matter Fee Warnings: The Fee Warning/Authorization report

(see Matter Reports on page 228) lists the hours worked on a
matter relative to hourly warnings and limits. This section lets
you set those hourly warnings and limits. Enter the dollar
amount to initiate the warnings and the amount for a warning
that you have reached the escalation limit.
Editing Monthly Fee Billing for Matters

When you select a billing mode of monthly fee for a matter (see Editing
Billing Information for Matters on page 74), the Mth Schd. tab appears
on the Matter Maintenance Modifying existing Matter window. You do
not have to use the additional settings on the Mth Schd. tab you can
just enter the recurring monthly amount on the Billing tab. However, if
you want to specify the number of monthly periods you want to bill for,
and/or change the amount on a bill-by-bill basis, leave the Monthly
Fee box blank on the Billing tab and complete the settings on the Mth
Schd. tab.
76
Matters
1.
2.
3.
Select the Mth Schd. tab. (You will only see this tab if you selected
Monthly Fee for billing mode on the Billing tab.)
4.
Add an entry for each billing period (a month, a quarter, etc.)

specifying the amount to be billed. You can adjust these as time
goes by, for any unbilled scheduled amount.
5.
To add an entry for a billing period, click Add. The Add Monthly
Billing Item window appears. Enter the amount to bill for the billing
period and click OK.
6.
The new billing period entry will be listed in the table. To edit an
entry, highlight the entry and click Details. To delete an entry,
highlight the entry and click Delete.
7.
Editing Rates for Matters

1.
2.
3.
Select the Rates tab. The rates on this tab are used for the
selected matter only. There are 3 different schedules so that you
can change your rates up to 3 times while working on a matter.
Under each schedule, each timekeeper and his/her hourly rate is
listed depending on the criteria of the schedule.
This is how Abacus Accounting determines the hours and rates
when entering a time ticket. (This is applicable to hourly matters
only.)
Matters
77
4.
If an activity code is used (hourly or flat charge), the hours and

rate on the activity code is used.
If an Activity Code is used that is hourly but has no rate, hours

will be pulled from the activity code, but rate will be pulled from
the matters corresponding rate schedule (based on the date of
the time ticket).
If no Activity Code is used, hourly rate is pulled from the

matters corresponding rate schedule (based on the date of the
time ticket).
If no activity code is used and there is no completed matter rate

schedule, hourly rate will be pulled from the default rate for the
timekeeper.
Complete the settings on the schedule tabs as follows:
Hourly Rate Type: Indicate whether the rates listed are to be

obtained from the rates for the timekeeper or a single rate for
every timekeeper.
Timekeeper Code Rate: When selected, the Rate Level field
appears. Enter the rate level from the timekeeper that you want
the rate pulled from and click OK. The rates for each
timekeeper found on the rate level specified will be listed.
Single Rate: When selected, the Amount field appears. Enter
the hourly rate you want every timekeeper to charge and click
OK. The hourly rate you specified will be listed for each
timekeeper. NOTE: If you want to override the rate for a
specific timekeeper, double-click the timekeeper code. The
Enter Rate Override window appears. Enter the rate you want
to charge for this timekeeper and click OK. Overrides are
denoted with an asterisk (*) in the O/R column.
78
Matters
Date Range: The date range for which the rates listed are
applicable for the matter.
5.
Abacus Accounting uses the sales tax and interest rates entered
for your company preferences (see Changing General Information
for Your Company on page 20). If you need to override these
values for the selected matter only, select the Sales Tax & Int.
Rate tab. Enter the rate information for this matter only.
The following describes each rate:
Sales Tax on Fees %: If applicable, enter up to 2 digits as the

percentage to be calculated as the sales tax on fees. If your
state does not charge sales tax on fees leave this field blank.
Sales Tax on Costs: If applicable, enter up to 2 digits as the

percentage to be calculated as the sales tax on cost. If your
state does not charge sales tax on costs leave this field blank
Late Charge Rate %: If you plan to charge this matter an

interest penalty for late payment(s), enter the percentage to be
calculated on the bill. For example, to charge 11/2% interest
per month (18% per year interest) on the unpaid late balance,
enter 1.5. The late charges are calculated only on fees and
costs for which the client has already been billed but has not
paid within 30 days from the date of the bill. Late charges are
NOT calculated on fees and costs on the current bill nor on any
unpaid accumulated interest charges.
Administrative Cost %: If you charge a standard overhead

rate for administrative (soft) costs rather than track those costs,
enter the percentage to be multiplied times the bills fee total. If
your firm tracks administrative (soft) costs, leave this field
blank.
Matters
79
6.
Editing Billing Address for Matters

While you have a client address, sometimes you need an additional
billing address for a matter, such as when the client billing address is
different than the client address, or when two parties are to receive the
bill, such as the executor and the beneficiary of a trust. The billing
address lets you bill to an address other than the client address.
1.
2.
3.
Select the Address tab.
4.
Edit the information as necessary. Check Two Addresses on the

Bill to print this address and the client address on the bill. The
billing address will be printed above the client address.
5.
Editing General Comments for Matters

General matter comments will appear on prebills, but will NOT appear
on actual bills.
80
Matters
1.
2.
3.
Select the Comments 1 tab. Enter any additional information

relating to the matter. Use the Comments 2 tab as necessary.
4.
Editing Fee Sharing for Matters

See Fee Sharing on page 82 for more information about completing
this tab.
Editing Credit Card Information for Matters

See Credit Card/ACH Payment Support on page 272 for more
information about completing this tab.
Editing Payment Schedule for Matters

See Implementing Flat Fee with Payment Schedule on page 84 for
more information about completing this tab.
Matters
81
Fee Sharing
Overview of Fee Sharing
With fee sharing, payments received for a matter are automatically
distributed between timekeepers based on the matter's fee sharing
percentage, rather than crediting the timekeeper for actual hours
worked.
Fee Sharing Procedure

The following describes the steps to take to implement fee sharing for a
matter.
1.
Set up the fee sharing specifications for the matter.

a. Select Matters/Matters. The Matters Browse window
appears. Double-click the matter to which you want to add
fee sharing.
b. The Matters Maintenance window appears for the selected
matter. Select the Fee Sharing tab. Select the timekeepers
to be included in the fee sharing structure and then enter
the fee sharing percentage for all the selected
timekeepers. Ensure that the total percentage equals
100%. Click Done to save your changes and close the
window.
82
Matters
2.
Run your billing as usual.
3.
When the client payment is received, record the payment as usual.

Notice that bills with matters that have fee sharing have an asterisk
(*) in the Fee Sharing column of the Unpaid Invoices section.
4.
When you look at the Fee Distribution tab, you will see that the
fee amounts are automatically distributed between timekeepers as
defined for the matter, regardless of how many hours the
timekeepers worked.
Note about Implementing Fee Sharing

Bill (invoices) that are created BEFORE fee sharing is added for a
matter will not reflect the fee sharing distribution. Instead, they will
reflect the usual hourly allocations.
Note about Reports

If fee sharing has been added for a matter, the timekeepers involved in
the fee sharing will be denoted with an asterisk (*) on the following
Productivity reports:
Billed/Paid Fees Report - Detail
Billed/Paid Fees Report - Summary
Referrals Report
Matters
83
Timekeeper Cash Receipts Report
Timekeeper Performance Summary Report
Implementing Flat Fee with Payment Schedule

Matters now support flat fees with a payment schedule. To set up a
matter that supports flat fees with a payment schedule, follow these
steps:
84
Matters
1.
Open the matter in the Matter Maintenance window and click the
Billing tab.
2.
On the Billing tab:
Delete the current Billing Format Code and enter FFS.
For Billing Mode, select Flat Fee and enter the Flat Fee
amount.
For Billing Frequency, select Payment Schedule.
Matters
85
3.
Select the Pmt Schd tab and add monthly payments.
Editing Closed Matters

If you enter a closing date for a matter on the General tab (see Editing
General Information for Matters on page 73), the matter is considered
closed. The Closing Info tab appears on the Matter Maintenance
Modifying existing Matter window letting you enter more information
about the closed matter.
86
Matters
1.
2.
3.
Select the Closing Info tab. (You will only see this tab if you
entered a closing date for the matter on the General tab.)
4.
5.
Storage Location: Enter the location where the closed matter

file documentation is held.
Box Number: Enter the box number the closed matter

documentation is held in.
Who Authorized: Enter the name of the person who

authorized the matter closing.
Other Information: Enter other comments.
Writing Off Matters

You can write off all unpaid balances for a matter. All unpaid fees,
costs, late charges and taxes, either billed or unbilled can be written
off. Only write off a matter when there is no further work to be
performed by the firm for the matter.
Any amount written off for the matter using a complete matter write off
will appear in the Write Off report (see Matter Reports on page 228).
Writing off a matter can delete all unbilled time and affect your
productivity reports. Print and post a final bill before performing this
procedure.
NOTE: For partial write-offs, use adjustments see Adding/Editing Soft
Costs and Adjustments on page 102.
1.
Select Matters/Complete Matter Writeoff. The Write Off window

appears.
2.
Write Off Date: The date the write off will be posted to the
matter billing activity ledger. NOTE: If you are on an accrual
based accounting system; you will also have to enter a posting
Matters
87
date. This is the date the entry will be posted to the general
ledger.
3.
Matter: Select the matter to write off.
Delete Unbilled Time Tickets: Check if you want to delete all

unbilled time tickets in the system for the matter. When
unchecked, all unbilled time tickets for the matter will be left in
Abacus Accounting for possible future billing.
Click Write Off.
Transferring Matter Billing Activity

You can move billing activity from one matter to another.
NOTE: You cannot transfer billed activity. You will have to unpost the
bill (see Unposting Bills on page 119) and then you can transfer the
bills activity.
88
Matters
1.
Select Matters/Transfer Matter Billing Activity. The Transfer Matter

Billing Activity window appears.
2.
Under From, select the matter that is currently associated with the
matter billing activity you want to transfer.
3.
Under To, select the matter that you want to be associated with the
matter billing activity.
4.
Under Date Range, select the type of transfer you want to perform.
Select:
All Activity to transfer all matter billing activity.
Date Range to transfer only the transactions on or between the

dates you specify. When you select this option, date boxes
appear letting you set the start and end dates for the date
range.
5.
Click Transfer.
Transferring Matter Trust Activity

You can transfer trust activity from one matter to another.
1.
Select Trust/Transfer Matter Trust Activity. The Transfer Matter

Trust Activity window appears.
2.
trust activity you want to transfer.
3.
trust activity.
4.
Under Date Range, select the type of transfer you want to perform.
Select:
5.
All Activity to transfer all trust activity.
Date Range to transfer only the transactions on or between the

dates you specify. When you select this option, date boxes
appear letting you set the start and end dates for the date
range.
Click Transfer.
Matter Financial Summary Report

The Matter Financial Summary report summarizes financial information
about the charges, fees, billed amounts, paid amounts, currently owed
amounts, and aged amounts due for a matter.
Matters
89
1.
Select Matters/Matter Financial Summary. The Matter Billing

Summary window appears.
2.
Select the matter and enter the date range for the report. Matter
financial information is listed in the fields.
3.
Under Destination, select whether you want to preview the report,

print the report, print the report to a file, or email the report.
4.
Click the Preview, Print, File, or Email button (depending on what

you chose for print destination).
Matter History Report

The Matter History report lists the history of all billed fees, costs, and
payments for a matter.
90
Matters
1.
Select Matters/Matter History. The Matter History window appears.
2.
Under Client Matter Information, select the matter and enter the
date range for the report.
3.
Complete the criteria for the report as follows:
Time Tickets and Tickets Detail: If you want to include time

ticket information in the report, check Tickets Detail. Then,
check the time ticket information to be included in the report.
For example, if you check Ticket Numbers Incl., then ticket
numbers will be listed in the report.
Date of Last Payment: Check if you want the report to include

the date on which the last payment on this matter was posted
to the matter billing activity ledger.
Date of Last Bill: Check if you want the report to include the
date on which the last bill was generated for this matter.
Time Ticket Type Summary: Select if you want time tickets

summarized with hours totaled (to include the total number of
hours calculated for the type of time tickets posted to this
matter) or summarized with fees totaled (to include the total
amount of fees calculated for the type of time tickets posted to
this matter).
Fee Summary By Timekeeper: Select if you want the report to

include the fees calculated by timekeeper for the time tickets
posted to this matter.
Cost Detail Level: Select how much information you want

generated. Detail will list all the detail costs of the matter while
Summary will list only the total amount of each disbursement
type included in the report (for example, all photocopies will be
Matters
91
totaled and shown as one amount). If you select Detail, you

can select Date of Cost (Detail Only) if you want the posting
date of each cost included on the report.
92
Matters
4.

5.

4.
Managing Your Billing Cycle
Steps in the Billing Cycle

Here are the steps included in a billing cycle:
Step 1: Enter time to be billed

You enter time to the bill using time tickets.
For more information, see Managing Time Tickets from on page
95.
Step 2: Add soft costs to the bill

When you add and post soft costs, the cost is automatically added
to the bill.
For more information, see Managing Soft Costs and Adjustments
on page 101.
Step 3: Enter hard costs to bill

When you add and post payables, the clients portion of the
payable is automatically added to the bill.
For more information, see Processing on page 162.
Step 4: Enter your vendors

Your vendors need to be entered into your Abacus Accounting
database.
Step 5: Deposit payments (including retainers) into accounts

Step 5a: Enter client payments on account
For more information, see Maintaining Vendors on page 63.
When a client is paying a bill for services that have been earned,
the money goes into the operating account.
For more information, see Adding/Editing Client Payments on page
121.
Step 5b: Deposit money into the trust account
If the client has given you a retainer, the money needs to be
deposited to the trust account.
For more information, see Trust Deposits on page 148.
Step 6: Organize the prebill and generate the actual bill

This is a big step because it involves the following sub-steps:
Create the prebill, review the prebill, adjust the prebill, and
generate the actual bill.
For more information, see Organizing and Posting Prebills and Bills
on page 103.
Step 7: Generate the Combined Matters Cover Page
93
If you are billing a client with multiple matters, the Combined

Matters Cover Page will help you provide a professional
presentation of the bill.
For more information, see Generating the Combined Matters Cover
Page on page 116.
Step 8: Post the bill

Post the bill after youve sent it to the client. This will update billing
information to your matter billing activity, your accounts receivable,
and various reports. At this point, your bill is officially an invoice for
the client and is assigned a client invoice number.
Step 9: Print trust checks

If you are working with a trust account, Abacus Accounting will
automatically generate trust check requests after the bill is posted.
You need to print the trust checks immediately after posting client
bills.
For more information, see Posting Bills on page 118.
For more information, see Step 2: Processing Trust Check on page

157.
Step 10: Record client bill payments

After you get paid for a bill, you need to give the client credit for the
payment in your books. Trust checks that were printed also need to
be applied as client bill payments.
Step 11: Send out reminders of unpaid bills to clients

The Interim Statement lists items that have been billed to your
client on a bill but not yet paid and provides a professional
reminder that payment is due.
For more information, see Client Payments on page 120.
For more information, see Sending Billing Reminders to Clients on

page 126.
Step 12: Maintain unpaid bills

Abacus Accounting lets you view bills that have been sent and
posted, but full payment from the client has not been received.
For more information, see Maintaining Unpaid on page 128.
94
Entering Time
Overview of Time Tickets
Time tickets record time spent (billable or nonbillable) on client-matters
by timekeeper. While time tickets are stored in Abacus Accounting,
they can be entered using either AbacusLaw or Abacus Accounting.
Using AbacusLaw is the easier and quicker method, but using Abacus
Accounting provides more flexibility and control.
FAQ
Q: Should I enter time using AbacusLaw or Abacus Accounting?
A: Use AbacusLaw to enter time tickets unless you are a very large firm
where one person has been appointed to enter time.
Entering Time Tickets from AbacusLaw

1.
Matter Window Notes Tab: From the Notes tab on the

Matter window, highlight the activity to bill and click the Bill
button.
Matter Window Linked Events Tab: From the Linked

Events tab on the Matter window, highlight the event to bill and
click the Bill button.
NOTE: If you click the Bill button for an item already billed,
AbacusLaw will let you edit the original time ticket.
2.
The Time Tickets Entering New Time window appears. Complete

the information for the time ticket.
3.
Click Done. The time ticket has been added to Abacus Accounting
(without ever having to open Abacus Accounting!).
Managing Time Tickets from Abacus Accounting

In Abacus Accounting, you manage time tickets from the Browse Time
Tickets window. To open the window, select Billing/Time Tickets.
95
Use the selection criteria to find specific time tickets.
Get more detail about a time ticket by highlighting the time ticket
and clicking Details.
Add, clone, or edit time tickets.

Delete time tickets by highlighting the ticket and clicking Delete.
Click Diary Report to generate the Time Ticket Diary Listing

Report.
Finding Time Tickets

1.
Select Billing/Time Tickets. The Browse Time Tickets window

appears.
2.
Set one criterion or multiple criteria for the time tickets you want to
find. Selection criteria include:
Start Date, End Date: Use to find tickets dated within a time
range.
Matter Number: Use to find tickets for a specific matter.
Timekeeper: Use to find tickets for a specific timekeeper.
Activity Code: Use to find tickets assigned with a specific

activity code.
Ticket Type: Use to find tickets of the same ticket type.
If you want to find a single, specific time ticket, do not use any of
the other criteria. Only enter the number of the time ticket you want
to find in the Ticket Number field.
96
3.
Click Retrieve. The time tickets meeting the criteria are listed.
Adding, Cloning, or Editing Time Tickets

1.
Select Billing/Time Tickets. The Browse Time Tickets window

appears.
2.
To add a time ticket, click Add. SHORTCUT: Just click the

Time Tickets button on the toolbar to open this window.
To clone a time ticket, highlight the ticket and click Clone.
To edit a time ticket, highlight the ticket and click Edit.
The Browse Time Tickets Entering New Time, Browse Time

Tickets Cloning a new Time Ticket, or Browse Time Tickets
Modifying Existing Time window appears.
3.
Complete the fields on the window for the time ticket as follows:
Matter Number: The matter number for which to charge the

time.
Date of Service: The date that the time was incurred.
Hours: The hours and minutes of time incurred. Enter minutes

in tenth of an hour increments (six minute intervals). Items that
come over from AbacusLaw are recorded in minute
increments.
NOTE: You can also use the Timer section to record time.
Timekeeper: The code for the timekeeper that worked the

time.
97
Activity Code: [Only appears if you have Task Based Billing

selected for the billing format for the selected matter (see
Editing Billing Information for Matters on page 74) or if you
have the company preferences set to Force Activity Code on
Time Tickets selected for the company preferences (see
Changing General Information for Your Company on page
20).] The code for the activity for the time.
NOTE: The default hours, rate, and text you have setup on an
activity code will prefill on the time ticket when the code is
entered; however, the default information will not override
information already entered on the ticket. (For example, if you
enter hourly rate and text on a ticket and then go back and
change the activity code, the system will NOT override what
has already been entered.)
Task Base Code: [Only appears if (1) you have the company
preferences set to Force Activity Code on Time Tickets
selected for the company preferences (see Changing General
Information for Your Company on page 20) and (2) the matter
is set to use an activity code rate level on the Billing tab of the
company preferences (see Editing Billing Information for
Matters on page 74.] The code set up for the task for the time.
Text: A description of the time. Any text entered in the Text

box will appear on the bill that includes the time ticket. You can
add this text either free-form or by using a time ticket code,
which fills the Text box with an associated code description.
To add free-form text:
Enter the text directly in the Text box. Press F7 to spell check.
To add text using time ticket codes:
Do any of the following:
- Enter the time ticket code in the Text box and press the
space bar. NOTE: For this to work, Enter key moves from
field to field the same as the Tab key must be selected in
Workstation Options (see Setting Data Entry Options on page
26).
- Click the lookup button for Time Entry Abbreviation Code. A
list of time ticket codes appears. Select a code and click OK.
Font Size: The size of the text in the Text box.
Time Ticket Type: The billing type for this time ticket where:
Billable indicates that time on the time ticket is billable.
Flat Charge only used on hourly matters for which a service
is performed based on a "flat charge," not the hourly rate.
No Charge indicates that time on the time ticket is not to be
charged. (Time tickets with this code are printed on bills.)
98
Non-Billable indicates that time on the time ticket is not

billable. (Time tickets with this code are not printed on bills but
are printed on the prebill. This allows you to track
administrative time.)
Trial indicates that the time on this ticket is to be billed at the
billable hourly rate; however, it is to be shown on the bill as
"Trial," allowing you to track hours for trial work.
Misc. No Charge indicates that the time on this ticket is not
to be charged.
NOTE: The Trial and Misc. No Charge fields will NOT appear
on the window if you have selected the options under Select
time Ticket Types that are non-applicable for Workstation
Options (see Setting Data Entry Options on page 26).
Timer: If you want to use the timer to measure your expended

time, use the Timer section as follows:
Click Start when you are about to start the activity to be timed.
Click Stop to stop the timer.
Click Restart to begin the timer again.
Click Reset to set the timer minutes to zero.
When you stop the timer, the time is automatically entered into
the Hours field.
Tax Status: Indicates if the time is taxable or not.

NOTE: The Tax Status section will NOT appear on the window
if Hide Tax Status on Time Ticket Screen is selected for
Workstation Options (see Setting Data Entry Options on page
26).
4.
Put Time Ticket on Hold: When selected, the time ticket is on

hold. Time tickets on hold will appear on the prebill, but not the
actual bill. They will also be broken out in the Matter Summary
and Work in Process reports.
Click Done. A ticket number is automatically assigned to the time

ticket.
Transferring Time Tickets

Transfer time tickets when you need to move a time ticket from one
matter to another.
99
1.
Select Billing/Transfer Time Tickets. The Transfer Time Tickets

window appears.
2.
time tickets you want to transfer.
3.
time tickets.
4.
Under Transfer Selection, select the type of transfer you want to

perform. Select:
100 Managing Your Billing Cycle
Date Range if the time tickets you want to transfer fall within a
specific date range. When you select this option enter the date
range in the boxes provided under the Date Range section.
Ticket Range if the time tickets you want to transfer fall within
a specific ticket number range. When you select this option,
enter the ticket number range in the boxes provided under the
Ticket Range section. Note that time tickets equal to or
between the time ticket transaction numbers you specify will be
transferred.
Single Ticket if you want to transfer one time ticket only. When
you select this option, enter the time ticket number in the box
provided under the Single Ticket section.
5.
Select Transfer Tickets currently on a bill waiting for posting if

the tickets you would like to transfer are in a pending bill. The
program will transfer the tickets and deletes the bill from the
posting file.
6.
Click Transfer.
Managing Soft Costs and Adjustments

Soft costs are costs for which you would NOT write a check, such as
faxes and photocopies.
Adjustments alter a bill. Since you cannot edit a billed transaction, you
have to use adjustments to make changes. For example, if you billed
for a $100 charge, but later determined the charge to be $80, you
would have to adjust the bill. Adjustments include write-offs, which will
alter the amount the client owes.
Soft costs and adjustments are posted to the bill using the Costs &
Adjustments window.
To open the window, select Billing/Costs & Adjustments.
Add/edit soft costs and adjustments.
Delete soft costs and adjustments by highlighting the record and

clicking Delete.
Print soft costs and adjustments by highlighting a transaction and

clicking Print.
Post soft costs and adjustments by highlighting the transaction and

clicking Post. You have to post a cost or adjustment before it will
appear on the bill.
Managing Your Billing Cycle 101
Adding/Editing Soft Costs and Adjustments

1.
Select Billing/Costs & Adjustments. The Costs & Adjustments

window appears.
2.
To add a soft cost or adjustment, click Add. SHORTCUT: Just

click the Costs button on the toolbar.
To modify a cost or adjustment, highlight it and click Edit.
The Costs & Adjustments Add or Modify window appears.
3.
Complete the fields on the window as follows:
Matter Number: Select the matter number for the transaction.
Client Exp. Code: Select the client expense code for the
transaction. SPD, HPD, and FPD will always be recorded as a
credit. FEE should only be used for balance forwards it will
be set to Billed.
NOTE: For more information about expense codes, see
Maintaining Client Expense Codes on page 42.
Cost Per Item: If the selected client expense code has been
set up with a per item cost, this amount will automatically
appear.
Date: The current date change as necessary.
Num of Items: Enter the quantity of items for the cost or

adjustment. This field is only used if the client expense code
has a cost per item entered.
Amount: Abacus Accounting will automatically fill this field with

the product of Num of Items x Cost Per Item change as
necessary.
Description: The preset description from the selected client

expense code. You can customize the description for this
record if you like.
Hold Status: Select Item is On Hold if you want to place this

transaction on hold. Items on hold will appear on the prebill but
NOT on the actual bill. For example, you might use this to track
your actual costs even though the client might not be paying it.
Debit/Credit: Select the type of transaction. Debit means you

are charging the client; credit means a client payment/discount.
(See Quick Review of Debits vs. Credits on page 10 for more
information about debits and credits.)
Bill Type: Indicates the billing status of the transaction, where:

UnBilled means that the transaction HAS NOT appeared on
an actual bill that has been posted.
Billed means that the transaction HAS appeared on an actual
bill that has been posted.
4.
Write Off: Indicates whether the adjustment will appear on the

Write Off report.
Organizing and Posting Prebills and Bills

Overview of Prebills and Bills
Prebills are a preview of bills. They are the itemized listing of what is
queued to be billed to the client. Bills are the actual activity that will be
billed.
Prebill and bill functionality is almost identical in Abacus Accounting,
with the major exception being that only bills can be posted. Prebills
are included so bills can be carefully reviewed and corrected before the
client sees them. Trust transfers only show on bills not prebills.
Best accounting practice is to organize and print your prebill, send the
prebill out to others involved, make corrections, generate and send the
actual bill to the client, and then post the bill.
REMEMBER: Billing errors are much easier to fix BEFORE the client
receives the bill!
NOTE: The firm name printed on bills comes from the name used to
register AbacusLaw. Registration is performed in the AbacusLaw.
Refer to the AbacusLaw Reference Guide for more information.
Viewing Prebills and Bills

1.
Select Billing/Prebills. The Prebill Selection window appears.

SHORTCUT: Click the Prebills button on the toolbar.
2.
3.
Select Billing/Print Bills. The Bill Selection window appears.

SHORTCUT: Click the Actual Bills button on the toolbar.
To set the billing criteria for the bill (which determines the activity to
be billed), click Add. Three new tabs appear:
Select the Bill By Group tab to select billing activity across

clients (for example, activity for a specific timekeeper). See
Setting Billing Criteria by Group on page 105 for more
information.
Select the Select Bills Individually tab to select client-matters

individually. See Setting Billing Criteria by Client-Matter on
page 108 for more information.
Select Speed Billing to use the Speed Billing feature. See

Speed Billing on page 113 for more information.
After you have made your billing criteria selection, click Add to
Billing Run. The original Prebill/Bill Selection window reappears
with client-matter bills containing the selected billing activity listed.
4.
Check Do not reuse invoice numbers if you want new numbers

assigned to the bill instead of reusing the last invoice number if
there is no new activity on the bill. If you want to reuse invoice
numbers, the invoice number: (1) must be all numeric, (2) cannot
be an existing invoice number, and (3) cannot be higher than the
last invoice number used. (To see the last invoice number used, go
to the Company Preferences window by selecting
File/Setup/Company Preference.)
5.
Check Manually Assign Invoice Number if you want to insert a

prior invoice number if it is not already in use. (Manually Assign
Invoice Number is only available for bills it is not available for
prebills.)
6.
With prebills or bills listed, you can do any of the following from this
window:
Print prebills or bills.
Remove a prebill or bill from the list by highlighting it and

clicking Delete.
Setting Billing Criteria by Group

From the Prebill/Bill Selection window, select the Bill By Group tab.
From this tab, you set the criteria for the billing activity you want to see
for the prebill or bill.
SHORTCUT: If you want to include all billing activity, click Add to

Billing Run without changing any settings.
The following describes how to set the criteria for billing activity from
this tab:
Originating Timekeeper, Responsible Timekeeper, or Assigned

Timekeeper: You need to select one timekeeper (or timekeeper
type) for the time ticket. (If you are a sole practitioner, you dont
need to select a timekeeper at all.)
These types of timekeepers are differentiated as follows:
Comment [SH2]: updated
Originating timekeeper is the person who brought the clientmatter (business) into the firm.
Responsible timekeeper is the person who is responsible for

the client-matter.
Assigned timekeeper is the person who is working the clientmatter.
To include billing activity for a specific timekeeper, select the

timekeeper code for the appropriate timekeeper type. To include
billing activity for all timekeepers for a timekeeper type, enter an
asterisk (*) in the box for the timekeeper type.
NOTE: Timekeepers for matters are selected when maintaining a
matter (see Editing General Information for Matters on page 73).
Billing Frequency: To include billing activity for only one specific

billing frequency, enter the billing frequency code in the box, where:
M = Monthly
Q = Quarterly
S = Semi-Annually
A = Annually
V = Special Quarterly
Comment [SH3]: Changed from T to V.
E = End of Matter
H = On Hold
To select billing activity for all billing frequencies, enter an asterisk
(*) in the box.
Type of Law Code: To include billing activity for only one specific
case code, select the code. To select billing activity for all case
codes, enter an asterisk (*) in the box.
Billing Mode: To include billing activity for only one specific billing
mode, enter the billing mode in the box, where:
H = Hourly
F = Flat Fee
C = Contingency
M = Minimum Fee
To select billing activity for all billing modes, enter an asterisk (*) in
the box.
All Matters by Client: To include billing activity for all matters for
one specific client, select the client number. To select billing activity
for all clients, enter an asterisk (*) in the box.
At Least X Dollars: Use this field to include billing activity for only
matters with a balance due equal to or greater than the amount
entered.
Include On Hold Matters: Select to include billing activity for
matters that are on hold.
Include Closed Matters: Select to include billing activity for

matters that have been closed.
Include Contingent Matters: Select to include billing activity for

matters with a billing mode of Contingency.
NOTE: When processing actual bills, Abacus Accounting will stop
for each contingent matter and prompt you for the award amount.
Print Matter Comments: Select to include matter comments on

the bill. These comments come from the Matters window in Abacus
Accounting.
Include EOM Matters: Select to include matters that have a billing

frequency of End of Matter.
Include all Billed items past the Fee/Cost Cut Date in the Prior
Balance: If your fee/cost cutoff date is set to a specific date, the
only billed items included in the prior balance will be through that
date. If you check this option, the prior balance will be any entry
that has a billed status even if it is after the fee/cost cutoff date.
Alphabet: Use this setting to include billing activity for a range of

clients. Include the first letter of the clients last name. For example,
if you want to include clients John Adams, Allan Barton, and Ellen
Carr, you would enter A-C. To include all clients, enter asterisks (*)
in the boxes.
NOTE: This feature is used for printing purposes, for example, if
your printer gets jammed and you need to return to printing bills
where you stopped.
Bills to Include: Select the items to include in the bill, where:

All will generate a bill for all matters.
Unbilled Activity will generate a bill only for matters that have
unbilled activity.
Nonzero will generate a bill only for matters with a balance due or
credit balance.
Unbilled & NonZero will generate a bill for matters with unbilled
activity OR a balance due.
Type: Select the type of bill you want to generate, where:

Regular will generate bills that include fees and costs.
Costs will generate bills that include only costs.
Fees will generate bills that include only fees.
Under Dates, you select the date range for the billing activity you
want to see for the bill. Select:
Date of Bill: Enter the date for the bill.
Start Date: Enter the beginning date for fees, costs, and payments
you want to include on the bill. The start date only applies to
unbilled activity - it is best to use the default start date to include all
unbilled activity.
Fees/Costs Cut Date: Enter the ending date for fees and costs
you want included on the bill.
Payments Cut Date: Enter the date on or before which you want
payments that have been posted to the matter billing activity
calculated in the bills.
[only applicable to bills not available on the Prebill Selection

window] The Trust on Bill section can only be used if you have the
Trust module AND money for the client/matter has been put in a
trust account. Select:
Do Not Apply Trust to Bill to ignore all trust money when billing.
Automatically Apply Trust to Bill to automatically apply from
each matters trust account the amount due. The billing format for
the matter must be set up to show trust transfers so that the
amount applied to the bill from each matters trust account will be
shown on the bill.
NOTE: Abacus Accounting will never take out more money than is
in the matters trust account.
Stop for Manual Input to manually enter the amount to be paid
toward the bill from each matters trust account. When you select
this option, Abacus Accounting displays the current balance in the
trust account, and a break out of the total amount due for fees,
hard costs, soft costs, taxes, late charges, administrative charges,
and retainers with a box for you to enter the amount to be paid from
that matters trust account. The billing format for the matter must be
set up to show trust transfers so that the amount applied to the bill
from each matters trust account will be shown on the bill.
For Trust Cutoff Date, enter the ending date for trust activity you
want included in the Trust Recap section of the bill. The Trust
Recap section will only appear if it is part of the billing format code
for the particular matter.
Click Add to Billing Run to save the selected criteria.
Setting Billing Criteria by Client-Matter

From the Prebill/Bill Selection window, select the Select Bills
Individually tab. From this tab, you set the criteria for the billing activity
you want to see for the prebill or bill.
The following describes how to set the criteria for billing activity from
this tab:
Under Individually Selected Matters, you select the billing activity

by client-matter. Set Matter # to the client-matter and click Add.
The selected client-matter is listed in the box. Continue to add
client-matters to the box as necessary. To remove a client-matter
from the list, highlight it and click Delete.
want to see for the bill.
Date of Bill: Enter the date for the bill.
Start Date: Enter the beginning date for fees, costs, and payments
you want to include on the bill.
you want included on the bill.
calculated in the bills.
[only applicable to bills not available on the Prebill Selection

window] The Trust on Bill section can only be used if you have the
Trust module AND money for the client/matter has been put in a
trust account. Select:
Automatically Apply Trust to Bill to automatically process the
transfer from each matters trust account the amount due (either
print a check or process online). If the billing format for the matter
has been set up to show trust transactions, the amount applied to
the bill from each matters trust account will be shown on the bill.
You still need to post this transfer.
Stop for Manual Input to manually enter the amount to be paid
toward the bill from each matters trust account. When you select
this option, Abacus Accounting displays the current balance in the
Comment [SH4]: Updated per Cathys

comments
trust account, and a break out of the total amount due for fees,
hard costs, soft costs, taxes, late charges, admin charges, and
retainers with a box for you to enter the amount to be paid from that
matters trust account. If the billing format for the matter has been
set up to show trust transactions, the amount applied to the bill
from the trust account will be shown on the bill.
Click Add to Billing Run to save the selected criteria.
Printing Prebills and Bills

You can print bills as often as needed BEFORE you post the bills. As
bills are printed or emailed, they are made available for posting.
(Prebills are not posted.)
1.
View the prebills/bills you want to print (see Viewing Prebills and
Bills on page 103).
2.
Highlight the prebills/bills you want to print.
3.
Under Destination, select:
Preview if you want to view the prebill/bill on the screen.
Print if you want to print the prebill/bill from your printer.
File if you want to store the prebill/bill information in a file.
Email if you want to email the prebill/bill.
[only applicable to bills] LEDES 1998B if you want to generate

the bill in the LEDES format for electronic submission.
For more information about LEDES billing, see LEDES 1998B
Billing on page 141.
4.
Click Preview/Print/File/Email. (The button label is dependent

upon your selection.)
[only applicable to bills] NationWide/Litigation Advisor if you

want to generate the bill in the NationWide and Litigation
Advisor format for electronic submission.
If you selected Preview, the bill preview appears on the

screen. NOTE: You can change/add time tickets and cost and
adjustments from the bill preview see Managing Bills through
Bill Preview on page 112 for more information.
If you selected Print, the bill is sent to the printer.
If you selected File, you will be prompted for more information

see Printing Prebills/Bills to File on page 111 for more
information.
If you selected Email, the email appears and you can complete
it and send it. If this is the first time youve emailed from
Abacus Accounting, you will be prompted for your email
settings.
Printing Prebills/Bills to File

When you select to print a prebill or bill to file, you will be prompted for
more information in a window like this:
Use the following information to help you complete the window:
The options down the left side of the window determine the format
for the naming of the file. For example, if you chose Use Matter
Number Only, the file might be named 123456.xls. Choose one of
the naming conventions for your file.
Do not Delete the Bills from the request list: When selected,
bills will NOT be deleted from the list on the Prebill/Bill Selection
window after printing.
Select the location to print the files: Select the path for the file
the place where the file will be stored.
Select the format of your export file: Select the type of file you
want to generate (for example, an Excel file).
Click Done to generate the file.
Adjusting Prebills
To correct prebills:
If there is a problem with a time ticket, edit the time ticket (see
Adding, Cloning, or Editing Time Tickets on page 97).
If there is a problem with the balance forward, look at the Matter

Billing Activity (see Viewing the Matter Billing Activity on page 131).
The sum of all billed items is the balance forward. (You have to set
the billing format code to show balance forward see
Adding/Editing Billing Format Codes on page 51.)
If there is a problem with the advanced costs, you void checks

(Voiding Checks on page 175) or adjust the soft costs (see
Managing Soft Costs and Adjustments on page 101).
NOTE: If you find an error on the billing activity, you may adjust or
delete the entry ONLY if it has been entered as a soft cost.
Remember the items entered as soft costs do NOT integrate
through the general ledger. Also, remember that items entered as
payments received DO integrate through the general ledger.
Managing Bills through Bill Preview

Print the bill to a bill preview see Printing Prebills and Bills on page
110.
With the bill preview open, you can now do any of the following to
manage the open bill:
To edit a time ticket:

1.
Double-click in the Fees area on the bill preview. The Fees

subreport appears.
2.
Click the linked ticket number for the time ticket you want to edit.
3.
A window appears with the time ticket information. Edit the

information as necessary and click Done.
To add a time ticket:

1.
On the bill preview, click Add Time Ticket. The Time Tickets
Entering New Time window appears.
2.
Enter the information for the time ticket and click Done.
To edit a cost/adjustment:
1.
Double-click in the Cost Detail area on the bill preview. The Cost
Detail subreport appears.
2.
Click the linked ID number for the cost/adjustment you want to edit.
3.
A window appears with the cost/adjustment information. Edit the

information as necessary and click Done.
To add a cost/adjustment:
1.
On the bill preview, click Add Cost or Adjustment. The Costs &
Adjustments window appears.
2.
Enter the information for the cost/adjustment and click Done.
To print the bill:

Click Print on the bill preview.
To move to the next bill:

Click Next Bill on the bill preview.
To close the bill preview:

Click Close & Stop Printing on the bill preview.
Important note:
Once you add or edit a time ticket or cost/adjustment on the bill, the
change is made in the system. Closing the bill preview, does not
reverse your changes.
Reprinting Posted Actual Bills

Once a bill is posted, it is no longer listed in the Bill Selection window
where it can be printed. So, to reprint an actual bill that has been
posted, go to AbacusLaw, go to the Document tab on the Matters
window and print the bill.
Comment [SH5]: Added this topic
Speed Billing
Speed Billing lets you print and post bills in just a single step.
However, be cautious when using Speed Billing because the
process prints and posts together. This means that bills will be
automatically posted, so mistakes will require un-posting bills, then reprinting the bill. Be sure all your standard billing matters have been
scrutinized for errors prior to Speed Billing.
Note that Speed Billing will not include contingent matters, on hold
matters, end of month matters, and matters with split billing. Speed
Billing will include closed matters and will only show matters with either
unbilled activity or non-zero balances.
The start date for Speed Billing is always 01/01/1900.
1.
Select Billing/Speed Prebills or Billing/Speed Print Bills. The Speed

Prebill/Bill Selection window appears.
2.
want to see for the prebill/bill. Select:
Date of Bill: Enter the date for the prebill/bill.
you want included on the prebill/bill.
calculated in the prebills and bills.
3.
[only applicable to bills] The Trust on Bill section can only be used
if you have the Trust module AND money for the client/matter has
been put in a trust account. Select:
Automatically Apply Trust to Bill to automatically apply from
each matters trust account the amount due. The billing format for
the matter must be set up to show trust transfers so that the
amount applied to the bill from each matters trust account will be
shown on the bill.
4.
Use the At Least X Dollars field to include billing activity for only
matters with a balance due equal to or greater than the amount
entered.
5.
If your fee/cost cutoff date is set to a specific date, the only billed
items included in the prior balance will be through that date. If you
check Include all Billed items past the Fee/Cost Cut Date in the
Prior Balance, the prior balance will be any entry that has a billed
status even if it is after the fee/cost cutoff date.
6.
Click Add to Billing Run.
7.
The Speed Bill Selection window changes to list the bills that match
the selected criteria. Highlight the prebills/bills you want to process.
To select all bills, click Select All. Check Do not reuse invoice
numbers if you want new numbers assigned to bills instead of
reusing the last invoice number if there is no new activity on the bill.
8.
9.
Preview if you want to view the prebill/bill on the screen.
Print if you want to print the prebill/bill from your printer.
[only applicable to bills] LEDES 1998B if you want to generate

the bill in the LEDES format for electronic submission.
File if you want to store the prebill/bill information in a file.
Email if you want to email the prebill/bill.
[only applicable to bills] Nationwide Electronic Form if you

want to generate the bill in the NationWide and Litigation
Advisor format for electronic submission.
Click the processing button. (The button label is dependent upon

your selection.)
If you selected Preview& Post, the bill preview appears on the

screen and the selected bills are posted.
If you selected Print& Post, the selected bills are sent to the
printer and posted.
If you selected File& Post, you will be prompted for more

information see Printing Prebills/Bills to File on page 111 for
more information. After the file is generated, the selected bills

are posted.
If you selected Email & Post, the email appears and you can
complete it and send it. If this is the first time youve emailed
from Abacus Accounting, you will be prompted for your email
settings. After the email is sent, the selected bills are posted.
Generating the Combined Matters Cover Page

After you have printed the bill, you can send it to the client. Abacus
Accounting provides the Combined Matters Cover Page to create a
professional presentation in situations when you are billing a client with
multiple matters.
The Combined Matters Cover Page is a summary cover sheet of matter
billing information for clients that have multiple matters. It lists for each
matter the prior balance, the current changes, any payments, the
amount due (for each matter), and the total amount due (for all matters
in the summary).
NOTE: The Combined Matters Cover Page must be generated after the
bill is printed and BEFORE the bill is posted. Once you post the bill, the
information is no longer available for generating the Combined Matters
Cover Page.
To generate the Combined Matters Cover page:
1.
Select Billing/Combined Matters Cover Page. The Combined

Matters Cover Page window appears.
2.
All Clients in Posting File, Individually Selected Clients:

Select if you want to include all clients for whom a bill was
generated or if you want to select specific clients to include in
the cover page.
If you select Individually Selected Clients, you need to select
the client number in the Client Number box and click Add.
Continue this procedure until you have selected all the clients
you want to include in the cover page. Clients you select will be
listed in the Selected Clients box.
If you need to remove a client from the Selected Clients box,
highlight the client and click Delete.
Print Letterhead on Cover Page, Print Logo on Cover Page:

Select either of these boxes to include the letterhead and/or
logo on the cover page.
Print New Billing Detail Breakout: When checked, a more

detailed reporting format is used. (When not checked, the
original reporting format is used.)
3.
4.
Print Time Keepers Summary: When checked, timekeeper

information appears on the cover page. Note that this option
only appears if Print New Billing Detail Breakout is checked.
Preview if you want to view the cover page on the screen.
Print if you want to print the cover page from your printer.
File if you want to store the cover page information in a file.
Email if you want to email the cover page.
Click Preview, Print, File, or Email (depending on what you

selected for Destination) to output the cover page.
Posting/Unposting Bills
Posting Bills
As bills are printed they are made available for posting. After youve
sent a bill to the client, you need to post the bill in Abacus Accounting
manually. Once a bill is posted, the billing information is automatically
transferred to your matter billing activity, your accounts receivable, and
various reports. Also, once posted, a bill is assigned a number in
Abacus Accounting.
TIP: Remember when the bills are ready to go to the POST office, they
are ready to be posted!
Bills must be posted to complete the billing cycle. If you do not post
bills, next months bill will contain last months billing detail!
1.
Select Billing/Post Bills. The Bills Waiting to be Posted window

appears.
NOTE: If there are bills that have trust transfers on them and you
are prompted to complete Firm Vendor Number and Trust
Account, you need to set up your firm information see Changing

Your Company Preferences on page 20.
2.
Check Automatically process trust checks if you want to

complete the billing process for any trust checks listed
automatically. This means that the trust check will be printed and
posted. However, you still need to post the payment
(Billing/Payments Received).
IMPORTANT: To use this feature, Auto Trust Check Request
upon posting bills must be checked in company preferences
(File/Setup/Company Preferences).
3.
Ensure that Posting Date is todays date. Productivity reports are

updated using this date. A window may appear asking you if the
posting date is the cutoff date. Click Yes.
4.
If you want to print a posting report, click Print.

IMPORTANT: You can only print the posting report before the
transactions are posted. After posting has occurred, the report is no
longer available.
5.
Highlight the bills you want to post and click Post.
Unposting Bills
Unpost bills when you need to reverse the posting of a bill from the
matter billing activity and your accounts receivable. When you reverse
a bill, the program removes the posting transaction from the matter
billing activity, moves time tickets from a Billed to an Unbilled status,
and moves costs from a Billed to an Unbilled status.
RECOMMENDATION: Its better to correct billing activity on the next
bill only unpost a bill if it is absolutely necessary.
Some things to note about the unposting process:
When you unpost a bill, the corresponding invoice is automatically

deleted.
When you unpost a bill and then repost it, the bill will get a new
invoice number.
You CANNOT unpost a bill in a fiscal year that has been closed if
you are on an accrual based accounting system.
If you are unposting a bill where a trust check has been applied as
a client payment, it may result in a credit balance if fees or costs
are changed on that bill.
When unposting a bill for a minimum fee matter, you MUST unpost
all bills PRIOR to the one you need to unpost.
To unpost a bill, select Billing/Unpost Bills. The Unpost Bills window
appears. Select the matter, highlight the incorrect bill, and click
Unpost.
Comment [SH8]: updated per Cathys

comments
NOTE: When you unpost a bill and then repost it, the bill will get a new
invoice number.
Client Payments
You need to record all payments of bills to the appropriate clientmatter.
The order in which the system automatically breaks out client payments
is as follows:
1.
Hard Costs
2.
Soft Costs
3.
Fees
4.
Late Charges
5.
Taxes
6.
Retainers
Select Billing/Payments Received. The Enter Client Payments window

appears.
Add or edit a client payment.
Get information about a client payment by highlighting the payment

and clicking Edit.
Delete a client payment by highlighting the payment and clicking

Delete.
Print a Client Payment report by highlighting the payment and

clicking Print.
Print a deposit slip.
Post a client payment.
Adding/Editing Client Payments

1.
Select Billing/Payments Received. The Enter Client Payments

window appears.
2.
To add a client payment, click Add.
To edit a client payment, highlight the payment and click Edit.
3.
The Enter Client Payments Add or Modify window appears with

the General Info tab selected.
Use the following to help you complete the tab:
Invoice #: Enter the invoice number that the payment is to be

applied to.
If you do not know the invoice number, select a matter and
Abacus Accounting will list all unpaid bills in the Unpaid
Invoices box for the matter. Select the appropriate bill.
NOTE: If you do not enter a number for your bill, it will always
be reported as unpaid, regardless of whether it was paid or not,
and it will appear on the Unpaid Invoice report. If you are not a
sole practitioner, use bill numbers!
Matter Number: Select the matter associated with the client

payment.
Charge credit card/ACH for this payment: Check this option

if you have the credit card/ACH payment feature and if the
client has been set up to pay with a credit card/ACH payment
(see Credit Card/ACH Payment Support on page 272).
Payment Amount: Enter the amount of the client payment. (If

this is a negative client payment, enter a minus sign in front of
the amount.)
Deposit Account: Enter the account number to which the

payment is to be applied. (Never use the trust account
number!)
Description: A description of the payment (the check number,

wire transfer information, etc.)
4.
Select the Breakout tab. This tab lists information about how the
payment is to be distributed. If you selected a bill on the General
Info tab, the Billing Distribution box lists balances relating to the
selected bill number.
In the Payment Distribution box, enter/edit the portion of the client

payment to be applied to each category. All amounts must total the
client payment.
UnDistributed Balance must be zero (0) before you will be able to
save the client payment.
5.
Select the Fee Distribution tab. This tab is used to enter

information about how the fees portion of the payment is to be
distributed amongst the timekeepers.
NOTE: If you entered retainer fees on the Breakout tab, use a

dummy timekeeper (like RET) to receive the retainer funds. This
way you dont have to guess which timekeeper will work against
the retainer. After the work has been done, make a negative
deposit against the RET timekeeper. Then, enter a deposit for the
correct timekeepers. This will redistribute the retainer funds so that

the correct people are credited for the work.
Click Distribute Fees. If you are using a bill, fees will be distributed
to timekeepers based on the time tickets for the bill. If you are not
using a bill, all fees will be assigned to the responsible timekeeper
for the matter.
Change the fee distribution amounts as necessary.
UnDistributed Fees must be zero (0) before you will be able to
save the client payment.
6.
Click Done.
NOTE: Dont forget to post your client payment or it wont appear in the
matter billing activity!
Printing a Deposit Slip for a Client Payment

You must print deposit slips BEFORE you post payments. Once you
post payments, you will not be allowed to print a deposit slip. You can
print a deposit slip to be used to deposit the client payment at the bank.
For pre-printed deposit slips, contact Safeguard Business Systems at
1-800-432-7701.
1.

window appears.
2.
Highlight the client payments to be included in the deposit.
3.
Click Deposit Slip. The deposit slip appears. Change the page
settings as follows:
Date of Deposit: This defaults to the current date, but you can
change it if you like.
Printer: Select the printer to which you want to send output.
Printer Offsets: The number of spaces vertically and

horizontally to shift the slip. This setting will help you nudge the
form up and down and left and right so you can get the
information to print exactly in the fields of pre-printed forms.
4.
Click Print to print the deposit slip.
Posting a Client Payment

1.

window appears.
2.
Check the deposit date to ensure that is the date the money went
into the bank.
3.
Highlight the client payments to be posted.
4.
Click Post.
Handling Bounced Checks

NOTE: This procedure is for client payments bounced from the
operating account.
1.

window appears.
2.
Click Add. The Enter Client Payments Add window appears.

Enter the date the check bounced in the Payment Date box. Then,
complete the other fields. You need to enter the exact same
information as the original transaction EXCEPT make all amounts
negative by inserting a minus sign (-) in front of them (for example,
-100.00).
3.
Click Done.
Sending Billing Reminders to Clients

The Interim Statement lists items that have been billed to your client
but not yet paid. It can be sent at any time.
The Interim Statement prints out with the same letterhead as the actual
bills, and has the following statement at the end of each reminder
notice, "This Statement Summarizes Fees & Costs Previously Billed to
You, Which Remain Unpaid."
To generate the Interim Statement:
1.
Select Billing/Interim Statement. The Interim Statement window

appears.
2.
All Clients or Individually Selected Clients: Select if you

want to include all clients for whom a bill was generated or if
you want to select specific clients to include in the statement.
If you select Individually Selected Clients, you need to select
the client number in the Client Number box and click Add.
Continue this procedure until you have selected all the clients
you want to include in the statement. Clients you select will be
listed in the Selected Clients box.
If you need to remove a client from the Selected Clients box,
highlight the client and click Delete.
Date on Statement: The date for the statement. Change as

necessary.
Cut Off Date: The date on or before the billed matters are to
be included on the statement.
Print Letterhead on Stmt: Check to include your letterhead on

the statement.
Include Credit Client Balances: Check to include matters for

clients with a credit balance.
NOTE: If you use the Individually Selected Clients option
AND this option, the program generates statements for all
clients you selected AND all clients with a credit balance.
3.
4.
Include Client Zero Balances: Check to include clients with

matters with a zero balance.
Include Matter Zero Balances: Check to include matters with

a zero balance.
Destination: Select the output format you want for the cover
page.
Preview if you want to view the statement on the screen.
Print if you want to print the statement from your printer.
File if you want to store the statement in a file.
Email if you want to email the statement.
Click Preview, Print, File, or Email (depending on what you

selected for Destination) to output the statement.
Maintaining Unpaid Bills

The Unpaid Invoices feature provides a summary of bills that have
been sent and posted, but full payment from the client has not been
received.
RECOMMENDATION: Accounts Receivable reports are the true listing
of what is due to you. Dont use only The Unpaid Invoices feature for
account receivable information. The Unpaid Invoice report could be
inaccurate because invoice numbers were not used when payments
were applied, and therefore, continue to appear on the Unpaid Invoice
report when they have been paid in full.
You can select to view unpaid bills by bill or by client-matter.
1.
Select Billing/Unpaid Invoice Maintenance. The Unpaid Invoice

Maintenance window appears.
2.
Under Search For, select Invoice Number and enter the

number of the unpaid bill.
3.
Under Search For, select Client-Matter and select the matter

for the unpaid bill.
Click Retrieve. Unpaid bills matching your search criteria are

displayed.

View or modify a bill.
Delete a bill by highlighting the bill and clicking Delete.
Viewing/Modifying Unpaid Bills

1.
Select Billing/Unpaid Invoice Maintenance. The Unpaid Invoice

Maintenance window appears. View the bill you want to
view/modify see Maintaining Unpaid Bills on page 128 for help.
2.
Highlight the bill and click Edit. The Unpaid Invoice Maintenance
Modify window appears with the General Information tab
selected. This tab displays information about the client and matter
for which the bill was generated. Edit the information as necessary.
3.
Select the Invoice Breakout tab. This tab displays information

about how the amounts were distributed for billing and payment.
Change the amounts as necessary.
4.
Select the Timekeeper Distribution tab. This tab displays

information about the distribution of fee amounts amongst
timekeepers. Change information for existing timekeepers or add

timekeepers as necessary.
5.
Matter Billing Activity Ledger

Viewing the Matter Billing Activity Ledger
The matter billing activity ledger records billing transactions for matters.
To access the ledger, select Billing/Matter Billing Activity. The Matter
Billing Detail window appears.
Select the matter and set the date range for the billing activity you want
to work with. If you want to see time tickets waiting to be billed, select
Include Unbilled Time. Billing activity for the selected date range will
be listed in the window.
All items marked Billed comprise the prior balance. All items marked
Unbilled make up the current activity.
View or modify the details of a billing transaction.
Show bills in PDF format
Delete matter billing activity
Print the Matter Billing Detail report by clicking Print.
View current unbilled time tickets by clicking View Time. (This

opens the Time Tickets window.)
Viewing/Editing Matter Billing Activity

1.
Select Billing/Matter Billing Activity. The Matter Billing Detail

window appears.
2.
Highlight the transaction you want to view or edit and click Open.
The Matter Billing Detail Modify window appears.
3.
Make changes to the fields on the window as follows:

WARNING: You should only change these settings if you are
working with soft costs and write-offs.
Matter Number: The number of the matter for the transaction.
Client Expense Code: The client expense code for the

transaction.
Description: The description of the transaction.
Date: The date of the transaction.
Date of Bill: The date of the bill on which this transaction

appeared.
Amount: The amount of the transaction.
Invoice #: The number of the bill this transaction appeared on.
Check #: If the check has been printed, this is the check

number. The field will be blank if a check has not been printed
against the payable.
Debit/Credit: Indicates whether the transaction was a debit or

credit.
Billing Status: Indicates whether the transaction has been

billed yet.
Item on Hold: Indicates if this amount is on hold, meaning that

it will not appear on the actual bill.
CC Order ID: If a credit card is charged, this field displays a

system-generated ID.
4.
After you have made your changes, click Done.
Showing Bills in PDF Format

1.
Select Billing/Matter Billing Activity. The Matter Billing Detail

window appears.
2.
Click Show Bills to open the View Linked Bills window, which lists
bills for the selected matter. To view a bill listed, highlight it and
click Show PDF Bill. To email a bill listed, highlight it and click
Email Bill.
Deleting Matter Billing Activity

You can delete any transaction from Matter Billing Activity that is not
billed or reconciled. To delete matter billing activity, select Billing/Matter
Billing Activity. The Matter Billing Detail window appears. Highlight the
transaction you want to delete and click Delete.
NOTE: Allow Ledger Deletions must be checked in Company
Preferences to be able to delete matter billing activity. For more
information, see Changing General Information for Your Company
Preferences on page 20.
IMPORTANT: If the client payment was part of a larger client payment,
deleting matter billing activity will delete all transactions in the posting.
In this case, add a negative client payment instead (see Adding/Editing
Client Payments on page 121). Just enter a minus sign in front of the
payment amount.
Viewing Matter Billing Activity for a Deleted Matter

From the Deleted Matter Billing Activity window, you can view and print
billing activity for a deleted matter. To open the window, select
Billing/Deleted Matter Activity.
Set the date range as necessary.
View detailed information for a transaction by highlighting the

transaction and clicking Open.
Generate the Deleted Client/Matter Financial Ledger report by

clicking Print.
Split Billing
What is Split Billing?
Split billing occurs when multiple clients share the cost of a lawsuit, for
example, in the case of class action suits or in the case of representing
a minor with 2 divorced parents splitting the legal bill.
With split billing, you bill each client as a percentage of the whole. You
set up a master matter, and then you set up sub matters for each party
to be billed for the master matters time and costs. There is no limit to
the number of sub matters you can bill from a master matter.
NOTE: Trust transfers are not automatic for split billing.
Comment [SH9]: new screen caps in this

section
Setting Up Split Billing

In AbacusLaw:
1.
Create the master matter and master name. Link the master matter
to the master name using a BILLTO link (see Adding Matters on
page 69).
2.
Create a name and matter for each person who will be sharing the
fees/costs of the master matter. These matters will be linked to the
master matter as sub matters. Each sub matter must have its own
matter number and a BILL TO link.
In Abacus Accounting:
1.

Highlight the master matter and click Open. The Matter
Maintenance Modifying existing Matter window appears. On the
General tab, check Split Billing Master Matter. This identifies the
master matter as a candidate for split billing.
Notice that when you mark the matter as a split billing master
matter, the Splt Bllng tab appears on the Matter Maintenance
window. You will use this tab to add sub matters to the master
matter.

2.
In the Matter Maintenance Modifying existing Matter window, do

the following for the master matter and sub matters:
Select the Billing tab and set Billing Format Code to SB.
Set Billing Mode to Hourly.
Click Done.
3.
On the Matter Maintenance Modifying existing matter window for

the master matter, select the Splt Bllng tab. For each sub matter,
do the following:
Click Add. More fields appear.
Select the sub matter.
Enter the percentage of fees and costs the sub matter is

responsible for. The total of the percentages must equal 100%.
Click Done.
Entering Time and Costs for Split Billing Matters

Assign time and costs to be shared by sub matters to the master matter
as incurred. You can also assign time and costs directly to sub matters
as necessary.
Processing Split Billing Time and Costs

This procedure must be performed before you bill.
1.
Select Billing/Split Time and/or Costs. The Split Billable Items

window appears. Select the master matter. All time and costs billed
to the master matter are listed.
2.
Highlight the line items you want to split. To select all line items
listed, click Select All.
3.
Click Split Selected Items. The window now lists all selected line
items. Each line item is split for any sub matters assigned to the
master matter according to the default split amount assigned to
the sub matter.
4.
If you are satisfied with the split amounts, go to the next step. If
you want to override the default split amount for one or more line
items, do the following:
Double-click the line item for which you want to change the
split amount or percentage.
A window allowing you to change the split amount or

percentage appears. Enter the new split amount or split
percentage for the selected line item. For percentage changes,

you must enter a percent symbol (%) after the value.
5.
Click OK.
Once you are satisfied with the split values, click Print to open the
Split Billing Edit report. Print the report and file it.
IMPORTANT: Do not skip this step. The Split Billing Edit report is
crucial information that you most likely will need to reference later.
6.
Double-check your split values one last time before you process
the results. Use the Preview Prebill and Print Prebill buttons to
help you review the bills before processing.
NOTE: The next step will process your split billing results. The
system will move matter billing activity from the master matter to
the sub matters. Once this process is done, the system is altered
and there is no way to undo the changes. Be sure you want to
process the split billing results. There is no way to undo them.
7.
When you are ready, click Process All. A confirmation message

appears indicating that you have successfully split the selected
time and costs. All split time and costs are moved from the master
matter to the sub matters.
Printing Split Billing Prebills and Actual Bills

Printing split billing prebills and actual bills is very similar to the way
you print your regular prebills and actual bills. You may do it one of two
ways: (1) You can individually select the master matter or (2) you can
select all bills by client and reference the master client. You do not
need to select the individual subs matters Abacus Accounting knows
to do this because of the split billing criteria you have set up.
You will print all sub matters together for a master matter. You cannot
request, print, and post one of the sub matter bills and then select
another sub matter bill to process. You have to print and post them
together.
Posting Split Billing Bills

Once you have ALL the bills for ALL the sub matters printed and
waiting in the posting file, you can post the bills. There are no other
special requirements for posting split billing bills.
For more information, see Posting Bills on page 118.
Unposting Split Billing Bills

You cannot unpost split billing bills.
LEDES 1998B Billing

Configuring LEDES Billing
If you want to generate bills in the LEDES format for electronic
submission, the following describes how to configure LEDES billing and
how to fill out particular boxes.
Following are the general steps in LEDES billing:
1.
Enable task based billing for the matters billing format code. Select
File/Setup/Billing Format Codes to open the Billing Format Codes
Browse window.
Highlight the matters billing format code and click Edit. The Billing
Format Code Maintenance window appears. Select the Reporting
Options tab. Check Task Based Billing and save.
2.
Assign a task based expense code to the client expense code.

Select File/Setup/Client Expense Codes to open the Client
Expense Codes Browse window.
Highlight the code and click Edit. The Client Expense Code
Maintenance window appears. Select a task based expense code
for the client expense code and save.
3.
When you print the bill, set the Destination to LEDES 1998B.
LED File
When printing a LEDES bill, Abacus generates a LED file with one line
for each entry (Time Tickets and Costs). Each line has 24 fields.
The following describes each field and where to find the field in
Abacus.
Invoice Date (INVOICE_DATE) - Date of Bill [Billing > Print Bills >
Add > Date of Bill]
Invoice Number (INVOICE_NUMBER) - On Actual Bill [Preview or
print the actual bill; usually on top of bill. You may also use the
Billing Report Reports > Billing.]
Client ID (CLIENT_ID) - Client ID [Matters > Matters > Browse for

Matter > Client #]
Law Firm Matter ID (LAW_FIRM_MATTER_ID) - Matter Number

[Matters > Matters > Browse for Matter > Matter #]
Invoice Total (INVOICE_TOTAL) - Total of Bill [Billing total after

running Print Bill. This is the total CURRENT activity, no prior
balances are included.]
Billing Start Date (BILLING_START_DATE) - Start Date from

Print Bill selection [Billing > Print Bills > Add > Start Date]
Billing End Date (BILLING_END_DATE) - Fees / Costs Cut Date

of Bill selection [Billing > Print Bills > Add > Fees / Costs Cut Date]
Invoice Description (INVOICE_DESCRIPTION) - Billing Remarks

on Matter maintenance [Matters > Matters > Open Matter > Billing
Tab > Billing Remarks]
Line Item Number (LINE_ITEM_NUMBER) - Numbered based on

number of lines in file [Varies based on number of Costs / Time
Tickets]
Exp/Fee/Inv/Adj Type (EXP/FEE/INV_ADJ_TYPE) - Based on if

line item is Expense/Fee/Activity [Displays E / F / A]
Line Item Number of Units (LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS) Number of Items from Cost and Adjustment [Calculates number of
items based on Per Item Cost to the Amount Total of posted cost]
Line Item Adjustment Amount
(LINE_ITEM_ADJUSTMENT_AMOUNT) - Total amount of Time
Ticket or Cost [Matters > Matter Billing Activity > Open Matter >
View total amount. Fees and Admin charges will always be 0 For
costs it will be per item costs listed on the Client Expense Code.]
Line Item Total (LINE_ITEM_TOTAL) - Total amount of Time

Ticket or Cost [Matters > Matter Billing Activity > Open Matter >
View Debit field of item]
Line Item Date (LINE_ITEM_DATE) - Date of Time Ticket or Cost

[Matters > Matter Billing Activity > Open Matter > View Date field of
item]
Line Item Task Code (LINE_ITEM_TASK_CODE) - Task code on

Time Ticket [Billing > Time Tickets > Select Matter > Add > Select
Task Base Code]
Line Item Expense Code (LINE_ITEM_EXPENSE_CODE) - Task
code linked to the Expense Code for all costs incurred [File > Setup
> Client Expense Codes > Select Code > Edit > Select Task Based
Expense Code]
Line Item Activity Code (LINE_ITEM_ACTIVITY_CODE) - Activity

Code on Time Ticket [Billing > Time Tickets > Select Matter > Add
> Select Activity Code]
Timekeeper ID (TIMEKEEPER_ID) - Actual Timekeeper on the
Time Ticket [Matters > Matters > Select Matter > Responsible
Timekeeper]
Line Item Description (LINE_ITEM_DESCRIPTION) - Time Ticket

or Costs Descriptions [Matters > Matter Billing Activity > Select
Matter > View Description field of item]
Law Firm ID (LAW_FIRM_ID) - Federal Tax ID Number [File >

Setup > Company Preferences > Address Info Tab > Fed. Tax ID]
Line Item Unit Cost (LINE_ITEM_UNIT_COST) - Client Expense

code [File > Setup > Client Expense Codes > Select Code > Edit]
Timekeeper Name (TIMEKEEPER_NAME) - Full name of

Timekeeper [File > Setup > Timekeeper Codes]
Timekeeper Classification (TIMEKEEPER_CLASSIFICATION) Set Seniority level in Timekeeper Codes [File > Setup >
Timekeeper Codes > Select Code > Click Edit > Make Seniority
level]
1-5 = PT (Partner)
6-10 = AS (Associate)
11-15 = OC (Of Counsel)
16-20 = LA (Legal Assistant)
21+ = OT (Other)
Client Matter ID (CLIENT_MATTER_ID) - Configurable through

Workstation Options [File > Setup > Workstation Options >
Miscellaneous > LEDES Client/Matter Reference Formatting
Options]
There are 3 options.
1. Client and Matter Numbers.
2. Comment Line 1, Enter specific reference required in the upper
left corner on the first line [Matters > Matters > Select Matter >
Comments 1 Tab]
3. Matter Only
5.
Trust Accounts
Matter Trust Activity Ledger

Viewing the Matter Trust Activity Ledger
To view trust transactions for a matter, select Trust/Matter Trust
Activity. The Matter Trust Activity window appears.
Select the matter and date range for the trust transactions you want to
see.
Edit trust transactions.
Delete trust transactions.
Print a trust transaction by highlighting the transaction and clicking

Print.
Editing Matter Trust Activity

1.
Select Trust/Matter Trust Activity. The Matter Trust Activity window

appears.
2.
Highlight the trust transaction you want to change and click Open.
The Matter Trust Activity Modify window appears.
Change the following settings to help you edit the information for
the trust transaction:
Matter Number: The matter number for the trust transaction.
Trust Accounts 145
3.
Invoice #: [Do not change] If applicable to the highlighted

transaction, the bill number on which the trust transaction
appeared.
Check #: [Do not change] If applicable to the highlighted

transaction, the number of the check printed for the trust
transaction.
Date: [Do not change] The date of the trust transaction.
Amount: [Do not change] The amount of the trust transaction.
Account #: [Do not change] The number of the trust account

associated with the trust transaction.
Payee: If applicable to the highlighted transaction, the person

or company paid through this trust transaction.
Description: The description of the trust transaction.
Billing Status: [Do not change] Indicates whether this trust

transaction has been billed or not.
Debit/Credit: [Do not change] Indicates whether this trust

transaction is a debit or credit.
Item on Hold: When selected, this trust transaction is on hold,

meaning that money cannot be taken out of the trust fund until
this transaction clears.
Fees/Cost: Indicates the type of trust transaction.
Click Done.
Deleting Matter Trust Activity

Select Trust/Matter Trust Activity. The Matter Trust Activity window
appears. Highlight the trust transaction you want to delete and click
Delete.
146 Trust Accounts
IMPORTANT: You should not delete payments made to/from the trust
account. The ledgers will not update correctly. Instead, either void the
trust check (see Voiding Checks on page 175) or enter a negative trust
deposit (see Adding/Editing Trust Deposits on page 148). For example,
if you write a trust check that is incorrect and you void that check, you
can delete both transactions.
If you delete a trust transaction by accident, you must make an
adjustment in the general ledger. See Adjusting Trust Activity on page
190 for more information.
Viewing Trust Activity for a Deleted Matter

To view all the trust transactions for a deleted matter, select
Trust/Deleted Matter Trust Activity. The Deleted Matter Trust Activity
window appears.
Set the date range as necessary and then select the matter.
View detailed information for a transaction by highlighting the

transaction and clicking Open.
Generate the Deleted Client/Matter Trust Ledger report by clicking

Print.
Handling Multiple Trust Accounts

If you have more than one trust account, you need to set the trust
account for each matter that does not use the default trust account.
See Editing General Information for Matters on page 73 for help
assigning a trust account to an individual matter.
Trust Accounts 147
Trust Deposits
Trust retainers are applied to trust accounts. In Abacus Accounting,
depositing a trust retainer is called a trust deposit. To work with trust
deposits, open the Trust Deposits window by selecting Trust/Trust
Deposits.
Add or edit a trust deposit.
Get information about a trust deposit by highlighting the payment

and clicking Edit.
Delete a trust deposit
Print a trust deposit.
Print a deposit slip for a trust deposit.
Post a trust deposit.
Adding/Editing Trust Deposits
148 Trust Accounts
1.
Select Trust/Trust Deposits. The Trust Deposits window appears.
2.
To add a trust deposit, click Add.
To edit a trust deposit, highlight the deposit and click Edit.
3.
The Trust Deposits Add or Modify window appears with the

General Information tab selected.
Use the following to help you complete the tab.
Matter Number: Select the matter associated with the trust

deposit.
Trust Account: Select the trust chart of account number to

which the deposit is to be applied.
Charge credit card/ACH for the deposit: Check if a bank

card was used for the transaction.
Amount: The total amount of the trust deposit.
Description: A description of the trust deposit (for example,

the check number or wire transfer information).
Type of Deposit: The type of trust deposit where:

Fee means the deposit is to be applied to fees only.
Cost means the deposit is to be applied to client costs only.
Other means the deposit is to be applied to something other
than fees or client costs.
NOTE: This section will not appear if Hide the type of entry
from the Trust Deposit and Check Screens is checked for
Workstation Options. For more information, see Setting Data
Entry Options on page 26.
Trust Accounts 149
4.
Click Done.
5.
Dont forget to post your trust deposit or it wont appear in the

matter trust activity ledger or in the trust check book!
NOTE: If you are working with a negative trust deposit to process

money electronically transferred out of a clients trust account, the
program will not allow you to post a negative deposit for more funds
than are available in a client matter trust account unless you have
checked Allow Individual Trust Accounts to be OverDrawn in your
company preferences. See Changing General Information for Your
Company on page 20 for more information.
Comment [SH10]: added topic
Deleting Trust Deposits

1.
2.
Highlight the payment and click Delete.
Note that when you delete a trust deposit, all transactions in the deposit
will be deleted. If you just want to delete one transaction in the deposit,
enter a trust deposit (see Adding/Editing Trust Deposits on page 148)
exactly like the incorrect deposit EXCEPT place a minus sign (-) in front
of the amount, making it a negative deposit. Then, you can enter the
correct trust information.
Printing Trust Deposits

When you select to print trust deposits, the Client Trust Deposits report
is generated.
150 Trust Accounts
1.
2.
Click Print. The following window appears:
3.
Select the matter and account number you want to include in the
printout. To include all matters or accounts, enter an asterisk (*).
NOTE: Typically, you will only change the setting on this window if
you are working with a real estate closing!
4.
Click Print.
Printing Deposit Slips for Trust Deposits

You can print a deposit slip to be used to deposit the trust money at the
bank. For pre-printed deposit slips, contact Safeguard Business
Systems at 1-800-432-7701.
1.
2.
Highlight the trust deposit to be included in the deposit.
3.
Click Deposit Slip. The deposit slip appears.
Change the page settings as follows:

Trust Accounts 151
4.
Date of Deposit: This defaults to the current date, but you can
change it to the correct date for bank reconciliation purposes.
Printer: Select the printer to which you want to send output.
Offsets: The number of spaces vertically and horizontally to

shift the slip. This setting will help you nudge the form up and
down and left and right so you can get the information to print
exactly in the fields of pre-printed forms.
Click Print to print the deposit slip.
Posting Trust Deposits

Posted trust deposits are recorded in the matter trust activity.
1.
2.
Check the posting date to make sure that it is the same date as the
date of the deposit.
3.
Highlight the trust deposits to be posted.
4.
Click Post.
Processing Trust Checks

Trust checks are checks written against trust accounts. There are two
different methods you can use to process trust checks:
Trust Demand Check Writer: You use the Trust Demand Check
Writer to print and record a trust check all in one step.
2-Step Method for Trust Checks: You (1) add a trust request and
then (2) print the requested trust checks.
Both methods give you the same results printed and recorded trust
checks. Generally, you should use the Trust Demand Check Writer to
process trust checks. However, there are 2 instances where you need
to use the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks:
(1) For real-estate closings, use the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks.
There are so many checks involved in closings, the 2-step method can
save you some time as you can set up the checks ahead of time (in
step 1).
(2) If you have allowed fees and costs for a matter to be paid out of
trust (which is set during the billing process), then during posting,
Abacus Accounting will generate trust checks for bills for each matter to
be paid out of trust. In this situation, Abacus Accounting has performed
the first step of the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks. So, it wouldnt
make sense to use the Trust Demand Check Writer just perform step
2 of the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks.
152 Trust Accounts
Processing Trust Checks with the Trust Demand Check

Writer
The Trust Demand Check Writer lets you print a trust check and record
it in the matter trust activity in one easy step.
1.
Select Trust/Trust Demand Check Writer. The Print Demand Trust

Checks window appears.
2.
On this window, do the following:
Set Account Number to the trust account you want to write the
check against.
NOTE: This is the account set up in the Chart of Accounts
not your actual bank account number.
Select the matter for the check.
If you do not need an actual check for this payment because it

was processed with a debit card or bank transaction (like an
automated payment), select ATM/Debit Card/Bnk Chrgs
Transaction. This will post your debit card/bank transaction
entries to the appropriate ledgers without actually issuing a
check.
Complete the check just as you would a paper check. Note that
you cannot write a check for an amount more than the balance
of the matters trust.
Enter a description for the check in the Description box.
Trust Accounts 153
3.
Click Print to print the check. The following window appears:
4.
Complete the window as follows:
5.
Check/Post Date: The date that will appear on the check and
the posting date. Change as necessary.
Next Check Number: The check number to be assigned to the

check you are currently printing/posting.
Check Horizontal Offset in Inches, Check Vertical Offset in

Inches: If you want to adjust the offset for printing checks,
enter the offset values in these boxes.
Post Only, Do not Print a Check: Select this option if you do

not want to print the check. Abacus Accounting will update the
matter trust activity and the trust checkbook, but will not print a
check.
Printer: Select the printer.
Click OK and the check is printed and/or posted to the matter trust
activity.
Processing Trust Checks with the 2-Step Method for

Trust Checks
This method involves 2 steps:
In step 1, you manage a list of trust check requests.
In step 2, you process the trust check requests to produce a check

and/or posting transaction.
Step 1: Managing Trust Check Requests

Select Trust/Trust Check Requests. The Trust Check Requests window
appears.
154 Trust Accounts
Add or edit a trust check request.
Get information about a trust check request by highlighting the

request and clicking Edit.
Delete a trust check request by highlighting the request and

clicking Delete.
Print a trust check request list.
Adding/Editing Trust Check Requests

1.
Select Trust/Trust Check Requests. The Trust Check Requests

window appears.
2.
To add a trust check request, click Add.
To edit a trust check request, highlight the request and click

Edit.
The Trust Check Requests Add or Modify window appears.
Trust Accounts 155
3.
Matter: Select the matter associated with the trust check.
Vendor ID: Select the vendor who is being paid with the check.
If there is no vendor, click the lookup button. The Vendors
Browse window appears. Click Misc. Vendor.
Account #: The trust account that the check will be drawn

against.
Amount: The total amount of the trust check. You can only
write a check up to the dollar amount in the matters trust.
Description: A description of the trust check.
Payee: The person or company to be paid. If you selected a

vendor, this field is filled with the name of the selected vendor
ID. If you selected Misc. Vendor, you need to enter the name of
a person or company.
Memo: Any note for the check (such as matter name or case
number). This information is printed at the bottom of the check.
Address: The address for the payee.
Type of Check Request: The type of payment for which the

check is being generated where:
Fee means that the check is to be used to pay for fees incurred
by the client matter.
Cost means that the check is to be used to pay for costs
incurred by the client matter.
Other means that the check is to be used to pay for something
other than fees or costs. When you select Other, be sure to
enter the details of what the check is being used to pay.
NOTE: This section will not appear if Hide the type of entry
from the Trust Deposit and Check Screens is checked for
156 Trust Accounts
Workstation Options. For more information, see Setting Data

Entry Options on page 26.
4.
Click Done to save the request.
NOTE: You cannot print trust checks from the Trust Checks Request
window. Printing check requests has to be done in a second step see
Step 2: Processing Trust Check on page 157.
Printing a List of Trust Check Requests

When you select to print trust check requests, you generate the Trust
Check Request Listing report.
1.
Select Trust/Trust Check Requests. The Trust Check Requests

window appears.
2.
Highlight the check request you want to print and click Print. The
following window appears:
3.
Select matters or vendors for which you want to print check

requests. If you want to print check requests for all matters and/or
vendors, enter an asterisk (*).
4.
Under Sort Options, specify how you want the report sorted by
client matter or vendor.
5.
Click Print.
Step 2: Processing Trust Check Requests

In step 1 of the 2-Step Method for Trust Checks you created a list of
trust check requests that need to be handled. In step 2, you write trust
checks for those requests.
Trust Accounts 157
1.
Select Trust/Print Trust Checks. The Print Trust Checks window

appears.
2.
From the Selection Criteria tab, you can set criteria for the trust
checks you want to print. (If you want to print all requested trust
checks, go to the next step.) Set your print criteria as necessary.
Under Sort Options, select the order in which you want the checks
printed.
3.
158 Trust Accounts
Select the Check Selection tab. Requested trust checks meeting

the criteria set on the Selection Criteria tab are listed. (If you did
not set any criteria, all requested trust checks are listed.)
4.
Highlight the check you want to print and click Print. The following
window appears:
5.
Check/Post Date: The date that will appear on the check

and/or the posting date. Change as necessary.
Total of the Checks Requested for Printing: The total

amount of the checks selected for printing. This value is readonly and cannot be changed.
Printer: Select the printer if you want to print checks.
Print Options: Select one of the following:

Print Checks Only: Select this option to print the checks.
Abacus Accounting will update the matter trust activity ledger
and the trust check register. If you select this option, the Next
Check # field appears displaying the check number to be
assigned to the check you are currently printing/posting.
Change the check number as necessary.
ATM/Electronic Payments: Select this option if the transaction
is for an ATM or electronic payment. Abacus Accounting will
update the matter trust activity and the trust checkbook, but will
not print a check. If you select this option, the Next ATM # field
appears displaying the ATM transaction number to be assigned
to the transaction you are currently posting. You cannot change
this number. It is automatically assigned by the system.
Post Only, Do not print checks: Select this option if you do
matter trust activity and the trust checkbook, but will not print a
check.
Check Horizontal Offset, Check Vertical Offset: If you want

to adjust the offset for printing checks, enter the offset values in
these boxes.
Trust Accounts 159
Summary Stub if more than 10 matters on a check: When

this option is NOT checked, the total amount for all matters will
be included in the first check printed, but only 10 matters will be
included in the summary stub on that first check. If there are
more than 10 matters involved, then voided checks with those
matters will be printed so that they are all included on the
summary stub. 10 matters are included on each check.
When this option IS checked, the total amount for all matters
will be included in one check and printed. No summary
information will be included.
NOTE: You can get detail information related to the check on
the Cash Disbursements Detail report.
6.
Click OK and the check is printed and/or posted to the matter trust
activity.
Voiding Trust Checks

You can void a trust check just as you would any other check. See
Voiding Checks on page 253 for more information.
When you void a trust check, the money is added back to the account
the check was written against, and a reverse transaction is made to the
client trust activity, so the client gets the money refunded.
Reconciling Trust Accounts

For more information about reconciling bank accounts, see Reconciling
Bank Accounts on page 256.
Viewing the Check Register

To view the check register for the trust account, see Check Register on
page 254.
Distributing Trust Account Interest

Trust interest distribution calculates the total interest you earned for a
trust account and distributes it among the matters that make up the
balance of the trust account.
160 Trust Accounts
1.
Select Trust/Interest Distribution. The Trust Interest Distribution

window appears.
2.
Enter the start and end date for the interest distribution period (as
recorded on your bank statement). This creates the date range for
the interest earned period.
3.
Enter the amount of interest earned for the selected date range (as
recorded on your bank statement).
4.
Select the trust account.
5.
Enter a description of the interest distribution transaction if you like.
6.
Under Fee/Cost Indicator, select how the trust account money

was earned on a fee or cost basis.
7.
Click Distribute.
Trust Accounts 161
6.
Accounts Payable
Processing Payables
You process payables by writing checks or making debit transactions
against your operating accounts. There are two different methods you
can use to create checks:
Demand Check Writer: You use the Demand Check Writer to print
and record a check all in one step.
2-Step Method for Payables: In this procedure you (1) add a
payable and then (2) write a check against the payable.
Both methods give you the same results printed and recorded
checks. However, there are three differences you need to consider
before you pick a method to use:
(1) The Demand Check Writer is limited in that you cannot expense
more than one account. If you need to charge against more than one
account (for example, monthly credit card charges), use the 2-Step
Method for Payables.
(2) If you need to control your cash flow, use the 2-Step Method for
Payables. This will allow you to enter and post the payable, but you
wont have to print the check immediately. For example, you can wait
until after you received payment from a client.
(3) Use the 2-Step Method for Payables when multiple expense
accounts are involved.
Processing Payables with the Demand Check Writer

The Demand Check Writer is used to pay client-incurred costs (hard
costs) as well as firm expenses and, if applicable, post the costs to the
bill for the relevant matter. Hard costs are costs which you pay directly,
such as paying an invoice that you received from a court reporter. The
Demand Check Writer creates a check (or payment record) for the
invoice and posts the client cost to the bill in one easy step.
NOTE: Use this procedure if you are paying client costs from the
operating account. If you pay costs directly from the trust account, you
need to use the Trust Check Writer.
162 Accounts Payable
1.
Select A/P/Demand Check Writer. The Demand Check Writer

window appears with the General tab selected. To move from
check to check within the register (for example, if you needed to
see the most recent check written), use the left and right arrow
buttons.
2.
Set Checking Account # to the account you want to write the

payment against.
NOTE: This is the account set up in the Chart of Accounts not
your actual bank account number.
Accounts Payable 163
3.
If you do not need an actual check for this payment because it was
processed with a debit card or bank transaction (like an automated
payment), select ATM/Debit Card/Bnk Chrgs Transaction. This
will post your debit card/bank transaction entries to the appropriate
ledgers without actually issuing a check.
4.
Complete the form just as you would a paper check. Note that for
Payee you click the lookup button, highlight a vendor on the
Vendors Browse window, and click Done. SHORTCUT: You can
just start entering the name and if the name exists in the Abacus
Accounting database, it will be completed for you.
If you do not see the vendor you want, you can click Add to add
the vendor or you can click Misc. Vendor, which opens a window
that prompts you for an ad hoc vendor name.
company receiving the check is to receive a 1099. Miscellaneous
vendors are not included in 1099 filings.
5.
Complete the remaining fields on the General tab.


associated.

6.


7.
Click Print. The following window appears:
8.

check you are currently printing/posting. If you selected
ATM/Debit Card/Bnk Chrgs Transaction on the check form
because this was a debit card or bank transaction, the check
number will be a special number that does not come from the
check register. Abacus Accounting will begin with 1A and
increment by 1 each time. You do not need to change this
number; Abacus Accounting adjusts it for you.
GL Posting Date: The date that will appear on the check and
9.

Do Not Print: Select this option if you do not want to print the
check. (If you selected ATM/Debit Card/Bnk Chrgs
Transaction on the check form because this was a debit card
or bank transaction, the Do Not Print option is selected for you
automatically.) Abacus Accounting will update the general
ledger, but will not print a check. It will also update the matter
billing activity ledger (if applicable) and the vendor ledger.
Click Print.
Processing Debit Transactions for Multiple Expense

Accounts
To process payables for more than one expense account for debit
transactions, enter your debit card transactions using the 2-Step
Method for Payables (see Processing Payables with the 2-Step Method
for Payables on page 166). Check ATM/Debit Card/Bnk Chrgs
Transaction. This will post your debit card transaction entries to the
appropriate ledgers without actually issuing a check.
Processing Payables with the 2-Step Method for

Payables
This method involves 2 steps:
In step 1, you will manage a list of payables.
In step 2, you will actually handle those payables to produce a

check and/or posting transaction.
Step 1: Managing Payables

You manage payables from the Enter/Post Payables window. To open
the window, select A/P/Enter and Post Payables.
Add/edit payables.
Delete payables by highlighting the payable and clicking Delete.
Print the Accounts Payable report by clicking Print.
Post a payable by highlighting the payable and clicking Post.
Adding/Editing Payables
1.
Select A/P/Enter and Post Payables. The Enter/Post Payables

window appears.
2.
3.
If you want to add a payable, click Add.
If you want to edit a payable, highlight the payable and click

Edit.
The Enter/Post Payables - Add or Modify window appears with the

General tab selected. Enter/edit information about the payment
amount and about the person or company being paid. If you want
to place the payable on hold, check Invoice is on Hold.
4.
Select the Client Section tab. Select the client-matters for whom
the payable transaction is being made. Then, for each matter,
select the expense accounts to charge and enter the amount to
charge each account. Page 2 is provided to give you additional
entry lines so you can enter up to 10 client accounts in a single
transaction.
5.
Select the Firm Section tab. Select the accounts to be debited for
the transactions and the amount to be charged against each firm
expense account.
NOTE: A common misconception is that the cash account should
be used on the Firm Section tab. But, usually, expense or liability
accounts are used.
Page 2 is provided to give you additional entry lines so you can
enter up to 10 firm expense accounts in a single transaction. If you
have more than 10 firm or client expense accounts, you need to
split the invoice into 2 parts.
6.
Click Done to save the account payable. The window clears so that
you can add more payables.
7.
You need to post the payables to make them available to write

checks against (by listing them in the Print AP Checks window).
Ensure that Posting Date is correct, usually todays date. Then,
highlight the payables you want to post and click Post.
NOTE: You cannot print checks from the Enter/Post Payables window.
Printing checks for payables has to be done in a second step see
Step 2: Writing Checks against Payables on page 169.
Step 2: Writing Checks against Payables

In step 1 of the 2-Step Method for Payables you created a list of
payables that need to be handled. In step 2, you write checks for those
payables through the Print AP Checks window. To open the window,
select A/P/Print A/P Checks.
The Print AP Checks window appears with the Selection Criteria tab
selected. If you are not looking for a specific check to print and dont
care what order in which the checks print, skip to the next step.
If you are looking for a specific check to print and/or want the checks to
print in a specific order, you can complete the fields on the Selection
Criteria tab to specify the vendors for whom you want to print checks,
the number of the account from which the money will be taken to cover
the checks, and the checks that will appear on the Check Selection
tab.
Select the Check Selection tab, which displays a complete list of

payables. (Unless you entered criteria on the Selection Criteria tab, in
which case the resulting payables are listed in the order you specified.)
From this tab, you can:
Print AP checks for the posted payables listed.
Split AP checks for the posted payables listed.
Delete posted payables listed by highlighting the payable and

clicking Delete.
Printing AP Checks
1.
Select A/P/Print A/P Checks. Set your criteria on the Selection

Criteria tab if necessary and select the Check Selection tab.
2.
From the list on the Check Selection tab, highlight the checks you
want to print. If you want to highlight more than one check, press
and hold the CTRL key while you highlight checks. When they are
all selected, click Print.
3.
The Print AP Checks window appears.
Account Number: Select the account the check will be written

against.
GL Posting Date: The date that will appear on the check and
Account balance after these checks have been posted: The

balance of the selected account minus the total amount of the
selected checks.
Total value of the checks requested for printing: The total

amount of all the selected checks selected for printing.
Printer: Select the printer if you want to print checks.
Print Options: Select one of the following:

Print Checks Only: Select this option to print the checks only.
Abacus Accounting will update the matter activity ledger and
check register. If you select this option, the Next Check # field
appears displaying the check number to be assigned to the
check you are currently printing/posting. Change the check
number as necessary.
ATM/Electronic Payments: Select this option if the transaction
is for an ATM or electronic payment. Abacus Accounting will
update the matter activity and the checkbook, but will not print
a check. If you select this option, the Next ATM # field appears
displaying the ATM transaction number to be assigned to the
transaction you are currently posting. The ATM transaction
number is automatically assigned by the system you cannot
change it.
Post Only, Do not print checks: Select this option if you do
matter activity and the checkbook, but will not print a check.
4.

check you are currently printing/posting. NOTE: If you are
recording a transaction that does not include a check number
(like a debit card transaction), see Processing Debit
Transactions for Multiple Expense Accounts on page 166.
Check Horizontal Offset, Check Vertical Offset: If you want

to adjust the offset for printing checks, enter the offset values in
these boxes.
Click OK.
Splitting AP Checks
1.
Select A/P/Print A/P Checks. Set your criteria on the Selection

Criteria tab if necessary and select the Check Selection tab.
2.
Highlight the check you want to split and click Split. The Split
Payable window appears.
3.
Complete the fields under Split Details as follows:
4.
Amount: The total amount of the payable.
# of Payments: The number of payments you want to use to

split this payable.
1st Payment Date: The date of the first payment. The

remaining payments will be payable monthly on the day
selected for the first payment.
Click Distribute. Abacus Accounting calculates equal payments for

the payable. This information is displayed on the right side of the
window.
5.
Make changes to the payable breakdown as necessary.
6.
Click Save.
Processing Payables with Credit Cards

If you need to charge the payable to more than one expense account,
use the 2-Step Method for Payables (see Processing Payables with the
2-Step Method for Payables on page 166). This method will allow you
to expense more than one account per transaction.
If you need to charge the payable to only one expense account, record
the credit card transaction see Recording Credit Card Transactions
on page 179.
Processing Payables for Credit Card Payments

In the case where you make a payment with a credit card or if the credit
card company automatically debits a transaction, heres a suggested
practice:
1.
Create an AP demand check for each entry on the statement. For

help, see Processing Payables with the Demand Check Writer on
page 162. For cash account, use the credit card liability account.
For expense account, use the actual expense account. Use the
correct vendor. If you are not tracking vendors for 1099, use the
firms credit card vendor.
2.
When you pay the credit card bill, again create an AP demand
check for the payment. But this time, the cash account is the
account the money came out of for the payment, and the expense
account is the credit card liability account.
Holding A/P Invoices

If you are not ready to pay an invoice, you can put it on hold. On hold
invoices will NOT be listed for payment on the Print AP Checks
windows Check Selection tab (A/P/Print A/P Checks).
To place an invoice on hold:

When adding or editing the payable, check Invoice is on Hold.
To remove the hold on an invoice:

When you are ready to pay the invoice, select A/P/Vendor Activity to
open the Vendor Activity window. Highlight the invoice you want to pay
and click Open. The Vendor - Activity window appears. Uncheck the
Invoice is on Hold box.
Click Done to save your changes. The invoice will now be listed on the
Print AP Checks window where it can now be paid.
Adjusting Posted Payables

If the payable has been posted and a check has been written against it,
you need to void the check (see Voiding Checks on page 175).
If the payable has been posted but a check has NOT been written
against it, you can delete the transaction by highlighting the payable in
the Print A/P Checks window (to open, select A/P/Print A/P Checks)
and clicking Delete.
Correcting for Common Check Errors

Voiding Checks for Accounts Payable
For more information, see Voiding Checks on page 253.
Changing an Incorrect Check Number

You cannot change a check number once it is used. So, to correct an
incorrect check number, you need to void the check (see Voiding
Checks on page 175) and then reissue it with a new or modified check
number. (You cannot reuse a check number.)
If the check has already been cashed and you just need to correct the
information in your books without printing a new check, you can use the
Demand Check Writer (see Processing Payables with the Demand
Check Writer on page 162) or the 2-Step Method for Payables (see
Processing Payables with the 2-Step Method for Payables on page
166) to issue a new check.
Use the same check number with the suffix .1 (for example, 1234.1).
This helps you easily identify checks that had to be reissued. Then,
select not to print the check (by selecting Do Not Print). This will create
transaction entries in the appropriate ledgers but will not actually issue
a check.
Deleting Checks
As long as a check is not reconciled or billed, you can delete it.
NOTE: Deleting a voided check deletes both the original check entry
and the voided check entry.
Reconciling Bank Accounts

Recurring Payables
What if you have an automatic payable that is scheduled every month?
Dont manually generate it in every month set up a recurring payable!
You can set up recurring payables so that when they are due, you can
generate them with less effort.
Once recurring payables have been set up, you can generate them
each time they are due.
To manage recurring payables, select A/P/Recurring Payables. The
Recurring Payables window appears displaying all payables that are
due to be generated.
Add or edit a recurring payable.
Delete a recurring payable by highlighting the payable and clicking

Delete.
Print the Recurring Accounts Payable Listing report by clicking

Print.
Merge recurring payables for payment.
Adding/Editing Recurring Payables

1.
Select A/P/Recurring Payables. The Recurring Payables window

appears.
2.
To add a recurring payable, click Add.
To edit a recurring payable, highlight the entry and click Edit.
The Recurring Payables Adding a new Recurring Payable or the

Recurring Payables Modify existing Recurring Payable window
appears.
3.
From the General Information tab, complete the following fields:
Vendor ID: The vendor to receive the recurring payment.
Due Day: The day of the month the recurring payable is due,
th
such as the 10 day of every month.
Amount: The usual amount due for the payable.
Description: The description of the payable.
4.
Select the Breakdown tab. From this tab, you determine how the
payable is to be debited to your expense accounts. Select the
account numbers to debit and then enter the amount for each
account selected.
5.
Click Done.
Merging Recurring Payables for Payment

NOTE: You also have the ability to merge payables for payment
automatically (see Automatic Merging of Recurring Payables on page
178). This is the manual procedure.
1.
Select A/P/Recurring Payables. The Recurring Payables window

appears.
2.
In the Month box, enter the number of the month for the payment.
For example, if you are paying your recurring payable transactions
for March, enter 3. (The program gets the day from the date you
entered when you set up the recurring payable.)
3.
In the Year box, enter the year for the payment.
4.
Highlight recurring payables you want to process and click Merge.
5.
The payables will now appear in the Enter/Post Payables window

where they can be processed as normal payables. See Step 2:
Writing Checks against Payables on page 169 for more information
about processing payables.
Automatic Merging of Recurring Payables

Abacus Accounting will prompt you so that you can automatically
merge the recurring payables when they are due to be posted.
This feature must be set up in Abacus Accounting as follows:
Your company preferences must include a date for Next A/P

Merge Date, which is the date for merging recurring journal entries.
For more information, see Changing General Information for Your
Company on page 20.
You must select Prompt me about merging Recurring Payables
in Workstation Options. For more information, see Setting
Miscellaneous Workstation Options on page 29.
Follow these steps to automatically merge recurring payables.
1.
The date you entered for Next A/P Merge Date in your company
preferences, you will be prompted to add the payable. For
example, if the original payable date was January 15, then you will
th
be prompted to add the same payable on the 15 day of every
month thereafter. Select to add the payable.
2.
The payables will now appear in the Enter/Post Payables window

where they can be processed as normal payables. See Step 2:
Writing Checks against Payables on page 169 for more information
about processing payables.
Using Credit Cards

Creating a Credit Card Liability Account
To use credit cards you need to have an associated credit card liability
account for each credit card. You create accounts in your chart of
accounts. Ensure that credit card liability accounts start with the
number 2.
For help creating accounts, see Adding/Editing Accounts on page 59.
Recording Credit Card Transactions

3.
Select A/P/Credit Cards/Add Credit Card Transaction. The Credit

Card Input window appears.
4.
Complete the General tab as follows:
CC Liability Account #: Select the credit card liability account

you want to write the payment against. See Creating a Credit
Card Liability Account on page 178 for more information.
Date, Payee, Amount, Address, Memo: Complete the

payment information just as you would complete a check.
Note that for Payee you click the lookup button, highlight a
vendor on the Vendors Browse window, and click Done.
SHORTCUT: You can just start entering the name and if the
name exists in the Abacus Accounting database, it will be
completed for you.
If you do not see the vendor you want, you can click Add to
add the vendor or you can click Misc. Vendor, which opens a
window that prompts you for an ad hoc vendor name.
company receiving the check is to receive a 1099.
Miscellaneous vendors are not included in 1099 filings.


associated.

5.

6.
Click Save.
Downloading Credit Card Statements

7.
Select A/P/Credit Cards/Download Credit Card Statement. The

Download Credit Card Statement window appears.
8.
9.

59), then select the credit card liability account.
Abacus Accounting.
10. On the Unmatched Entries tab, you need to match, add, or delete


page 162.
11. On the Matched Entries tab, do any of the following:



12. Once you have adjusted all transactions to your satisfaction, you
can go on to the next step, which is Reconciling Credit Card
Accounts. Click Reconcile Account on the screen and then skip to

step 5 in the Reconciling Bank Accounts procedure.
Reconciling Credit Card Accounts

Viewing the Vendor Ledger

To view the vendor ledger, select A/P/Vendor Activity. The Vendor
Activity window appears.
Select a vendor and set the start and end date for the transactions you
want to see.
NOTE: Date on this window indicates the due date of the invoice.
View/edit vendor transactions.
Delete a vendor transaction by highlighting the transaction and

clicking Delete.
Print vendor transactions by clicking the Print button. This

generates the Vendor Detail report.
Viewing/Editing Vendor Transactions

1.
Select A/P/Vendor Activity. The Vendor Activity window appears.
2.
Select a vendor and set the start and end date for the transactions
you want to see.
3.
Highlight the vendor transaction you want to view or edit and click
Edit. The Vendor Activity Modify window appears.
4.
Use the following field definitions to make changes to the window:
Vendor ID: The vendor number for the transaction.
Invoice Number: If applicable, the invoice number for the

transaction.
Invoice Date: If applicable, the date of the invoice for the

transaction.
Description: The description of the transaction.
Payee: The person or company actually receiving the payment.
Invoice Amt.: The amount charged for the transaction.
Amount Paid: The amount paid in the transaction.
Check Number: If applicable, the number of the check by

which payment to the vendor was made.
Date of Check: If applicable, the date of the check by which

payment to the vendor was made.
Payment Status: Indicates whether the vendor has been paid

or not.
Invoice is on Hold: Check if the vendor invoice is currently on

hold.
5.

To view the check register for the operating account, see Check
Register on page 254.
7.
General Ledger
Viewing the General Ledger

Select G/L/Journal Activity. The Journal Activity window appears.
Set the criteria for the general ledger information you want to view:
Date Range: Set the date range for the journal entries you want to
view.
Type: Select the type of journal entries you want to view.
Journal Entry Number: If you want to see a specific journal entry,

enter the number in the box.
Account Number: Select the specific account number for which

you want to see journal entries.
Source: Select the function that generated the entry. For example,
if you want to see only payroll transactions posted to the general
ledger, you would select Post Payroll.
Amount: Enter the amount for the journal entries you want to find.
Balance Forward: The beginning balance for the selected date

range and account.
Ending Balance: The ending balance for the selected date range
and account.
Click Refresh after you have set your criteria.
NOTE: Deposits and checks are listed in the general ledger NOT by
matter, but by total deposit. To view details of deposits (i.e. matters
affected), use the Daily Posted Cash Receipts report. To view details of
checks, use the Cash Disbursements Detail report.
View more information about an entry.
General Ledger 185
Print the General Journal Listing report by clicking Print.
Highlight a transaction and click Deposit Breakdown to see

detailed information. See Deposit Breakdown Information on page
Viewing More Detail for General Ledger Journal Entries

1.
Select G/L/Journal Activity. The Journal Activity window appears.
2.
Highlight the entry for which you want more information.
3.
Click Edit. More detail for the journal entry appears.
The following defines each field on the window. Note that you can
change the cleared status.
Date: The date that the entry was posted to the general ledger.
Account Number: The number of the account affected by the
entry.
Account Name: The name of the account affected by the entry.
Journal Entry Number: The number of the journal entry as
assigned by Abacus Accounting. Note that the number is
immediately followed by the type of journal entry.
Amount: The amount of the transaction.
Debit/Credit: Indicates if this transaction was a debit or credit.
This transaction is for Rent: For credit transactions only. Check if
this transaction is a rent payment.
Code: If a check was written, the vendor code of the payee for the
check.
Name: If a check was written, the name of the payee for the check.
Reference: Internal data recorded by Abacus Accounting when the
entry is posted.
Source: The functionality used to enter the entry.
186 General Ledger
Cleared Status: Indicates if the transaction is Cleared,

Unreconciled, or Reconciled. Change the setting as necessary and
click Save.
Description: A description of the journal entry. Edit the description
as necessary and click Save.
4.
Editing Description for General Ledger Journal Entries

1.
Select G/L/Journal Activity.
2.
Highlight the journal entry you want to edit and click Edit.
3.
In the Description box, enter/edit the description.
4.
Click Done.
Posting Journal Entries

Journal entries are posted to the general ledger through the Post
General Ledger Journal Entries window. To open the window, select
G/L/Post Journal Entries.
Add or edit a journal entry.
Delete a journal entry by highlighting the entry and clicking Delete.
Print the General Journal Edit report by clicking Print.
Post journal entries by highlighting the journal entry and clicking

Post.
Adjust trust activity.
General Ledger 187
Adding/Editing General Ledger Journal Entries before

Posting
1.
Select G/L/Post Journal Entries. The Post General Ledger Journal

Entries window appears.
2.
To add a journal entry, click Add.
To edit a journal entry, highlight the entry and click Edit.
The Post General Ledger Journal Entries Add or Modify window

appears.
3.
On the General tab enter the information for the journal entry.
Use the following field definitions to make changes to the window:
Type of Entry: Select the type of journal entry. Journal entries

are defined as follows:
General (G) - Used for beginning balances when you are
importing numbers into Abacus Accounting. Voids are also
entered as general entries.
Adjusting (A) When you make an accounting mistake, you
cannot delete it from the general ledger you have to make an
adjusting entry. Adjusting entries are ways of indicating that a
correction is being made. Adjusting entries also are provided
by your accountant at year-end.
Cash Receipt (R) Used for transactions where money
coming into your accounts.
Cash Disbursement (D) Used for transactions where money
is going out of your accounts.
Trust Adjustment (T) A general journal entry made when
you want to add an entry to the matter trust activity ledger
without affecting the general ledger.
188 General Ledger
Cash Disbursement Information: (only appears when Cash

Disbursement is selected for Type of
Entry) Provides an option to include the journal entry and
account for cash disbursement transactions.
Date: The date for the transaction.
Amount: The total amount of the transaction.
Description: The description of the journal entry.
4.
On the Debit Accounts tab, select the appropriate accounts to

debit. For example, if you are adding cash to the operating
account, you would debit the operating account. For each account
selected, enter the amount of the debit. (See Quick Review of
Debits vs. Credits on page 10 for help understanding the difference
between debits and credits.)
5.
On the Credit Accounts tab, credit the appropriate account. For

example, if you are spending money from the operating account,
you would credit the operating account. (See Quick Review of
Debits vs. Credits on page 10 for help debiting and crediting
accounts.)
General Ledger 189
6.
Click Done to save the entry.
Adjusting Trust Activity

Use this procedure only when you want to add an entry to the matter
trust activity ledger without affecting the general ledger. For example,
when you delete a trust activity transaction by mistake, you need to
make a trust adjustment journal entry in the general ledger.
1.
Select G/L/Post Journal Entries. The Post General Ledger Journal

2.
Click Add. The Post General Ledger Journal Entries Add window
appears.
3.
On the General tab, under Type of Entry, select Trust

Adjustment. Then enter a description, date, and amount to correct
the trust transaction that was deleted.
4.
Skip the Debit Accounts tab and Credit Accounts tab - you do
not need to use them for this type of entry.
5.
Select the Trust Adj Information tab. Enter the information

necessary to correct for the deleted trust transaction.
For Trust Checking Account Number ensure that you enter the
cash account number that this transaction affected, usually your
default trust account.
190 General Ledger
6.
Click Done to save the entry.
Recurring General Ledger Journal Entries

What if you have an automatic payment that is scheduled every
month? Dont manually enter it in the general ledger every month set
up a recurring journal entry! You can set up recurring journal entries so
that when they are due, you can post them with less effort.
Once recurring journal entries have been set up, you can post them
each time they are due.
To manage recurring journal entries, select G/L/Recurring Journal
Entries. The Recurring Journal Entries window appears displaying all
journal entries that are due to be posted to the general ledger.
Add or edit a recurring journal entry.
Delete a recurring journal entry by highlighting the entry and

clicking Delete.
Print the Recurring Journal Entry Listing report by clicking Print.
General Ledger 191
Merge recurring journal entries for posting.
Adding/Editing Recurring Journal Entries

1.
Select G/L/Recurring Journal Entries. The Recurring Journal

2.
To add a recurring journal entry, click Add.
To edit a recurring journal entry, highlight the entry and click

Edit.
The Recurring Journal Entries Add or Modify window appears.
3.
Enter the general ledger journal entry just as you do for regular
journal entries. See Adding/Editing General Ledger Journal Entries
on page 188 for help.
For Date, enter the first date of the occurrence. Every subsequent
month, a recurring journal entry will be created for the same day of
the month.
Merging Recurring Journal Entries for Posting

NOTE: You also have the ability to merge journal entries for posting
automatically (see Automatic Merging of Recurring Journal Entries on
page 193). This is the manual procedure.
192 General Ledger
1.
Select G/L/Recurring Journal Entries. The Recurring Journal

2.
In the Month box, enter the number of the month for the posting.
For example, if you are creating your recurring journal entry
transactions for March, enter 3. (The program gets the day from the
date you entered when you set up the recurring journal entry.)
3.
In the Year box, enter the year for the posting.
4.
Highlight recurring journal entries you want to post and click

Merge.
5.
The journal entries will now appear in Post Journal Entries window.
To post an entry, highlight it and click Post.
Automatic Merging of Recurring Journal Entries

Abacus Accounting will prompt you so that you can automatically
merge the recurring journal entries when they are due to be posted.
This feature must be set up in Abacus Accounting as follows:
Your company preferences must include a date for Next G/L

Merge Date, which is the date for merging recurring journal entries.
For more information, see Changing General Information for Your
Company on page 20.
You must select Prompt me about merging Recurring Journal

Entries in Workstation Options. For more information, see Setting
Miscellaneous Workstation Options on page 29.
Follow these steps to automatically merge recurring journal entries.
1.
The date you entered for Next G/L Merge Date in your company
preferences, you will be prompted to add the entry. For example, if
the original journal entry date was January 15, then you will be
th
prompted to add the same entry on the 15 day of every month
thereafter. Select to add the journal entry.
2.
The journal entries will now appear in Post General Ledger Journal
Entries window. To post an entry, highlight it and click Post.
Reversing Journal Entries

You have the ability to reverse journal entries in Abacus Accounting.
When you reverse an entry, the transactions credit and debit accounts
are switched. For example, you might want to reverse journal entries if
you corrected an entry but realized the adjusting entry was incorrect.
BE CAREFUL when reversing journal entries. Here are tips to
remember:
Do not make reversing entries for cash disbursements when a

check has been issued. Instead, void the check (see Voiding
Checks on page 175).
General Ledger 193
Do not make reversing entries for client payments. Instead,

create a negative deposit for the client payment (see
Adding/Editing Client Payments on page 121). This applies to
regular client payments as well as trust deposits.
Reversing a journal entry will not affect the matter trust activity
or matter billing activity.
1.
Select G/L/Reverse Journal Entry. The Reverse Journal Entry

window appears.
2.
In the Journal Entry Number box, enter the number assigned to

the journal entry you want to reverse. (You can get the journal
number from the Journal Activity window see Viewing the
General Ledger on page 185.)
3.
In the Journal Entry Type box, select the type of journal entry you
are reversing.
4.
Click Reverse. The journal entry is reversed in the general ledger

with REVERSAL recorded in the entrys Reference field. The
reversing entry is assigned its own journal entry number, but it is
given the same date as the original transaction.
Account Budgeting
Abacus Accounting lets you set up annual or fiscal budgets so you can
compare actual to expected expenses, revenue, etc. You can create
budgets for any income or expense account in your chart of accounts.
Budgeting is performed from the General Ledger Budget window. To
open the window, select G/L/GL Budget. This window lists all accounts
with budgets.
194 General Ledger
Add or edit an account budget.
Delete a budget item by highlighting the item and clicking Delete.
Adding/Editing Account Budgets

1.
Select G/L/GL Budget. The General Ledger Budget window

appears.
2.
To add an account budget, click Add.
To edit an account budget, highlight the account budget and

click Edit.
The General Ledger Budget Adding a new Budget Record or

General Ledger Budget Modify existing window appears.
3.
Under Calendar/Fiscal Year, select whether the account budget is

for a calendar (annual) or fiscal time period. When you select
General Ledger 195
Fiscal Year, a box appears for you to enter the month in which
your fiscal year starts. After you enter the starting month, Abacus
Accounting displays the months on the screen in order by your
fiscal starting month. For example, if your fiscal year starts in May,
the month display will be May, June, July, etc. instead of January,
February, March, etc.
4.
Select the account number. Then, enter the budget year and the
total budget to use.
5.
Notice that the total amount you enter is divided equally between
the months listed. For each month listed, adjust the budgeted
amount as necessary.
6.
Click Done to save your changes and return to the General Ledger
Budget window.
Closing the General Ledger

There are 2 types of general ledger closings: monthly and yearly.
Monthly closings are performed at the end of the month after all
financial transactions are finished. Yearly closings are performed at the
end of a specific time period, such as the end of the calendar year or
the end of the fiscal year, after all financial transactions for that time
period are finished and audited. Once a year is closed, you cannot
modify that years information.
Closing the General Ledger for a Month

When you are completely finished with a month, you can close the
months general ledger data in Abacus Accounting. Do not close a
month until you have completed all the work for the month.
Closing a month will generate reports requested and create a backup
copy of all your Abacus Accounting data. Once the month has been
closed, you will NOT be able to post any activity to that month or prior.
However, you WILL be able to view the detail of the general ledger.
IMPORTANT: The month cannot be closed unless all Abacus
Accounting users are logged off.
196 General Ledger
1.
Select G/L/Month End Closing. The Month End Closing window

appears.
2.
Select the month and enter the year you want to close.
3.
In the Report Group to run box, highlight the report group you
want to run for the closing.
4.
Click Done. The selected report group will run and the backup
process will start.
Closing the General Ledger for a Year

Although the feature is called Year End Closing, you can use it to clear
all general ledger data for a specified time frame.
WARNING: Because the Year End Closing function affects all of your
accounting, you need to generate a full set of reports and create a back
up of the data and programs in your system.
When general ledger data is cleared, specifically this is what happens
for the selected time frame:
Detail for the income and expense accounts is deleted and net
profit/loss is rolled into the general ledger account setup in the
Default Account Setup for Profit/Loss.
Detail for the Asset, Liability, and Capital accounts is deleted and
the balances are rolled into a summary file. For these accounts you
will have a balance forward, but no detail for the time frame closed.
The entries in the cash disbursement and cash receipt table are
deleted for items cleared on the bank reconciliation for the selected
time frame.
Closing a year in Abacus Accounting does not affect the matter billing
activity, matter trust activity, vendor ledgers, or payroll records.
General Ledger 197
1.
Ensure that no one else is using Abacus Accounting in your firm.
2.
Select G/L/Year End Closing. The Year End Closing window

appears.
3.
Enter the dates for the date range that includes the data you want
to close.
4.
Click Begin.
Viewing Closed Journal Activity

Once you have closed data, you can view it through the Closed Years
Journal Activity window. To open the window, select G/L/Closed Years
Journal Activity.
Set the date range and any other criteria for the closed journal entries
you want to see and click Refresh.
198 General Ledger
View more information about a closed entry by highlighting the

entry and clicking Open.
Print all closed records by clicking Print.
Modifying General Ledger Closing Dates

There may be times when you need to modify a general ledger closing
date, for example, if you closed a month too early. Essentially, by
modifying the month end closing date, you are unclosing the closing!
When you close a month, you cannot date any transactions before that
month. Also, you cannot add, edit or delete transactions during the
closed month. However, when you unclose a month, the months
transactions are once again available, and you can add, edit, and
delete transactions for the month.
When you close a year, all transactions dated within the closed year
are deleted. For income and expense, the balance is rolled into the
profit and loss. For asset, liability, and equity accounts the balance is
rolled into the balance forward. You cannot add, edit, or delete
transactions dated during the closed year. However, you can view the
closed years activity in the Closed Years Journal Activity. You can print
a limited number of reports.
1.
Select G/L/Unclose Month or Year. The Unclose Month/Year

window appears.
2.
Change the dates to when you last performed month- and year-end
closings.
IMPORTANT: Year-end closing date cannot be changed once it is
processed.
3.
Click Done.

For more information about reconciling bank accounts, see Reconciling
Bank Accounts on page 256.
General Ledger 199

To view the check register for the operating account, see Check
Register on page 254.
200 General Ledger
8.
Payroll
Overview of Payroll
Abacus Accountings payroll functionality provides you with a payroll
calculating and reporting tool that is integrated with the accounting
modules. This integration with the accounting modules means the
program can automatically process those payroll transactions that
affect your general ledger without you having to re-enter data.
Managing Deduction Codes

In Abacus Accounting, you manage payroll deduction codes from the
Payroll Deduction Codes Browse window. To open the window, select
Payroll/Deduction Codes.
Add or edit a deduction code.
Delete a deduction code by highlighting the code and clicking

Delete. You cannot delete codes if they are being used in
Accounting Manager.
Print the Deduction Code Listing report by clicking Print.
Adding/Editing Deduction Codes

1.
Select Payroll/Deduction Codes. The Payroll Deduction Codes

2.
If you want to add a deduction code, click Add.

Payroll 201
If you want to edit a deduction code, highlight the code and

click Edit.
The Payroll Deduction Codes Adding a new Payroll Deduction

Code or Payroll Deduction Codes Modifying existing Payroll
Deduction Code window appears.
3.
4.
Complete/edit the information on the window as follows:
Deduction Code: The code for the deduction. Consists of 3

alphanumeric characters (for example, INS or 401).
Account Number: An account number from the chart of

accounts.
Description: The description of the deduction.
Tax Status: The tax status for the deduction code.

IMPORTANT: Contact the provider of the plan to determine tax
status.
W-2 Box 12 Reporting Option: The deduction type or

description.
Click Done.
Managing State Unemployment Taxes

In Abacus Accounting, you manage unemployment tax rates for the
states in which your employees are paid from the State Unemployment
Tax Rate Info window. To open the window, select Payroll/State
Unemployment Taxes.
202 Payroll
Unemployment rates for Alabama through Montana are listed on the

AL-MT tab. Unemployment rates for Nebraska through Wyoming are
listed on the NE-WY tab.
NOTE: State tax rates may change. You need to check them annually.
For each state in which you have employees, complete:
Rate: Enter the rate assigned by the state for unemployment taxes.
Cut Off: Enter the maximum gross dollar limit for the state per
year. Once this amount is reached, Abacus Accounting will no
longer list that states unemployment taxes as a payable on your
quarterly tax report.
Managing Employee Profiles

In Abacus Accounting, you manage employee profiles from the
Employees Profile window. To open the window, select
Payroll/Employee Profile.
Payroll 203
Add or edit an employee profile.
Delete an employee profile by highlighting the employee and

clicking Delete.
NOTE: Be careful when deleting a terminated employee. This
information is needed at year end to complete the W-2.
Print an employee profile.
Adding/Editing Employee Profiles

1.
Select Payroll/Employee Profile. The Employees Browse window

appears.
2.
If you want to add an employee profile, click Add.
If you want to edit an employee profile, highlight the employee

and click Edit.
The Employee Profiles Adding a New Employee or Employee

Profiles Modifying Employee window appears.
204 Payroll
3.
Complete the information for the employee on the Employee

Information tab.
Employee ID: A code that uniquely identifies the employee.

RECOMMENDATION: Use an employees initials for his/her
ID.
Department: The code of the department in which the

employee works. The department code must correspond to one
of the department codes you set up in your salary expense
account in the default account setup see Setting Default
Accounts on page 62.
Name: The employees full name.
Address, City, State, Zip: The employees mailing address.
Phone Number: The employees telephone number.
Social Security Number: The employees social security

number.
Tax State: The state in which the employee pays state taxes.
Sex: Indicates whether the employee is a male or female.
Employment Status: Indicates whether the employee is a fulltime or part-time worker.
Date of Birth: The employees date of birth.
Date of Employment: The date the employee starting working

at your firm.
Date of Termination: The date the employee terminated at

your firm. By entering this date, you will maintain all year-todate information, but will prevent the employee from being paid
again.
Date of Last Increase: The date the employee received a

salary or wage increase.
Pay Type: Indicates if the employee is paid hourly or salaried.
Payroll 205
NOTE: If the employee receives overtime pay, he/she must be

set up as an hourly employee.
4.
206 Payroll
Pay Rate: For hourly employees, enter the hourly wage (such
as $10). For salaried employees, enter the pay-period salary.
For example, for a salaried employee whose salary is $48,000
annually and is paid monthly, enter 4000 ($4,000.00).
Overtime Rate: For hourly employees, enter the amount they

are to be paid for each overtime hour. For example, if an hourly
employee is paid $10.00 for each regular hour and earns time
and a half for overtime, enter 15 ($15.00).
Vac. Accrual Rate, Sick Accrual Rate: The number of hours

the employee accrues for vacation and sick time each pay
period. To calculate the accrual rate for vacation and sick time,
take the number of hours the employee is eligible for and divide
by the number of pay periods. For example, if an employee is
eligible for 2 weeks of vacation and is paid biweekly, the
vacation accrual rate would be 80 (hours) divided by 26 (pay
periods), or 3.07 hours per pay period.
Pay Frequency: The pay period.
Select the Tax Information tab. Complete the tax information for
the employee. Note that the fields on this window change
depending on the tax state selected.
Marital Status: The employees marital status for the different

levels of tax processing. For federal tax processing, if you
select Supplemental, Abacus Accounting will calculate federal
withholding at a straight 28%. If state tax processing offers a
supplemental option, the program will calculate state
withholding at the supplemental rate for the employees state.
Exemptions: The number of exemptions for the different levels

of tax processing.
Additional Withholding: The amount to be withheld (above

the normal deduction) each pay period from the employees
paycheck for federal, state, county, or local/city taxes.
EIC: Indicate whether the employee is eligible for Earned

Income Credit.
5.
Select the Deduction Codes 1 tab. Enter deductions for the

employee. You can enter up to 14 deductions. (Use the Deduction
Codes 2 tab to enter more than 7 deductions.)
6.
To view a summary of the employees payroll information, select

the YTD Totals tab.
7.
When you are finished, click Done to save the employee profile.
Printing Employee Profiles

Select Payroll/Employee Profile. The Employees Browse window
appears. Click Print and the Payroll Reports window appears. From
here you can generate the Employee Profile Printouts report.
Payroll 207
Processing Payroll
Payroll is processed from the Process Payroll window. To open the
window, select Payroll/Process Payroll.
Add paychecks to the process list.
Edit paychecks before processing.
Delete paychecks by highlighting the paycheck and clicking Delete.
Generate the Payroll Edit report by clicking Print.
Print and post paychecks.
Adding Paychecks for Processing

1.
Select Payroll/Process Payroll. The Process Payroll window

appears.
2.
Click Add. The Process Payroll Add window appears. The table
lists employees in your firm who are paid through payroll. For an
employee to be listed, he/she need to have an employee profile set
up in Abacus Accounting. (See Managing Employee Profiles on
page 203.
NOTE: For an employee to be listed, the selected pay frequency
needs to match the employees pay frequency.
208 Payroll
3.
Complete the settings on the page to customize the payroll run:
Pay Frequency: Set Pay Period Ending Date and then select
your firms pay period type (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.).
Employee Type: Select the type of employees you want to

include in the payroll run.
Pay Type: Select the type of employees you want to include in

the payroll run. All includes both hourly and salaried
employees.
Show Terminated Employees: Select to include terminated

employees in the payroll run.
Default Work Hours: Enter the number of hours being paid in

the pay period. For example, the number of hours for a weekly
pay period might be 40.
Bonus Payroll Run: Select if the payroll run is for a bonus

payment. When you process payroll as a bonus, Abacus
Accounting deducts taxes but does not withhold for other
deductions such as health insurance.
4.
Highlight the employees you want to include in the payroll run.

Click Select All to highlight all employees in the list.
5.
Click Done. The Process Payroll window reappears with the

employees selected for the payroll run.
Editing Paychecks before Processing

Select Payroll/Process Payroll. The Process Payroll window appears.
Highlight the employee paycheck you want to edit and click Edit. The
Process Payroll Modifying window appears.
Payroll 209
From this window, you can modify paychecks for various reasons.
To modify regular or overtime hours for an hourly employee:
Change the regular or overtime hours.
Click Done.
NOTE: Abacus Accounting will automatically recalculate taxes for

you you do NOT have to click Recalculate Taxes.
To modify gross reg for a salaried employee:
Change Gross Reg and click Done.
NOTE: Abacus Accounting will automatically recalculate taxes for
you you do NOT have to click Recalculate Taxes.
To modify tax amounts:
Change the amount for the specific tax and click Done.
NOTE: Do not modify any tax amount other than federal or state
withholding.
To modify the deduction amount:
Change Deduction Amount.
Click Recalculate Taxes.
Click Done.
To enter/modify sick and/or vacation hours used for the pay period:
Enter total number of hours the employee is being paid in the Sick
Hours or Vacation Hours boxes. Do not change Accumulated
Hours. Do not reduce Regular Hours if the employee is being paid
for the sick/vacation hours.
NOTE: Abacus Accounting will not prevent you from assigning
more sick/vacation hours than have been accumulated.
210 Payroll
Printing/Posting Paychecks
1.
Select Payroll/Process Payroll. The Process Payroll window

appears.
2.
Highlight the paychecks you want to print. Click Select All to select
all paychecks.
3.
Click Print Checks. After a report is printed, the Process Payroll

Print window appears.
4.
5.
Account Number: Select the checking account the check will

be written against.

check you are currently printing/posting.
Do Not Print: Check if you do not want to print the check.

Abacus Accounting will post the transaction to the general
ledger, but will not print a check.

Click Done.
Voiding Payroll Checks

You can void a payroll check just as you would any other check. See
Voiding Checks on page 253 for more information.
When you void a payroll check all associated payroll and tax activity
(such as W2 and all federal and state taxes) is voided as well.
Payroll 211
Viewing Employee Payroll Activity

To view employee paychecks that have been processed, select
Payroll/Employee Payroll Activity. The Employee Payroll Activity
window appears.
Select the employee (to see all employees, enter *) and set the date
range for payroll activity. Paychecks for the selected employee(s)
during the selected date range are listed.
View/edit the selected paycheck.

Print all payroll activity by clicking the Print button. This generates
the Employee Payroll Activity report.
Viewing/Editing Payroll Activity

1.
Select Payroll/Employee Payroll Activity. The Employee Payroll

Activity window appears.
2.
Highlight a paycheck and click Open. The Employee Payroll

Activity - Modify window appears.
3.
Select the General tab to view/edit general information for the

selected paycheck.
If you are initially setting up payroll, enter the accumulated
sick/vacation hours for the employee under Accumulated Hours.
212 Payroll
4.
Select the Deduction Codes tab to view/edit deduction amounts

for the selected paycheck.
5.
If you made any changes, click Done.
Payroll 213
9.
Reports
When to Run Reports

The following reports should be generated monthly:
Month-end financial statements including the Balance Sheet,

Income Statements, General Journal Listing report, and General
Ledger Detail Listing report.
Productivity reports. These are very important if the timekeepers

are paid on a performance basis. It is also a good idea to print the
Work in Process reports directly after the bills have been posted.
This is a check and balance opportunity to be sure that no client
was accidentally skipped in the billing process.
Accounts Receivable reports. Again the time to print these reports

is directly after posting bills and applying trust money.
Trial Balance report. This is a general ledger report.

The following reports should be generated yearly, before an accounting
year is closed.
Accounts Receivable reports. Your accountant will need these for

tax purposes.
Accounts Payable report (after all invoices have been entered and
posted). Your accountant will need this for tax purposes.
Financial reports including the Balance Sheet, Cash Disbursement

Listing report, Cash Disbursement Detail report, General Journal
Listing report, General Ledger Cash Receipt report, General
Ledger Detail Listing report, General Ledger Detail Listing, Income
Statements, Income Statement with Budget Comparison report,
and Trial Balance for Year report.
Report Customization
The firm name printed on reports comes from the name used to
register AbacusLaw. Registration is performed in AbacusLaw. Refer to
the AbacusLaw Reference Guide for more information.
Emailing Reports
One option to generate a report is to email it to someone. Before you
use this option, be sure to set up your email report settings. See
Setting Email Options for Reporting on page 31 for help with this.
214 Reports
Saved Reports
Posting reports are automatically saved in the system. To see saved
posting reports, select Reports/View Saved Reports. The Saved
Reports window appears listing the saved posting reports.
In this window you can do any of the following:
Filter the report listing by changing the Start Date, End Date, User
ID, or Report Type fields.
To view a posting report, highlight it and click View.
To refresh the list of posting reports click Refresh.
Reports 215
1099/1096 Reports
Comment [SH11]: updated entire topic
Generating 1099/1096 Reports

1.
216 Reports
Select Reports/1099 and 1096. The 1099/1096 Module window

appears.
2.
Highlight Calculate 1099 Miscellaneous Income and click

Calculate. This calculates all 1099 fields for the vendor. It also
generates a report listing all the vendors with amounts.
3.
Once the 1099 fields are calculated and any adjustments are made
to the vendor values, you can print the 1099 forms.
Highlight Print 1099 Miscellaneous Income.
Set the other criteria for the 1099 form. NOTE: Placement
Setting is a line adjustment for the forms.
Under Destination, select whether you want to preview or print

the report or print the report to a file.
Click Preview, Print, or File (depending on what you chose for

print destination).
Reports 217
4.
After printing the 1099 forms, you can run the 1096 Annual
Summary report.
Highlight Print 1096 Annual Summary.
Complete the criteria for the report. NOTE: Placement Setting

is a line adjustment for the forms.
Under Destination, select whether you want to preview or print

the report or print the report to a file.
Click Preview, Print, or File (depending on what you chose for

print destination).
1099 Miscellaneous Income Report

This report is the 1099 Miscellaneous Income form required by the IRS.
This report only prints for those vendors that have the 1099 function set
on the individual vendor codes.
1096 Annual Summary

This report is a supporting summary for the 1099.
NOTE: You must print all 1099 forms before the 1096 Annual Summary
can be printed.
218 Reports
For these reports, you need to use preprinted forms. You can purchase
these forms from Safeguard Business Systems (1-800-432-7701).
Accounts Payable Reports

Generating Accounts Payable Reports
1.
Select Reports/Accounts Payable.
Select A/P/Accounts Payable Reports.
The Accounts Payable Reports window appears.
Reports 219
2.
Highlight the report you want to generate.
3.
Report criteria specific to the selected report appears to the right in

the window. Complete the criteria for the report.
4.
Under Destination, select whether you want to preview or print the

report, print the report to a file, or email the report.
5.
Click Preview, Print, File, or Email (depending on what you chose

for print destination).
A/P Cash Requirements

This report lists all posted invoices that are still unpaid.
Following are criteria that you might need defined when generating this
report:
Include Items Due Through: The due date through which you
want invoices included.
Age Items as of: The date you want used to age the invoices.
A/P Unpaid Invoice Aging Summary

This report lists unpaid invoices in cumulative 30-day categories up to
90 days.
Cash Disbursement Listing

This report lists all checks and disbursement type journal entries.
Cash Disbursements Detail

This report lists detail for all checks for the selected account. Detail
includes the general ledger account debited and the client/matter
number affected.
Recurring Payables Listing

This report lists all recurring payables.
Vendor Detail Report

This report lists all invoices paid, and to be paid, for the selected
vendor for the selected time period.
220 Reports
Vendor Summary Report

This report summarizes by vendor prior balances, new invoices,
payments made, and the remaining balance for the selected time
period.
Accounts Receivable Reports

See Matter Reports on page 228.
Audit Trail / Transaction Log Report

The Audit Trail report lists user activity that occurred in Abacus
Accounting by user. The Transaction Log lists deletion actions that
occurred in Abacus Accounting.
Follow these steps to generate the report:
1.
Select Reports/Audit Trail. The View Audit Trail / Transaction Log

window appears.
2.
Under Select Report, select whether you want to print the audit
trail or a transaction log. The audit trail lists user activity; the
transaction log lists deletion actions.
3.
Under Date Range, set the date range for the report.
4.
Under User Selection, select whether you want to see an audit

trail / transaction log for all users or only for the currently logged in
user.
5.
[only applicable to the Audit Trail report] Under Action Selection,

select whether you want to include all actions or a selected action
Reports 221
to include in the report. If you select Selected Action, a drop-down

option appears that lets you select the action you want to include in
the report.
6.

7.

Billing Reports
Generating Billing Reports
1.
Select Reports/Billing.
Select Billing/Billing Reports.
The Billing Reports window appears.
222 Reports
2.
3.

the window (except for the Matter Summary report where the
criteria appears in a separate window). Complete the criteria for the
report.
4.

5.

Billing Report
This report lists a breakout of fees, costs, late charges, taxes, hours,
and trust billed on an invoice for the selected client-matter.
Credit Card Activity Report

This report lists credit card/ACH transactions for the selected clientmatter and date range.
Matter Summary Report

This report summarizes financial information about the charges, fees,
billed amounts, paid amounts, and currently owed amounts for a
matter. It also provides trust balances, date of last bill, last payment,
and aged balance due.
NOTE: You can access this report from any Matter window in
AbacusLaw by double-clicking the Abacus Accounting icon in the righthand corner of the window.
Unbilled Cost Report

This report summarizes the detail from the matter billing activity ledger
for all unbilled costs, by hard and soft costs. A total of hard costs
unpaid by the firm is also noted.
Unpaid Invoice Report

This report lists unpaid invoices by matter, broken out for fees, costs,
late charges, and taxes.
Reports 223
General Ledger Reports

Generating General Ledger Reports
1.
Select Reports/General Ledger.
Select G/L/General Ledger Reports.
The General Ledger Printouts window appears.
224 Reports
2.
3.

4.

5.

Balance Sheet
This report summarizes all asset, liability, and capital accounts.
Cash Disbursement Listing Report

This report lists of all checks and disbursement type journal entries.
Cash Disbursements Detail Report

This report lists detail for all checks for the selected account. Detail
includes the general ledger account debited and the client/matter
number affected.
Cash Flow Report

This report shows the total amount of funds received and sent out for a
specific cash account.
Checkbook Register Report

This report provides a printed version of the checkbook register for the
selected account and date range.
Closed Years GL Detail Listing

This report lists general ledger detail for the selected date range for the
selected account(s).
Daily Posted Cash Receipts Report

This report lists total deposits for the selected cash account by posting.
Deposits are listed by client/matter number affected (not by total
deposit).
Reports 225
Expense Summary Report

This report lists all transactions that have been applied to your expense
accounts.
report:
Account Selection: Select All to include all expense accounts in

the report. Select Detail (xx) to include only the detailed accounts
specified (i.e. only the detailed accounts set up in the chart of
accounts that end with .01, .02, etc.)
General Journal Listing Report

This report lists all debits and credits that have occurred during the
selected time period.
report:
Type: The type of journal entries (General, Adjusting, etc.) to

include in the report. Selected types will be included in the report.
Source: The function that was used to post the journal entry to the
general ledger.
NOTE: The General Journal Listing report can be run for closed years.
General Ledger Budget Listing Report

This report summarizes account budgeting.
General Ledger Cash Receipts Report

This report lists all cash receipts received and deposited during the
General Ledger Detail Listing Report

This report lists all account activity for the entire general ledger for the
report:
226 Reports
Account Selection: Specify the accounts to include in the report.

One indicates that only the specified account will be included.
Range indicates the specified range of accounts will be included.
Income Statement Budget Comparative Report

This report summarizes all income and expense accounts for the
current month and year to date compared to the amounts budgeted for
the accounts.
report:
Include only the Specialized Income Statement Accounts:

When checked, only accounts defined as specialized income
statement accounts are included in the report. To define an
account as a specialized income statement account, see
Adding/Editing Accounts on page 59.
Income Statements
This report summarizes all income and expense accounts.
report:
Include only the Specialized Income Statement Accounts:

When checked, only accounts defined as specialized income
statement accounts are included in the report. To define an
account as a specialized income statement account, see
Adding/Editing Accounts on page 59.
Month only: Includes balances for only the month specified.
Month & Year-to-Date: Includes the activity for the month

specified and Year-to-Date balances.
Selected Range: Includes balances for the specific time frame.
Compare This Year vs Last Year: This will compare the current
years income and expenses to last years income and expenses. If
you select this format, you need to indicate if the prior year has
been closed. Then, you need to enter the month (MM) and year
(YYYY) you want included.
Income/Expense Summary Report

This report summarizes income and expense accounts by month for a
12-month period.
Recurring Journal Entries Listing Report

This report lists all recurring general ledger journal entries.
Revenue Summary Report

This report summarizes all activity in the revenue accounts.
Reports 227
report:

Single Journal Entry Listing Report

This report lists detailed information for a specific journal entry. You
enter a journal entry number and then select the journal entry type
(general, adjusting, cash receipt, etc.) that was assigned to the journal
entry.
To find the journal entry number and type, select G/L/Journal Activity.
Subsidiary Ledger Report

This report lists all activity for the selected account for the selected time
period.
Trial Balance Report

This report summarizes by account all activity for the selected time
period.
report:

Matter Reports
Generating Matter Reports
1.

To see all of the client-matter reports:
Select Reports/Matter.
Select Matters/Matter Reports.
To see only the accounts receivable reports:
228 Reports
Select Billing/Accounts Receivable Reports.
Select Reports/Accounts Receivable.

The Client/Matter Reports window appears.
2.
3.

4.

5.

Accounts Receivable Aging Report

This report lists all unpaid bills by matter by attorney and aged by
current, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, and over 90 days.
report:
Billed and Posted Items Through Cutoff Date: The last day you
want included on the report.
Reports 229
Accounts Receivable Report

This report lists all unpaid bills by matter by attorney with the total
broken out by fees, costs, late charges, and taxes due. Also includes
the balance in trust and last payment due.
report:
Billed and Posted Items Through Cutoff Date: The last day you
want included on the report.
Sort Options: The report is sorted by responsible timekeeper and

then by the selected sort option: Matter Description,
Client/Matter, or Client Last Name.
Do not breakdown by Attorney: If this is NOT checked, the report

will be sorted by responsible timekeeper. If it is checked, the report
will be sorted only by the selected sort option.
Include Min Retainers: When selected, an additional column

called Min Retainers is added to the report. The column lists the
dollar amount added to the total amount due.
Advanced Costs Detail Report

This report lists unbilled hard/soft costs, billed hard/soft costs, paid
hard/soft costs, and costs due.
report:
Suppress Zero Costs Due: Check if you do not want matters with
zero cost balances due included in the report.
Timekeeper: Check All to include all timekeepers. Check

Timekeeper Initials to select a timekeeper for the report. Note that
you can also select the originating, responsible, or assigned
timekeeper for a matter. (Different types of timekeepers are
assigned to matters during matter maintenance see Editing
General Information for Matters on page 73.)
Advanced Costs Timekeeper Summary Report

This report lists total unbilled or billed costs by client expense code for
each timekeeper.
report:
230 Reports

Advanced Costs Expense Code Summary Report

This report lists total billed or unbilled costs and adjustments by client
expense code.
report:

Billing Anniversary Report

This report calculates which matters should be billed quarterly based
on the open date of the matter.
report:
Matters to Include: Indicates which types of matters will be

included in the report, where:
All will include all matters.
Open Matters will include only matters with an open date within
the specified date range.
Closed Matters will include only matters with a close date within
Billing Frequency: Leave this set at Special Quarterly. The

report will not generate properly otherwise.
Client & Matter Listing Report

This report lists client number, client name, matter number, matter
description, and case code for each matter.
report:
Matters to Include: Indicates which types of matters will be

included in the report, where:
All will include all matters.
Open Matters will include only matters with an open date within
Closed Matters will include only matters with a close date within

Reports 231

Client Cash Disbursement Report

This report lists each client-incurred check written, showing which
clients were advanced money and for what purpose.
Client Cash Receipts Report

This report lists all money received from a client.
Client Income Summary Report

This report ranks clients in order of total receipts.
Client Matter Financial Ledger Report

This report accesses the matter billing detail ledger for a matter. When
you select the report, the Matter Billing Detail window appears. For
more information, see Viewing the Matter Billing Activity Ledger on
page 131.
Closed Matter Report

This report lists the client-matters you have closed during the selected
time period. It includes information such as client-matter names,
descriptions, storage locations, box number, person authorizing close,
etc.
Fee Warning/Authorization Report

For a matter, you have the option of including hourly warnings and
limits for the time you spend on a matter (see Editing Billing Information
for Matters on page 74). If you have selected hourly warnings and/or
limits, this report lists the hours worked on a matter relative to the
hourly warnings and limits.
Matter Listing Report

This report lists detail information for each matter, including client
number, client name, matter number, matter description,
responsible/originating timekeeper, case code, billing frequency, billing
mode, billing format code, and minimum retainer.
232 Reports
Matter Rates Listing Report

This report lists the rate schedules for all matters for a client.
Time Ticket Diary Listing Report

This report lists unbilled time tickets for the selected matter.
Held Tickets: When Include Held Tickets is checked, the report

will include time tickets that have been placed on hold.
Time Ticket Type: Select the type of time tickets to include in the
report. (Selecting All will include all the types listed.)
Sort Selections: Select the order in which you want the

information listed on the report. You can select up to 3 sort orders.
Sort level 3 specifies how information under sort level 2 is to be
listed. Sort level 2 specifies how information under sort level 1 is to
be listed.
Billing Status: Select to include unbilled time, billed time, or both

in the report.
Write Off Report

The Write Off report lists fees, costs, taxes and late charges written off
by matter. This report includes all amounts written off for a matter (see
Writing Off Matters on page 87) as well as individual amounts written
off through adjustments (see Adding/Editing Soft Costs and
Adjustments on page 102).
report:
Date Range: Enter the date range for the report. Only write offs
occurring on or within the date range will be included in the report.
Billing Timekeeper: Specify the timekeepers you want to include

in the report. Select All to include matters for all timekeepers. To
include matters for a specific timekeeper, select Timekeeper
Initials. When you select this option, select the timekeeper code.
Then, indicate the timekeeper type for this timekeeper. For
example, if you only want to include those matters for which
timekeeper ABC was an originating timekeeper, select
Originating. Note that you can also select the originating,
responsible, or assigned timekeeper for a matter. (Different types
of timekeepers are assigned to matters during matter maintenance
see Editing General Information for Matters on page 73.)
Client: Specify the clients you want to include in the report. Select
All to include matters for all clients. Select Client Number to
include matters for a specific client, and then select the client
number.
Matter: Specify the matters you want to include in the report.

Select All to include all matters. Select Matter Number to include a
Reports 233
specific matter, and then select the matter.
Payroll Reports
Generating Payroll Reports
1.
Select Reports/Payroll.
Select Payroll/Payroll Reports.
The Payroll Reports window appears.
234 Reports
2.
3.

4.

5.

Employee Payroll Summary Report

This report summarizes an employees payroll data for the selected
time period.
Employee Profile Printouts Report

This report lists detail profiles for each employees payroll information,
including year-to-date figures.
Employers 940 Tax Return

This report generates the required Employers Annual Federal
Unemployment (FUTA) tax return along with Form 940 Payment
Voucher.
report:
Year: Enter the 4-digit year for which you are generating the return.
State: Select the state you are generating the return for.
Date Type: Indicates the date to use in determining payrolls to

include, where pay period date is the last date of the pay period
and G/L posting date is the date the payroll check was written.
After you print the form, you need to do the following before you file:
NOTE: Refer to the instruction packet received from the IRS to ensure
proper completion.
Reports 235
1.
Enter you firm name, address, calendar year and employee

identification number or use the label supplied by the IRS with your
return packet.
2.
Answer questions A, B, and C.
3.
In Part I, complete items, 2, 4, and 5.
4.
Complete the payment voucher if you will be including a payment

with the filing.
5.
In Part II, complete items 1, 2, 3 (a, b, and i), 3a, 3b, 6, 7, 8, 9, and
10.
6.
Complete Part III if you tax liability is greater than $100,000.
7.
Have an authorized person sign the form.
Employers 941 Tax Return

This report generates the required Employers Quarterly Federal tax
return that must be filed by your firm quarterly.
report:
Year: Enter the 4-digit year for which you are generating the return.
State: Select the state you are generating the return for.

Quarterly Figures: For each setting, specify the adjustment of

Social Security and Medicare taxes. Sick Pay, Fractions of
Cents, and Other are reported on line 9 of the return. Total deposit
and total adjustment for the quarter are reported on line 14 of the
return.
After you print the form, you need to do the following before you file:
NOTE: Refer to the instruction packet received from the IRS to ensure
proper completion.
236 Reports
1.
Enter you firm name, address, date quarter ended, and employee
identification number or use the label supplied by the IRS with your
return packet.
2.
Complete items 1 and 5.
3.
Complete item 17 if your firm is a monthly scheduled depositor.
4.
Complete Schedule B if your firm is a semi-weekly scheduled

depositor.
5.
Have an authorized person sign the form.
Firm Payroll Summary Report

This report summarizes the firms payroll data for the selected time
period.
Payroll Deduction Listing Report

This report lists all automatic payroll deduction codes.
Payroll Register Report

This report lists detail payroll information for each employee for
specified pay periods.
Payroll Tax Report

This report lists quarterly figures by employee for unemployment
earnings, 941 earnings, taxable year-to-date earnings, SUTA
excesses, and FUTA excesses. Also provides the total Social
Security/Medicare withheld, total firm liability, totals of the various
income tax withheld, EIC, state disability, and unemployment liability.
Quarterly Unemployment Compensation Report

This report provides information needed for the quarterly
unemployment tax due.
W-2 Wage and Tax Statement

This report generates the required W-2 statements at the end of the
year for each employee. This report requires pre-printed W-2 forms.
Two individual employee W-2 forms per page will be printed and four
copies (Copy A, Copy B, Copy C and Copy D) will be printed of each
form. Prior to printing the forms, be sure to assemble the appropriate
number of W-2 sets needed and place in your laser printer.
You can purchase W-2 forms from Safeguard Business Systems (1800-432-7701).
Reports 237
report:
Placement Setting: Leave this set at the default of 4. If your forms

do not align properly you can use this to move the form up/down a
line.
W-3 Transmittal
This report generates the required W-3 transmittal form to file along
with the entire Copy A page of forms W-2 to the Social Security
Administration.
NOTE: You need preprinted W-3 forms. Contact Safeguard Business
Systems (1-800-432-7701) to order the forms.
report:
Placement Setting: Leave this set at the default of 4. If your forms

do not align properly you can use this to move the form up/down a
line.
Contact: The contact name and information for the firm.

Productivity Reports
When Are Productivity Reports Updated?
Productivity reports dealing with fees and costs are updated any time a
client payment is entered through payments received. Productivity
reports dealing with billed time are updated when bills are posted.
Productivity reports dealing with unbilled time are updated as soon as
the data is entered into Abacus Accounting.
How Post On Ticket Date Affects Productivity Reports

The Post On Ticket Date setting, which is available during company
preferences, has a dramatic effect on some of the productivity reports.
Many productivity reports list time by time ticket type (Billable,
Nonbillable, No Charge, Trial, or Misc.).
NOTE: Hours for a Flat Rate time ticket are included in the Billable
Hours.
238 Reports
If you have NOT checked Post on Ticket Date in your company

preferences, the productivity report will include all billed time tickets as
of the date the invoice they appear on was posted (meaning the report
includes the date the bill was posted, not the actual date on the time
ticket). The report will also include all unbilled time tickets with an
actual date in the selected time period. If you HAVE checked Post on
Ticket Date in your company preferences, the productivity report will
include both billed and unbilled time tickets with actual dates within the
For more information about the Post on Ticket Date setting, see
Changing General Information for Your Company on page 20.
Generating Productivity Reports

1.
Select Reports/Productivity.
Select Billing/Productivity Reports.
The Productivity Reports window appears.
Reports 239
2.
3.

4.

5.

for print destination.
Billed & Unbilled Hours Detail Report, Billed & Unbilled

Hours Summary Report
These reports list all billed and unbilled time for the selected month by
timekeeper and time ticket type. The detail report is further broken
down by case code.
Hours.
See How Post On Ticket Date Affects Productivity Reports on page
238 for more information about time reporting.
Billed Hours Detail Report, Billed Hours Summary

Report
These reports list all billed time for the selected month by timekeeper
and time ticket type. The detail report is further broken down by case
code.
Hours.
See How Post On Ticket Date Affects Productivity Reports on page
238 for more information about time reporting.
Billed/Paid Fees Detail Report, Billed/Paid Fees Summary Report

These reports list the dollars billed and dollars paid for the selected
month and year-to-date by timekeeper. Also gives the percentage by
timekeeper of overall dollars billed and dollars paid. The detail report is
further totaled by case codes.
The Billed Fees portion of the report is calculated from the bills which
were posted as of the month/year specified. (i.e., the report uses the
date the bills were posted, not the actual date of the time ticket). The
actual time ticket timekeeper is credited with the fees.
240 Reports
For flat fee matters, if no time tickets are entered, the responsible
timekeeper will be credited with the fees. If time tickets are entered in a
flat fee matter then the fees will be credited proportionately to the
actual time ticket timekeeper in regards to the percentage of time spent
working on the matter. The same rule applies with contingency matters.
If flat rate time tickets are entered, the actual time ticket timekeeper is
credited with the fees.
The Paid Fees portion of the report is calculated from the information
entered under the Fee Distribution section for payments received.
Blled & Unblled Hrs Detail By Matter Report

This report summarizes by matter all unbilled and/or billed time for the
selected time period by time ticket type.
Hours.
NOTE: If you delete matters on a regular basis, this report may not
balance to the Billed & Unbilled Hours - Detail & Summary reports.
Those reports include hours on deleted matters while this report does
not.
Hours & Fees Budget Comparison Report

This report compares actual hours to budgeted hours by timekeeper for
the selected month and year-to-date. Includes both billed and unbilled
time for time ticket types of Billable, Flat Rate, Trial, No Charge, and
Non-Billable.
Hours Report
This report provides different metrics for hourly reporting. This report is
helpful for large law firms with multiple offices.
The following describes all the fields in the completed report:
Net Billable Hours: Includes hours for all BL, TR, and FR type
time tickets for the timeframe specified for all billing modes.
Net Billable Dollars: The total dollar amount of time tickets for the
timeframe specified.
For hourly/minimum fee matters, BL and TR type tickets are
calculated on an hourly rate. FR type tickets are calculated on the
amount of the ticket.
For flat fee/monthly fee matters, the total dollar amount is
calculated on the percentage of total hours worked (calculates
percentage based on hours x hourly rate).
For contingent matters, hours are valued at zero (0).
Net Daily Avg. MTD: Value of Net Billable Hours divided by the
Reports 241
number of work days between the start and end dates.
Net Daily Avg. YTD: Value of YTD Hours Net Billable divided by
the number of work days YTD.
Gross Hours: Total of hours in the Net Billable Hours column and
the NonBillable/No Chrg Hours column.
Gross Dollars: Value of time tickets, including BL, TR, FR, MS,
and NB (only type not included is NC). Flat Fee, Monthly Fee,
Minimum Fee, and Contingent value as noted in Net Billable
Dollars column.
Prebill Adjustments Hours: Hours for all NB type time tickets.
Prebill Adjustments Value: Value of all NB type time tickets.
YTD Hours Net Billable: Includes all BL, TR, and FR type time
tickets and all billing modes.
YTD Hours Gross: Includes all hours YTD Hours Net Billable +
YTD NonBillable/No Chrg Hours.
YTD Dollars Billed: Calculates the fees the same way as the Net
Billable Dollars column except this is YTD.
NonBillable/No Chrg Hours: Includes all NB, NC, and Misc No

Charge type time tickets for all billing modes.
YTD NonBillable/No Chrg Hours: Includes all MS, NC, and NB

type time tickets for all billing modes for YTD.
Matter Profit/Loss Report

This report shows a profit and loss statement for the selected date
range and other options.
The report shows profit and loss by matter for flat fee, monthly fee,
minimum fee, and contingency matters. It calculates what was charged
versus the hourly rate multiplied by hours worked.
Monthly Hours & Fees Recap Report

This report shows productivity by job title. It lists all billable hours by job
title and by division. This report is helpful for large law firms with
multiple offices.
Receipts Pending by Orig/Resp Report

This report lists the receivable balances (in aged format), the work in
process balance, and total due by matter. Sorted by case code and
then by originating/responsible timekeeper.
report:
242 Reports
Sort Selection: Indicates the sort order of matters within each

originating/responsible timekeeper, where:
Total Due will sort from the highest total due to the lowest total
due.
Client/Matter Desc will sort by client last name and further by
matter description.
Client/Matter Num will sort by client and further by matter number.

Referrals Report
This report lists total fees billed, fees paid and fees due by referral
source for each client that source generated.
NOTE: The referral source is grouped by the referral phone number.
report:
Clients Opened Between: Date range for the open date of matters
to be included in the report.
Fees Incurred Between: The date range of fees posted to include

in the report.
Select Referral Source to Include: Indicates which referral source

to include, where:
All Referral Sources Included will include all sources.
Specify One Referral Source to be included on Report will only
include the referral source specified (by phone number).
Timekeeper Cash Receipts Report

This report lists money received from clients by matter.
report:
Actual: Lists all fees credited to actual timekeepers in the Fee

Distribution section for payments received for all matters. Costs
are not included on the report when this option is selected.
Responsible: Lists all fees and costs credited to responsible

timekeepers for all matters.
Originating: Lists all fees and costs credited to originating

Assigned: Lists all fees and costs credited to assigned
Reports 243
NOTE: Responsible, originating, and assigned timekeepers for matters

are maintained through the matter see Editing General Information
for Matters on page 73.
Timekeeper Performance Summary Report

This report summarizes by timekeeper the following:
Total Hours Month & Year-To-Date total hours billed for all time
ticket types (Billable, Nonbillable, No Charge, Flat Rate, Trial, and
Misc.).
Billable Hours Month & Year-To-Date total hours billed for all
billable time ticket types (Billed, Trial, and Flat Rate only).NOTE: See
How Post On Ticket Date Affects Productivity Reports on page 238 for
more information about time reporting.
Fees Billed Month & Year-To-Date total dollar amount of Fees
billed for the select time period.
Fees Paid Month & Year-To-Date total dollar amount of fees paid
for the selected time period.
WIP Fees Year-To-Date total unbilled fees.
Unbilled Hours Detail Report, Unbilled Hours

Summary Report
This report lists by all unbilled time for the selected time period by ticket
type. The detail report is further broken out by case code.
Hours.
Weekly Time Ticket Value Report

This report lists by timekeeper for a weekly period all billable hours
(billed and unbilled), billable fee amounts, non-billable hours (billed and
unbilled), and non-billable fee amounts and total weekly hours for nondeleted matters.
NOTE: Billable hours include time ticket types BL (billable), TR (Trial),
and FR (Flat Rate). Nonbillable hours include time ticket types NB
(Nonbillable), NC (No Charge), and MS (Miscellaneous).
NOTE: The actual date of the time ticket is used in the calculation of
hours even if your system is setup for Post on Ticket Date.
244 Reports
Work in Process Aged Report, Work in Process

Summary Report, Work in Process Summary with
Prior Balance
The Work in Process - Aged report provides balances of unbilled hours,
fees, hard costs, and soft costs by matter in an aged format. Also
provides the prior balance, trust balance, billing mode, flat fee/minimum
fee amounts, originating/responsible timekeeper, and case code for
each matter.
The Work in Process - Summary report summarizes unbilled hours,
fees, hard costs, and soft costs on by matter. Also provides the trust
balance for each matter.
The Work in Process Summary with Prior Balance report is the same
as the summary report except that it includes the prior balance. Note
that the prior balance is essentially the A/R (the amount that is billed
but not paid).
NOTE: Hours and fees (flat fees and minimum fees) are reported by
the responsible, originating, or assigned timekeeper, regardless of who
the actual time ticket timekeeper is. Therefore, if you select a specific
timekeeper to generate this report for, the report will show all unbilled
hours by matter, for those matters which have the selected individual
as the responsible, originating or assigned timekeeper. The report will
NOT show every matter that the selected timekeeper has worked on.
report:
Items Through: The cut-off date of the report. All items up to and
including the cut-off date will be on the report.
Write Off Report

For information, see Write Off Report on page 233.
Trust Reports
Generating Trust Reports
1.
Select Reports/Trust.
Reports 245
Select Trust/Trust Reports.
The Trust Printouts window appears.
2.
3.

4.

5.

Cash Disbursement Listing Report

This report lists all checks and disbursement type journal entries for the
selected account.
Daily Posted Cash Receipts Report

This report lists total deposits by posting for the selected cash account.
Subsidiary Ledger Report

This report lists all activity for the selected general ledger account for
the selected time period.
246 Reports
Trust Ledger Report

This report lists all activity that has occurred in the trust accounts for
the selected matter for the selected time period.
Trust Ledger Fees/Costs Breakout Report

This report lists all activity that has occurred in the trust accounts for
the selected matter for the selected time period. Activity is detailed as
fee, cost, or other.
Trust Reports Detail Report

This report lists all activity that has occurred in the trust account by
matter for the selected client, general ledger account, or responsible
timekeeper.
Trust Reports Summary Report

This report summarizes the trust accounts by matter.
Reports 247
Setup Reports
Generating Setup Reports
1.
Select Reports/Setup. The Setup Reports window appears.
2.
3.

4.

5.

Activity Code Listing Report

This report lists all activity codes.
Billing Format Listing Report

This report lists all billing format codes and the options selected for
each code.
248 Reports
Case Code Listing Report

This report lists all case codes and their descriptions.
Chart of Accounts Listing Report

This report lists the chart of accounts.
Client Expense Code Listing Report

This report lists client expense codes.
Default Accounts Report

This report lists all default accounts.
Task Based Billing Code Listing Report

This report lists all task based billing codes.
Time Entry Abbreviation Code Listing Report

This report lists time ticket codes.
Timekeeper Budget Listing Report

This report lists the hourly budgets set for timekeepers.
Timekeeper Listing Report

This report lists timekeeper codes.
Vendor Listing Detail Report

This report lists the full vendor name and address, federal ID, firm
account number, default general ledger account, and client expense
code for all vendors.
Report Groups
You can group common reports into a report group. This lets you print
reports in a batch, instead of having to print them one at a time. For
example, report groups could be very useful for printing month end
reports, as you probably print the same reports each month.
Reports 249
To use a report group, you first need to set it up. You only need to do
this one time. Then, you can generate the reports in a report group in a
batch.
You maintain reports groups from the Report Group Maintenance
window. To open the window, select Reports/Report Groups.
Add/edit report group names.
Set up report groups.

Delete report groups by selected the report group in the Report
Group Name box and clicking Delete.
Run a report group, which generates all the reports in the group to
your specifications.
Adding/Editing Report Group Names

1.
Select Reports/Report Groups. The Report Group Maintenance

window appears.
2.
To add a report group name, click Add.
To edit a report group name, highlight the report group in the

Report Group Name box and click Details.
The Report Group Name or Change Report Group Name window

appears.
250 Reports
3.
Add or edit the name and click OK.
Setting Up Report Groups

You need to determine which reports include in a report group and to
set the criteria for those reports.
1.

window appears.
2.
Highlight the report group in the Report Group Name box.
3.
To include reports in the group, in the Available Reports box,

highlight one of the reports you want to include in the group. For
example, you might want to print the Balance Sheet report every
month end. Click Include and the report is listed in the Reports
Included box. Repeat this procedure to include all the reports you
want to print each month end.
4.
For each report in the group, highlight the report in the Included
box and click Details. A window appears that will let you set the
criteria for the individual report. Notice that you will not be allowed
to set time period. That is because you will set one time period for
the entire group when you run the report group.
5.
Click Close to save your changes.
Running Report Groups

1.

window appears.
2.
In the Report Group Name box, select the month end report group
and set your criteria under Run Selected Report Group with
These Dates.
3.
To preview the reports in the group, select Preview and then

click the Preview button.
To print the reports in the group, select Printer and click the
Print button.
Reports 251
252 Reports
To email the reports in the group to someone, select Email and

click the Email button.
10.
Housekeeping
Voiding Checks
When you void a check, the money is added back to the account the
check was written against and a reverse transaction is made to the
matter billing activity, so the client will not be responsible for the charge
on the bill.
1.
To void a trust check, select Trust/Void Trust Check.
To void a check written against an invoice, select A/P/Void

Checks.
To void a payroll check, select Payroll/Void Payroll Check.
The Void a Check window appears.
2.
For Cash Account Number select the cash account the check
was written against.
3.
In the Check Number box, enter the number of the check you want
to void.
4.
Click Retrieve. The window expands to show information about the

check.
Housekeeping 253
5.
In the Date of Void box, make sure that the date is the date you
want to void the check.
6.
Click Void.
Check Register
You can view the transactions for any account using the Check
Register window. To open the window:
Select G/L/Check Register to view the check register for the

operating account.
Select A/P/Check Register to view the check register for the

operating account.
Select Trust/Trust Check Register to view the check register for the
trust account.
You can change the account number if necessary and then set the date
range for the transactions you want to view.
254 Housekeeping
View more detailed information about a transaction by highlighting

the transaction and clicking Details.
Print the Checkbook Register report by clicking Print.
Highlight a transaction and click Deposit Breakdown to see

detailed information. See Deposit Breakdown Information on page
To change the Clrd [Cleared] value, highlight the transaction and

click Details (or double-click the transaction). The View Detail tab
appears. In the Cleared Indicator box, enter Yes if the check has
cleared the bank or No if the check has not cleared. The Clrd flag
is for reconciliation purposes only.
Deposit Breakdown Information

You can get deposit breakdown information by highlighting a
transaction and then clicking the Deposit Breakdown button.
The Deposit Breakdown window appears listing the detail of the deposit
broken down by client, matter, matter description, and invoice.
The Deposit Breakdown button is found on the following windows:
Check Register windows [for operating check register (G/L/Check

Register), trust check register (Trust/Trust Check Register), and
payables check register (A/P/Check Register)]
Journal Activity window (G/L/Journal Activity)
Bank Reconciliation window (G/L/Reconcile Bank Accounts)
The detail information is only available for the cash accounts. Detail
information is only available for client payments processed through
Payments Received and for trust deposits processed through Trust
Deposits.
Note that the deposit breakdown is only provided for viewing you
cannot print it and it is not included in reports.
Housekeeping 255

Before you start this procedure, youll need a bank statement (paper or
online) for the account you want to reconcile.
There are 2 steps to this procedure. First, you can import your online
banking statement. This can help ensure that all your entries are
recorded in Abacus Accounting. (This step is optional but
recommended.) Then, you reconcile your bank account.
Step 1: Import Your Online Bank Statement

1.
Select G/L/Online Banking. The Online Banking Import window

appears.
2.
3.
256 Housekeeping

59), then click Download Statement.
Abacus Accounting.
4.
5.
6.
On the Unmatched Entries tab, you need to match, add, or delete



page 162.
On the Matched Entries tab, do any of the following:



Once you have adjusted all transactions to your satisfaction, you

can go on to the next step, which is reconciling your bank account.
Click Reconcile Account on the screen and then skip to step 5 in
the next procedure.
Step 2: Reconcile Your Bank Account

NOTE: If at any time you need to exit out of the bank reconciliation
function, you may do so without losing any of the work done. For
example, if you need to enter bank service charges, you may close the
Bank Reconciliation window and open another window to enter service
charges. When you return to the bank reconciliation function, all prior
work will be reflected.
1.
From the Online Banking Import window, click Reconcile

Account.
To reconcile trust accounts, select Trust/Reconcile Trust Bank

Accounts.
Housekeeping 257
258 Housekeeping
To reconcile non-trust accounts, select A/P/Reconcile

Operating Bank Accounts or select G/L/Reconcile Bank
Accounts.
To reconcile credit card liability accounts, select A/P/Credit

Cards/Reconcile Credit Card Account.
2.
[If you clicked Reconcile Account on the Online Banking Import

window, you can skip to step 5.] The Bank Reconciliation window
appears. Select the Account Information tab selected.
3.
Select the Account Number to Balance.
4.
From your bank statement, complete (or confirm since the

beginning balance is taken from the ending balance last period) the
Statement Ending Date, Beginning Statement Balance, and
Ending Statement Balance fields. For the Other Outstanding
Transactions field, enter any miscellaneous transactions that
affect the adjusted bank balance (for example, deposits that appear
on the bank statement, but not Abacus Accounting until next
month). This information can be entered and altered at any time
during the reconciliation process.
5.
Select the Account Reconciliation tab. A comparison of the bank

statement and the Abacus Accounting general ledger for the
selected time period appears.
6.
If you want to see detailed information for a transaction, highlight

the transaction and click Deposit Breakdown. See Deposit
Breakdown Information on page 255 for more information.
7.
Click each entry that appears on the bank statement to mark it as

cleared. (Each time you click an entry it alternates between cleared
and not cleared.) Notice that a Y in the Clrd column indicates a
cleared entry. If you need more information, select Show
Balancing Information for summary information.
8.
When the account is in balance, click the Finish button and

Abacus Accounting will delete all cleared entries. You will be
prompted to print the Bank Reconciliation report. You need to print
and file a copy of this report.
9.
After the account is reconciled, print and store a copy of the

checkbook register. If it is a trust account, print and keep a copy of
the Trust Reports Detail report as well.
Bank Reconciliation Troubleshooting

Here are some tips for bank reconciliation:
For operating accounts, print the check register (select A/P/Check

Register) for the time frame you are reconciling and compare.
For trust accounts, print the trust check register (select Trust/Trust
Check Register) and Trust Reports - Detail report and compare
them to the bank statements.
Voided checks are not included in the bank reconciliation.
Make sure last months ending balance on the reconciliation report

is the beginning balance for this month on the checkbook register.
Check for any outstanding items from last month. Are they still
outstanding or have they cleared?
Check the posting report for the time period in question. It is

important to print out posting reports regularly and keep them on
file. These reports are very handy when you have problems with a
past transaction. (When you call technical support for help, most
likely the first thing they will ask you for is the posting report.)
NOTE: To set up Abacus Accounting to automatically print posting
reports, select File/Setup/Company Preferences. The Abacus
Accounting Company Preferences window appears. Select the
General tab. Select Force Posting Report and click Save.
Backing Up Databases
Back up the Abacus Accounting database through the AbacusLaw
backup utility. See the AbacusLaw documentation for more information.
Housekeeping 259
Reindexing Databases
Although Abacus takes every precaution to secure your data,
unforeseen problems, such as power outages, can affect you index
files.
This can appear as an "Open Error" on start up, as an "Internal Error"
at run time, or as records appearing out of order or missing altogether.
Most "Internal Errors" are caused by index file corruption.
Abacus will normally detect errors and issue a message indicating that
it is deleting all index files. However, if no message appears and you
think index files may be corrupted, you can follow these steps to
reindex the files.
1.
Close all windows.
2.
Select File/Utilities/Reindex. The Reindex Database window

appears.
3.
Click Start.
FAQ
Q: What do I do if I get error 7200?
A: Usually the problem is that people are in Abacus Accounting or
AbacusLaw. Make sure all users are logged off Abacus. If you still get
the error, contact Customer Support.
Packing Databases
When records are deleted in Abacus Accounting, they are no longer
visible to you, but still exist in the database as records marked for
removal. When a database is "packed," it is rewritten to permanently
remove deleted records and recover disk space. This is similar to
deleting files in Windows and then having to empty the Recycle Bin.
To pack Abacus Accounting databases, select File/Utilities/Pack. The
Pack Database window appears. Click Start to start the packing
process.
260 Housekeeping
11.
Productivity Tools
General Productivity Tools

Speedbar
The speedbar, located under the main menu bar, lets you make quick
criteria and functionality selections.
Heres how each setting works:

Matter: Sets the matter that will be selected for every window. It
prevents you from having to select a matter every time you open a
window.
Start/End: Sets a date range for windows where applicable. In the
example above, the date range selected for the speedbar is
automatically selected when the Matter Billing Detail window opens.
Box to the far right: Selects a function. It provides a quick alternative
to the main menu bar. For example, if you set the box to Matter Billing
Activity, the Matter Billing Activity opens (as opposed to selecting
Billing/Matter Billing Activity).
Calendar
Abacus Accounting provides a perpetual calendar for you to view any
time.
To open the calendar, do one of the following:
From any date field, press F9 or click the lookup button. The
calendar appears. Click a date and click OK and the date is pasted
in to the field.
At any time, press F4 or select File/Utilities/Calendar.
Productivity Tools 261
To use the calendar:
Click Today to move to todays date.
Use the left and right arrow buttons to move to different months.
Click the year and use the up and down arrow buttons to move to
different years.
To resize the popup calendar to see multiple months, use the Size
setting.
Calculator
For an online calculator, select File/Utilities/Calculator.
262 Productivity Tools
Database Productivity Tools

Making Global Database Changes
WARNING: Perform a complete database backup before making global
database changes.
You can make global changes to data. For example, suppose an
attorney leaves your firm and you need to reassign cases to a new
attorney. Instead of editing each case, you can make global database
changes in one easy step.
The Global Database Changes function gives you the ability to globally
change certain information found on the Client and Matter windows,
such as timekeepers, billing format codes, case codes, rates, referral
info, billing frequency, default trust account setup, etc.
1.
Select File/Utilities/Global Database Changes. The Global

Database Changes window appears.
2.
Select the table (for client or matter) and field you want to modify.
3.
Under Type of Change, select All Records to change all record or

select Subset of Records if you want to change specific records.
If you select Subset of Records, you have to set the criteria for
which records to change. For example, if you wanted to change the
originating timekeeper from Joe Smith to Sally Jones, you would
enter Joe Smith in the Is box.
4.
Under Change to, enter the new value for the field. Continuing the
example from the previous step, you would enter Sally Jones in
the Change the selected field to box.
5.
Click Done. A verification window appears. Click Yes to start the

global replacement process.
Importing Data
You can import data from other applications into Abacus Accounting.
Import modules determine the type of imported data that will be
accepted by Abacus Accounting. Here are the import modules
available for purchase in Abacus Accounting:
Abacus Remote Time Ticket Merge: Imports time entered offsite.
Cable and Wireless Call Accounting System, Lucent-CAS Call

Accounting System: Imports electronic phone data.
Control Systems, COPYGUARD, NetSouth, Photocopy/Fax

Integration Equitrac, Transaction Recovery Systems: Imports
cost recovery data.
Hasler Postage Systems, Pitney Bowes Postage Integration:
Imports electronic postage costs by matter.
Real Estate Integration DisplaySoft, DoubleTime, and

LandTech: Imports real estate closing packages supports .qif
formats.
Follow these steps to import data into Abacus Accounting.
1.
Select File/Utilities/Import. The Import Data window appears.
2.
In the Select Type of File for Import box, select the type of data
you want to import into Abacus Accounting (the import module).
The fields appearing below the box will change depending on the
import module selected.
3.
Click the browse button for the Input File box and select the file to
be imported.
4.
Complete the remaining fields for the import module you selected.
For Cable and Wireless Call Accounting System and Lucent-CAS
Call Accounting System:
Surcharge Amount: Enter the amount to add (if any) to each

call.
Exp Code: Enter the expense code for long distance telephone
charges.
For Hasler Postage Systems and Pitney Bowes Postage

Integration:
Postage Expense Code: Enter the expense code you use for
postage charges.
For Photocopy/Fax Integration Equitrac:
Expense Codes: Enter the expense codes you use for each
type of charge.
Matter Number Fields: Ensure that this field value is always 9.
Equitrac Format: Select the format your data is in. With

Standard System 3, all data is stored in one import file. With
Disbursement 4.2, you must import each type of transaction
separately, so that if you recover all 5 types of costs you will be
importing 5 times, once for each type.
For Control Systems, COPYGUARD, NetSouth, Photocopy/Fax

Integration Equitrac, Transaction Recovery Systems:
Enter the client expense codes for each type of charge.
For RealEstate Integration DisplaySoft, DoubleTime, and
LandTech:
5.
Account: Enter or select the account for the imported

transactions.
Matter: Select the matter number for the imported transactions.
Click Start.
Importing Real Estate Integration Data

The real estate integration import module is a little different from the
other import modules. This section elaborates on the procedure.
Software packages available for real estate closings organize the
closing data and help you determine deposits and disbursements
resulting from the closing. Instead of re-entering the data into Abacus
Accounting, you can export data from the real estate closing package
and then import the data into Abacus Accounting where you can enter
deposits and generate checks.
In the real estate closing software:
1.
In the real estate closing software, create a new directory (or

folder) that will store the export files.
2.
Make sure that your real estate closing software is set up for
Quicken. (In DoubleTime, you do this by selecting
Preferences/User Settings. Select the Accounting tab. Under
Accounting Software, select Quicken and year format YYYY.)
3.
Export the checks and deposit data to an export file. Store the file
in the directory you created in step 1.
In Abacus Accounting:
1.
Set up the client and matter in Abacus Accounting. If possible,

assign the same client number used in the real estate closing
software. For help, see Adding Matters on page 69.
2.
Select File/Utilities/Import. The Import Data window appears.
3.
In the Select Type of File for Import box, select the real estate
closing module to use.
4.
For Input File, click the browse button and select the file you
exported from the real estate closing software. This file should
have a Quicken extension (.qif).
5.
For Account, select the cash trust account to be used for this
closing (or verify the trust account number that has been entered
by Abacus Accounting). It is important that you use the trust
account for this closings deposits and disbursements.
6.
Enter the client and matter numbers. This must be done manually.
Once the client and matter numbers are entered, verify that the
description is correct.
7.
Click Start.
8.
When the import process is complete, deposits from the real estate
closing will be added as trust deposits and disbursements from the
real estate closing will be added as trust check requests.
To review the trust deposits, select Trust/Trust Deposits. The

Trust Deposits window appears. Make any adjustments as
necessary and post the deposits (see Posting Trust Deposits
on page 152).
To review the trust check requests, select Trust/Trust Check

Requests. The Trust Check Requests window appears. Make
any adjustments as necessary and process the trust check
requests (see Step 2: Processing Trust Check Requests on
page 157).
Exporting Data
You can export data from the program database for use in other
programs. You can export:
All Abacus Accounting tables: Exports your data to an ASCII dump

file, allowing you to transfer data to another system.
Client-matter tables by date: Exports client and matter data to a file.

NOTE: The Create a Abacus Accounting Remote Source Disk and
MidMonth Spreadsheet options are currently not in use.
Exporting All Abacus Accounting Tables

1.
Select File/Utilities/Export. The Export Data window appears.

Highlight All Abacus Accounting Tables. Click Next.
2.
On the next window, complete the items as follows:
Select Database Table to Export From: Select the tables you

want to export.
Delimiter: Enter the field value separator you want to use

(usually a comma).
Encapsulate with Quotes: When checked, the export file will

denote field values by surrounding them with quotation marks.
This is useful if you have text strings that contain commas.
Click Next.
3.
On the next window, select where you want the tables exported to
(drive and path).
4.
Click Begin. The program will create a TXT file for each table
exported, entitled the table name (for example,
AccountsPayable.txt).
Exporting Client Matter Tables by Date

1.
Select File/Utilities/Export Data. The Export Data window appears.

Highlight Client Matter Tables by Date. Click Next.
2.
On the next window, complete the following items:
Open Date: Refers to the open date on the Matter

Maintenance window. Enter the date range for the records you
want to include in the export file.
Delimiter: Enter the field value separator you want to use

(usually a comma).
Encapsulate with Quotes: When checked, the export file will

denote field values by surrounding them with quotation marks.
This is useful if you have text strings that contain commas.
Equitrac Format: Select to create a file to be used in

conjunction with the Equitrac import module. The file created
will be used by the Equitrac system for verification. If you do
not select this option, Abacus Accounting will export the data to
files titled clients.txt and matters.txt.
Click Next.
3.
On the next window, select where you want the tables exported to
(drive and path).
4.
Click Begin.
Credit Card/ACH Payment Support

Using X-Charge, Abacus Accounting has an optional feature that lets
you accept credit cards or ACH accounts so that your clients can pay
their bills using American Express, Visa, Master Card, or Discover
cards or electronic checks.
Applying to X-Charge for a Credit Card/ACH Payment

Account
Before using the credit card/ACH payment feature, you must fill out an
application with X-Charge.
To acquire the application form, contact X-Charge at 888-842-3003.
When your application is approved, X-Charge will set up an
appointment to install the processing software on your network server.
Setting Up Credit Card/ACH Payment in Abacus

Accounting
1.
In Abacus Accounting, select File/Setup/Company Preferences.

The Abacus Accounting Company Preferences window appears.
Select the Credit Card Setup tab.
2.
Check Firm accepts credit cards and/or Electronic Checks.
3.
Under X-Charge Account Settings, your Server User ID and

Server Password will be populated after an X-Charge
representative installs your processing software.
4.
Operating Deposit Account and Trust Deposit Account fields

display the default accounts. If you want funds deposited to a
different account, change these fields accordingly.
5.
The Legacy PPI PayMover Account Settings Account Token

field is for legacy clients still using PPI. You can ignore this field if
you are using X-Charge for credit card/ACH billing.
6.
Check each type of credit card your firm accepts.
7.
Click Done.
Configuring Matters for Credit Card/ACH Payment

After the credit card/ACH payment feature has been configured for your
company in Abacus Accounting, you are ready to set up matters so that
any related bills can be paid for using a credit card or ACH account.
1.
2.
Highlight the matter and click Open. The Matter Maintenance

Modifying existing Matter window appears. Select the CC Info tab.
3.
Check Charge credit card or Electronic Checks for bill

payments.
4.
Select the client.
5.
Click the Account Type arrow and select the type of account you
want to work with (X-Charge - ACH or X-Charge - Credit Card).
6.
A login window appears. Enter your X-Charge user name and

password and click OK.
7.

To add an X-Charge ACH account to the matter:
Click Add. The Archive Check Vault Add window appears.
Complete the information for the ACH account and click Process.
A pass/fail message appears. If the process passes, the account is
saved to the list.
To add an X-Charge credit card to the matter:
Click Add. The Archive Vault Add window appears. Swipe the
credit card and then enter the expiration date. Click Process. A
pass/fail message appears. If the process passes, the credit card is
saved to the list.
To edit an account for the matter:
Highlight the account and click Details. The account information
appears. Edit the information as necessary and click Save.
To delete an account for the matter:
Highlight the account and click Delete.
Making an account primary or secondary:
The primary account will be the first charged for a bill. The
secondary account is used if the authorization for the primary
account fails. To define an account as primary, highlight the
account and click Make Primary. To define an account as
secondary, highlight the account and click Make Secondary.
8.
Click Save for the Matter Maintenance Modifying existing Matter

window to save your changes for the matter.
Billing with the Credit Card/ACH Payment Feature

When the client is paying by credit card/ACH account, bill the client as
usual, but when you post a bill to a matter set up to paid for credit
card/ACH account, Abacus Accounting will automatically create a
payment and post it to the Enter Client Payments window
(Billing/Payments Received).
Posting Client Payments with the Credit Card/ACH

Payment Feature
Note that before posting the client payment, you can print a receipt to
send to your client to show the payment. The designated credit
card/ACH account will be charged and the payment will be directed to
your bank. Both the operating account and the matter billing activity
ledger will reflect the new payment.
Post all client payments with credit card/ACH account together.
Furthermore, post all payments made with the same types of credit
cards/ACH accounts together. Posting client payments made by credit
card/ACH account together will help with bank reconciliation later.
Billing Format Codes for the Credit Card/ACH Payment

Feature
On the billing format code for bills paid with credit cards/ACH accounts,
you might want to include a note that the bill will be paid by credit
card/ACH account.
12.
Timeslips
Bill for Time Spent on Emails and Documents using

TimeSlips
Abacus allows Timeslips users to customize and streamline email and
document billing by setting up a WHAT code for each. By default,
Abacus bills emails and documents for Timeslips by built-in WHAT
codes. The email WHAT code is EMAIL and the documents WHAT
code is DOCUMENTS.
In order to skip the Timeslips task selection step and have emails or
documents use the same Timeslips task each time, follow these steps:
1.
In Abacus, add new WHAT codes for emails and documents.
Select File/Setup/Codes. The Code Types window appears.

Highlight the WHAT code in the Code Types window and click
Edit codes.
The Valid WHAT Entries window appears. Click Add, enter

EMAIL (or for documents, DOCUMENT) and click Done.
Change the description if desired and click Done.
Back in the Valid WHAT Entries window, click Add again. This
time, enter DOCUMENT and click Done. Change the
description if desired and click Done.
Click Done to close the Valid WHAT Entries window.
Click Done to close the Code Types window.
2.
From the Linked Emails tab of a Matter window, highlight an email

and click Bill.
3.
Click Yes on the Send to Timeslips window and then choose an

appropriate Timeslips task to be linked to the EMAIL WHAT code.
If none exist, add them in Timeslips (Names>Task Info).
4.
You will see the confirmation message Timeslips has been

updated!. From now on when you highlight an email and click Bill,
it is sent directly to Timeslips.
For More Advanced Users

You can change the default WHAT code that is assigned to billing
emails or documents through these steps:
1.
Open the tslink.ini configuration file located in

C:\ABACUS\v21\data01\accounting and add the following into the
[Setup] section:
EmailCode=New WHAT Code
Timeslips 277
or
DocsCode=New What Code
The new setting should look like this: DocsCode=CONTRACT
2.
Save and close the tslink.ini and restart Abacus.
Now, the default WHAT code for billing documents will be CONTRACT.
You can use any built-in WHAT code or create your own.
Matters to Gold
Matters to Gold is a feature that lets you move all of your matters to
Abacus Accounting at once. This feature is very handy for TimeSlips
users that want to migrate to our Accounting program.
Matters to Gold will import the matter name and Client as BILLTO
records, but it does not import any historical financial data.
To use the feature, ensure that Abacus (Gold version) is set up and
linked to the Abacus Accounting. (Accounting is linked when you see a
green dollar sign in the lower-right corner of AbacusLaw.) Then, press
and hold the Ctrl key and select Tools/Accounting/Make Matters
Billable.
278 Timeslips
13.
Support
Using Help
Use Help to get the answers you need quickly while you are using
Abacus. There are two ways to access Help: Open the Help system or
press F1 to open context-sensitive help for the current window.
Opening the Online Manual

Select Help/Users Guide. An online version of the users guide
appears in .pdf format.
Using Context-Sensitive Help

To get help that pertains to the open window only, press F1 when a
window is open. This type of help is particularly useful to get
information about the items on windows.
Finding Which Version You Are Using

Select Help/About Abacus Accounting. A window appears with
versioning information.
Contacting Sales
Call 858-452-4245 or 800-726-3339 Monday through Friday from
6:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific time or email sales@abacuslaw.com.
Contacting Customer Support

Call 800-488-3334 Monday through Friday from 6:15 AM to 4:45 PM
Pacific time or email support@abacuslaw.com.
When you call for technical support, please:
Have the phone by the computer.
Be ready to run Abacus.
If you have a network, log in as supervisor and make sure you

know any required passwords for unrestricted access to Abacus
files.
Support 279
Troubleshooting
The Abacus website provides an extensive knowledgebase that
provides troubleshooting support. Go to www.abacuslaw.com, then
click Support Center, then click Knowledge Base.
Training
In addition to on-site training, our Abacus Certified Consultants offer
training over the telephone, using CDs, and through webinars.
Contact Customer Support for more information or go to
www.abacuslaw.com and click Training.
Other Resources
In addition to the help system and the manuals that were shipped with
the software, you can find more documentation for Abacus at
http://www.abacuslaw.com, then click Support Center, then click
Knowledge Base.
280 Support
14.
Index
.ofx, 16, 181, 256

.pdf, 21
.rpt, 52
1096 Annual Summary report, 218
1099, 15, 164, 179
1099 Miscellaneous Income report, 218
1099s, 67
2-Step Method for Payables, 162, 166
2-Step Method for Trust Checks, 152, 154
7200, 260
A/P Cash Requirements report, 220
A/P checks: printing, 170; splitting, 171
A/P Unpaid Invoice Aging Summary report
report, 220
Abacus Accounting, 9
Abacus Remote Time Ticket Merge, 264
account budgets: adding/editing, 195;
definition, 194
accounting method, 22
accounts: maintenance, 58
accounts: adding/editing, 14;
debiting/crediting, 10; definition, 11
accounts: adding/editing, 59
accounts: adding/editing, 179
accounts: reconciling, 256
accounts: reconciling, 259
accounts payable: definition, 11; merge date,
21
accounts receivable: definition, 11
Accounts Receivable Aging report, 229
Accounts Receivable report, 230
Accounts Receivable reports, 221
ACH billing, 272, 274, 275, 276
ACHbilling, 272, 273
activity code, 98
Activity Code Listing report, 248
activity codes: adding/editing, 45; forcing on
time tickets, 21; maintenance, 44; setting
for matters, 75
ACTUAL.RPT, 52
address, 23
adjusting journal entry, 188

adjustments: to billing, 101
Advanced Costs Detail report, 230
Advanced Costs Expense Code Summary
report, 231
Advanced Costs Timekeeper Summary
report, 230
advanced Report Designer, 30
American Express, 272
annual budgets, 194
assets: definition, 11
assigned timekeeper, 73
audit trail: months to keep, 21
Audit Trail report, 221
background for desktop, 26
backing up databases, 259
balance: definition, 11
balance sheet: definition, 11
Balance Sheet report, 225
bank accounts: reconciling, 256, 259
Bank Reconciliation window, 258
batching, 249
Bill button, 95
bill by group, 105
bill preview, 112
Bill Selection window, 104
billable, 98
Billed & Unbilled Hours Detail By Matter
report, 241
Billed & Unbilled Hours Detail report, 240
Billed & Unbilled Hours Summary report, 240
Billed Hours Detail report, 240
Billed Hours Summary report, 240
Billed/Paid Fees Detail report, 240
Billed/Paid Fees Summary report, 240
billing: adjustments, 101; editing monthly fees,
76; for deleted matters, 134; for multiple
matters, 116; including closed matters, 107;
including contingent matters, 107; including
EOM matters, 107, 115; including matter
comments, 107; including on hold matters,
Index 281
107; paying bill with trust money, 108, 109,

114; reminders, 126; soft costs, 101
billing address, 80, 81
Billing Anniversary report, 231
billing cycle, 93
billing format codes: adding/editing, 51;
advanced Report Designer, 30;
maintenance, 50; Report Editor, 56;
selecting for matters, 74; setting defaults for
new matters, 33
Billing Format Listing report, 248
billing frequency, 106; selecting for matters,
75; setting defaults for new matters, 34
billing mode, 106; selecting for matters, 74;
setting defaults for new matters, 33
Billing report, 223
Billing reports, 222
billing transactions: editing, 132; viewing, 131
bills: adding messages, 52; adjusting, 111;
changing format, 50; definition, 11, 103;
formatting, 54; including time ticket info, 53;
including/excluding information displayed,
53; managing through bill preview, 112;
paying with credit card, 272; posting, 118;
printing, 110; printing to file, 111; reprinting
after posting, 113; saving to .pdf, 21; task
based format, 54; unpaid, 128, 130;
unposting, 119; viewing, 103
Bills Waiting to be Posted window, 118
BillTo, 69
budgets: definition, 194
budgets: definition, 11; for timekeepers, 39
budgets: adding/editing, 195
Cable and Wireless Call Accounting System,
264
calculator, 262
calendar, 261
calendar year, 196; definition, 11
Case Code Listing report, 249
case codes: adding/editing, 41; maintenance,
40; selecting for matters, 73
cash disbursement journal entry, 188
Cash Disbursement Listing report, 220, 225,
246
Cash Disbursements Detail report, 220, 225
Cash Flow report, 225
282 Index
cash receipt journal entry, 188

CC Info, 81
chart of accounts: maintenance, 58
Chart of Accounts Listing report, 249
check register, 254
check types, 22
Checkbook Register report, 225
checks: changing numbers, 175; for payables,
169; voiding, 253; writing against trust
account, 157
Client & Matter Listing report, 231
Client Cash Disbursement report, 232
Client Cash Receipts report, 232
client exp. code, 102
Client Expense Code Listing report, 249
client expense codes: adding/editing, 43
Client Income Summary report, 232
Client Matter Financial Ledger report, 232
client payments: adding/editing, 121; deposit
slips, 124; posting, 125
closed journal activity, 198
Closed Matter report, 232
closed matters, 86, 107
Closed Years GL Detail Listing report, 225
Closed Year's Journal Activity window, 198
closings, 196
Combined Matters Cover Page, 116
companies: setting up multiple, 24
company address, 23
company preferences, 20
configuration, 20
contingency billing, 54
contingent matters, 107
Control Systems, 264
COPYGUARD, 264
cost per item, 102
Costs & Adjustments window, 101
Credit Card Activity report, 223
credit card billing, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276
credit cards, 173
credits: definition, 12; vs. debits, 10
Crystal Reporting, 56
custom actual.rpt file, 56
customer support, 279
Daily Posted Cash Receipts report, 225, 246

data: exporting, 268; importing, 264
data entry, 26
databases: backing up, 259; global changes,
263; packing, 260; reindexing, 260
date of service, 97
debit card, 153, 164, 166
debits: definition, 12; vs. credits, 10
deduction codes, 213
Default Accounts report, 249
defaults: billing format codes, 33; billing
frequency, 34; billing mode, 33; multiple
trust accounts, 73; new matters, 33; print
destination, 26; printers, 26; rates for
matters, 22; tax status, 33; time tickets, 27;
timekeeper hourly rate, 35; timekeeper rate
level, 33; trust accounts, 33
Deleted Matter Billing Activity window, 134
deleted matters: viewing billing activity, 134;
viewing trust activity, 147
Demand Check Writer, 162
deposit breakdown, 255
deposit slips: for client payments, 124; for
trust, 151
desktop: background, 26
dictionary files, 32
disbursements: definition, 12
Discover, 272
display options, 25
DisplaySoft, 266
divisions, 36
documentation, 280
double-entry bookeeping: definition, 12
double-sided journal entries, 21
DoubleTime, 266
electronic accounts, 272
email settings, 31
employee Payroll Activity window, 212
Employee Payroll Summary report, 235
Employee Profile Printouts report, 235
employee profiles: adding/editing, 204;
managing, 203; printing, 207
employees: viewing payroll, 212
Employers 940 Tax Return, 235
Employers 941 Tax Return, 236
Enter Client Payments window, 120

Enter key: behaving like Tab key, 27
Enter/Post Payables window, 166
Equitrac, 264
error 7200, 260
exiting, 10
Expense Summary report, 226
exporting data, 268
F1, 279
Fee Warning/Authorization report, 232
fee warnings, 76
firm name, 214
Firm Payroll Summary report, 237
fiscal budgets, 194
fiscal year, 196; definition, 12
flat charge, 98
general journal entry, 188
General Journal Listing report, 226
general ledger: budgeting, 194; closing for
month, 196; closing for year, 197; closings,
196; debits vs. credits, 10; definition, 12;
deletions, 21; merge date, 21; posting
entries, 187; recurring entries, 191;
reversing entries, 193; types of entries,
188; viewing, 185; viewing closed activity,
198; viewing detail, 186, 187
General Ledger Budget Listing report, 226
General Ledger Budget window, 194
General Ledger Cash Receipts report, 226
General Ledger Detail Listing report, 226
General Ledger reports, 224
Global Database Changes window, 263
hard costs: definition, 10
Hasler Postage Systems, 264
held tickets, 233
hold, 99
hold status, 103
holding, 173
Hours & Fees Budget Comparison report, 241
Hours report, 241
importing, 264
income statement: definition, 12
Income Statement Budget Comparative
report, 227
Income Statements, 227
Index 283
Income/Expense Summary report, 227

indexing, 260
interest distribution, 160
Interim Statement, 126
Internet messages, 30
invoices: definition, 12; holding, 173; unpaid,
128, 130
job titles, 38
journal entries: adding/editing recurring, 192;
debits vs. credits, 10; forcing double-sided,
21; posting, 187; recurring, 191; reversing,
193; types, 188; viewing closed, 198
journals: definition, 12
LandTech, 266
LED file, 142
LEDES 1998B, 110, 115, 141
ledgers: definition, 12
letter of protection, 44
liabilities: definition, 13
Linked Events tab, 95
logo bitmap, 22
Lucent CAS Call Accounting System, 264
Master Card, 272
matter billing activity: editing, 132
matter billing activity ledger: viewing, 131
Matter Billing Detail window, 131
matter fee warnings, 76
Matter Financial Summary report, 89
Matter History report, 90
Matter Listing report, 232
Matter Profit/Loss report, 242
Matter Rates Listing report, 233
Matter reports, 229
Matter Summary report, 223
matter trust activity: deleting, 146; editing, 145
matter trust activity ledger: viewing, 145
Matter Trust Activity window, 145
Matter Window: Linked Events tab, 95; Notes
tab, 95
matters: adding', 69; adding comments, 80;
closing, 73; configuring for credit card
payment, 274; deleted, 134, 147; editing,
72; editing closed, 86; inactivating, 73;
migrating from Timeslips, 278; monthly fee
billing, 76; setting billing address, 80, 81;
284 Index
setting billing options, 74; setting credit card

information, 81; setting payment schedule,
81; setting rates, 77; transferring trust
activity, 89; viewing, 72; writing off, 87
Matters to Gold, 278
merge, 178, 193
merge date: accounts payable, 21; general
ledger, 21
messages: adding to bills, 52; showing/hiding,
25; showing/hiding Internet messages, 30
misc. no charge, 99
Misc. Vendor, 14, 156, 164, 179
month end closings, 196
monthly fee billing, 76
Monthly Hours & Fees Recap report, 242
Mth Schd. tab, 75, 76
multiple company setup, 24
Nationwide and Litigation Advisor, 110, 115,
118
NetSouth, 264
New Jersey Contingency billing format code,
51
new matter defaults, 33
NJ, 51
no charge, 98
non-billable, 99
Notes tab, 95
numbering for checks, 175
on hold, 99, 173
on hold matters, 75, 107
online banking, 30, 61
online help, 279
operators, 32
originating timekeeper, 73
packing databases, 260
payables: adding/editing, 167; adding/editing
recurring, 176; adjusting, 174; holding, 173;
recurring, 175; splitting checks, 171; writing
checks against, 169
paychecks: adding for processing, 208;
editing, 209; printing/posting, 211; voiding,
211
payments from clients: adding/editing, 121;
deposit slips, 124; posting, 125
payroll: adding paychecks for processing,

208; editing paychecks, 209; overview, 201;
printing paychecks, 211; processing, 208;
viewing activity, 212; viewing/editing
activity, 212
Payroll Deduction Listing report, 237
Payroll Register report, 237
Payroll reports, 234
Payroll Tax report, 237
Photocopy/Fax Integration - Equitrac, 264
Pitney Bowes Postage Integration, 264
placement setting, 217, 218
Pmt Schd, 81
post direct, 29
Post General Ledger Journal Entries window,
188
Post on Ticket Date, 21, 238
post only, 154
posting: automating, 29
posting report, 119
posting reports, 215
PREBILL.RPT, 53
prebills: adjusting, 111; definition, 103;
printing, 110; printing to file, 111; viewing,
103
preferences, 20
Print AP Checks window, 169
print destination: default, 26
print options, 25
Print Trust Checks window, 158
printers: defaults, 26
Productivity reports: definition, 238;
generating, 239; Post on Ticket Date, 238
Prompt me about merging Recurring
Payables, 178
put time ticket on hold, 99
Quarterly Unemployment Compensation
report, 237
rates: automating through activity codes, 47;
setting for matters, 77; setting matter
default, 22
Real Estate Integration - DisplaySoft, 264
Real Estate Integration - DoubleTime, 264
Real Estate Integration - LandTech, 264
real estate integration data, 266
recalculate taxes, 210

Receipts Pending by Orig/Resp report, 242
receivables: definition, 13
reconciling accounts, 256, 259
recurring journal entries: adding/editing, 192;
automatic merging, 193; merging, 192
Recurring Journal Entries Listing report, 227
Recurring Journal Entries window, 191
recurring payables: adding/editing, 176;
automatic merging, 178; merging, 177;
setting prompting, 30
Recurring Payables Listing report, 220
Recurring Payables window, 175
Referrals report, 243
registration, 214
reindexing databases, 260
reminders: for billing, 126
Report Editor, 56
Report Group Maintenance window, 250, 251
report groups, 249; adding/editing names,
250; running, 251; setting up, 251
reporting: email options, 31
reports: batching, 249; emailing, 214; posting,
215; saved, 215; when to run, 214
responsible timekeeper, 73
retainers: setting minimum for matters, 76
Revenue Summary report, 227
revenues: definition, 13
Reverse Journal Entry window, 194
sales, 279
settlement statements, 54
Setup reports, 248
show all messages, 25
Single Journal Entry Listing report, 228
SMTP server, 31
soft costs: definition, 10; managing, 101
specialized income statement accounts, 61
speedbar, 261; showing/hiding, 26
spell check: automating, 27
spell check settings, 32
split billing, 135; indicating master matter, 73
splitting A/P checks, 171
status bar: showing/hiding, 26
Subsidiary Ledger report, 228, 246
Index 285
support, 279
Task Based Billing Code Listing report, 249
task based billing codes: adding/editing, 49;
maintenance, 48
task-based billing format code, 51
tax status, 99; selecting for matters, 74;
setting defaults for new matters, 33; setting
through case codes, 42; setting through
client expense codes, 44
Tax Status section: showing/hiding, 28
TB, 51
technical support, 279
Time Entry Abbreviation Code Listing report,
249
time ticket codes: adding/editing, 47;
automating insertion, 28; maintenance, 47
Time Ticket Diary Listing report, 233
time ticket types: showing/hiding, 28
Time Ticket window: showing/hiding time
ticket types, 28
time tickets: adding, cloning, editing, 97;
automating spell check, 27; automating text
through activity codes, 46; automating text
through time ticket codes, 47; automating
time ticket code insertion, 28; default, 27;
definition, 95; entering from AbacusLaw,
95; forcing activity codes, 21; managing in
Abacus Accounting, 95; transferring, 99;
types, 98
Time Tickets window, 95; showing/hiding Tax
Status section, 28
timekeeper, 97
Timekeeper Budget Listing report, 249
timekeeper budgets: adding/editing, 40;
maintenance, 39
Timekeeper Cash Receipts report, 243
timekeeper codes: adding/editing, 34;
maintenance, 34
timekeeper divisions: adding/editing, 37;
maintenance, 36
Timekeeper Listing report, 249
Timekeeper Performance Summary report,
244
timekeeper rate level: setting defaults for new
matters, 33
timekeeper titles: adding/editing, 38;
maintenance, 38
286 Index
timekeepers: setting default hourly rate, 35;

setting for matters, 73
timer, 99
Timeslips, 277, 278
titles, 38
toolbar: showing/hiding, 26
training, 280
Transaction Log report, 221
Transaction Recovery Systems, 264
Transfer Time Tickets window, 100
trial, 99
Trial Balance report, 228
troubleshooting, 280
trust: definition, 13
trust accounts: default for matters, 73; deposit
slips, 151; interest distribution, 160;
multiple, 147; overdrawing, 21; setting
defaults for new matters, 33; using to pay
bill, 108, 109, 114
trust activity: transferring, 89
trust adjustment journal entry, 188
Trust Check Request window: showing/hiding
Type of Check Request section, 27
trust check requests: adding/editing, 155;
automating, 21; printing, 157; processing,
157
Trust Check Requests window, 154
trust checks: processing, 152; voiding, 160
Trust Demand Check Writer, 152, 153
trust deposits: adding/editing, 148; deleting,
150; posting, 152; printing, 150
Trust Deposits window, 148; showing/hiding
Type of Deposit section, 27
Trust Ledger Fees/Costs Breakout report, 247
Trust Ledger report, 247
trust on bill, 108, 109, 114
Trust reports, 245
Trust Reports Detail report, 247
Trust Reports Summary report, 247
trust retainers: setting minimum for matters,
76
trust transactions: adjusting, 190; deleting,
146; editing, 145; for deleted matters, 147;
viewing, 145
trustee: definition, 13
Type of Check Request section:

showing/hiding, 27
Type of Deposit section: showing/hiding, 27
Unbilled Cost report, 223
Unbilled Hours Detail report, 244
Unbilled Hours Summary report, 244
Unclose Month or Year window, 199
Unpaid Invoice Maintenance window, 128
Unpaid Invoice report, 223
unpaid invoices, 128, 130
Unpost Bills window, 119
users, 32
Vendor Activity window, 182
Vendor Detail report, 220
vendor ledger, 182
Vendor Listing - Detail report, 249
Vendor Summary report, 221
vendors: adding, 65; adding/editing

transactions, 183; creating ledger for all
vendors, 21; editing, 66; maintenance, 63;
miscellaneous, 14, 164, 179
versioning, 279
Visa, 272
voiding checks, 253
W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, 237
W-3 Transmittal, 238
warnings: for matter fees, 76
Weekly Time Ticket Value report, 244
Work in Process Aged report, 245
workstation options, 25
Write Off report, 233, 245
write-offs, 101, 103
writing off matters, 87
X-Charge, 272, 273, 274
year end closings, 197
Index 287

Accounting Reference Guide

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Accounting Reference Guide

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

15225

Abacus Accounting 2015

October 23, 2014

2014 Abacus Data Systems, Inc.

Abacus Accounting is a trademark of Abacus Data Systems,

To all our Abacus users for your suggestions and

Abacus Data Systems, Inc.

Maintaining Billing Format Codes .......................................................................................... 50

Setting Billing Criteria by Group .............................................................................. 105

Processing Trust Checks ..................................................................................................... 152

Adding/Editing Account Budgets ............................................................................. 195

Unbilled Cost Report ............................................................................................... 223

Payroll Register Report ........................................................................................... 237

Running Report Groups .......................................................................................... 251

What Is Abacus Accounting?

Because the program automates time tracking, accounting, and

Logging in to Abacus Accounting

Click Start and select All Programs/Abacus Accounting/Abacus

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

Enter your user ID and password.

Exiting Abacus Accounting

Quick Review of Debits vs. Credits

If you DEBIT an ASSET account, you INCREASE the balance.

If you CREDIT an ASSET account, you DECREASE the balance.

Hard Costs vs. Soft Costs

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

General Accounting Definitions

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

Matter Billing Activity Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to

Matter Trust Activity Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to

Vendor Ledger: Records transactions pertaining to vendors.

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

For more information, see Using Credit Cards

Recording Credit Card Transactions

Select A/P/Credit Cards/Add Credit Card Transaction. The Credit

Complete the General tab as follows:

CC Liability Account #: Select the credit card liability account

Date, Payee, Amount, Address, Memo: Complete the

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

NOTE: Never use a miscellaneous vendor if the person or

Expense Account #: If you have set up a default account for

Invoice #: Select the invoice number with which this cost is

Description: Enter a description of the cost.

Matter ID: Select the matter associated with this cost.

If there is more than one matter to charge, select the Matters to

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide

Downloading Credit Card Statements

Select A/P/Credit Cards/Download Credit Card Statement. The

Do one of the following:

If you have created an automatic online connection with your

On the Unmatched Entries tab, you need to match, add, or delete

Match entries if for some reason Abacus Accounting has

You add entries if the entry on your online banking statement is

On the Matched Entries tab, do any of the following:

Highlight an entry and click Accept to set the selected

Click Accept All to set all transactions on the Matched Entries

Highlight an entry and click Unmatch to place the transaction

Once you have adjusted all transactions to your satisfaction, you

Reconciling Credit Card Accounts

General Ledger: Records transactions for all asset, liability,

Daily, Monthly, and Year-End Activities in Abacus

Daily Abacus Accounting Activities

Abacus Accounting Reference Guide