Understanding Task Billing

In e-Quinox, firms are given the option to bill Clients on a Task basis. The process of Task Billing involves Matters being assigned a Task Billing template. A task is then assigned to each time docket or expense record. When the bill is rendered, it is printed using a Billing Template that uses Task Billing tokens.

Task Billing Templates are broken down into Phases, and those Phases are then broken down into individual Tasks. The Task Billing Template screen houses the Templates and lists each Phase associated with each Template and subsequently, each Task associated with each Phase.

When creating a new Matter in the Maintain Matter Information screen, the user has the option to select a Task Template to be applied to the Matter. The Task Codes that are defined and maintained through the Task Billing Template screen are the options that appear in the Task Code List of Values on the Maintain Matter Information form.

The Maintain Task Billing Template screen is divided into three sections; Template, Phase, and Task. The information displayed in the Phase section is specific to the selected record in the Template section. The information displayed in the Task section is specific to the selected record in the Phase section. Task Billing Templates cannot be saved unless corresponding Phase Codes exist, and Phase Codes cannot be saved unless corresponding Task Codes exist. Also, duplicate Task Billing Templates, Phase Codes, or Task Codes cannot be entered and saved.

When time entries are posted to Matters for which a Task Billing Template has been assigned, the user must attach the applicable Task Codes to each entry in the Time Recoreder screen (i.e. a list of values is available at the Task Code field of that screen). Note that the Task Code list includes all Codes for all Phases associated with the Task Billing Template attached to that Matter.

When posting expenses to Matters that have been assigned a Task Billing Template, the user must also attach a Task Code applicable to the expense being charged to the Matter.