Choosing the Bill Behavior for Billable Time Entries

In this article:

• Adjusting Bill Behavior When Recording Time
• Setting Bill Behavior Defaults
• Billing Behavior in Reporting

When creating billable time or fee entries, the Create Time Entry window includes a Bill behavior option, which determines the behavior of the entry on the eventual bill. Specifically, this option determines if an entry is charged or visible on the bill. 

This article covers the different Bill Behavior options, where you can set default Bill Behavior, and how to report on it.

Adjusting Bill Behavior When Recording Time

To review and change the bill behavior for a time entry:

1. In Actionstep Practice Management, create or edit a time entry. (See Creating a Time Entry or Editing Time Entries From Your Timesheet for help.)
2. Complete the time entry form or review an existing time entry and make sure Billable is selected.
3. Click the Bill behavior drop-down list.
   
4. Choose from the following options:
   • Bill: Select this option if you want the time entry to appear on the bill with the value added to the bill's total.

     

   • Hide: Select this option if you don't want the time entry to be displayed on the bill or affect the bill's total. On the bill screen, it is marked with (Hide/NC) in the invoice amount column.
     
   • No Charge: Select this option if you want the time entry to appear on the bill, but not affect the bill's total.
     
5. Click Save to save your changes.

Setting Bill Behavior Defaults

You can set the default time entry bill behavior at the system level, which means that the default selection will be suggested. It can be adjusted, however, on a matter-by-matter basis and overridden on the time entry.

To do this:

1. Go to Admin > Billing. The Billing page appears.
2. In the Hourly invoices/bills section, click the Default time entry behavior drop-down list and choose how you want the billable time entries to appear by default.
3. Click Save to save your changes.

You can also override this system default at the matter level. 

To do this:

1. Edit the matter you want to change. (See Editing a Matter for help.)
2. Click the Billing menu icon. The Billing page appears.
3. In the menu on the left side, click Matter billing options. The Matter billing options fields appear in the main area of the page.
4. In the Billing arrangement section, click the Default time entry behavior drop-down list and choose the option you prefer for this particular matter.
   
5. Click Save to save your changes.

Billing Behavior in Reporting

Bill behavior affects reporting on fee values, since the Hide and No charge options have no value. 

Time and Fee Entries Report

The Time and Fee Entries Report display entries regardless of bill behavior. Only the value of the Bill entries is displayed.

Aged WIP Report

The Aged WIP report displays only the hours and the value of entries with the behavior of Bill.

The highlighted fee above is not shown on the Aged WIP report:

Matter Balances Report

The Matter Balances Report only displays the fee value of entries with the behavior of Bill.

The highlighted fees above are not shown on the Matter Balances Report

Time Records Report

Entries of any behavior display actual and billable hours on the Time Records Report.