Step by step
Issue a fee note
Bill a matter in four hands: a pre-bill drafted from the work in progress, reviewed by the matter's advocate, approved by a partner, and issued as a fee note by billing.
Billing shows the “Work in progress, pre-bills to review and approve, fee notes to issue.” A fee note starts as a pre-bill of the matter’s unbilled time, disbursements and agreed fees. Each person does one part, so no one person bills a client alone.
Draft the pre-bill
A partner or fee earner goes to Fees and client money › Billing. Under Work in progress, find the matter and tap Draft pre-bill. The pre-bill opens with its number, such as Pre-bill DB-00016.
Decide what goes on this bill
Each time entry has a choice under On review: Bill it, No charge, Write off or Take off this bill. Under Disbursements and agreed fees, tick Take off for anything to bill later. Write down or up changes the fees with a reason. Tap Save the changes: Kila says, for example, DB-00016 changed.
Review it as the matter's advocate
The responsible advocate sees Your review: “You are the matter’s responsible advocate: confirm the bill, or say what should change.” Choose Reviewed: ready for a partner or Changes needed and tap Record the review. Kila says: “Reviewed. Billing submits it to a partner.”
Send it to a partner
Tap Send to a partner. Kila says, for example, DB-00016 is waiting for a partner.
A partner approves it
A partner other than the one who sent it opens the pre-bill and taps Approve, or Send back with a note (“It goes back to its reviewer with your note.”). Kila says, for example, DB-00016 approved.
Issue the fee note
Billing and credit control open the approved pre-bill. E-mail it to the client starts ticked: untick it to send the fee note later. Tap Issue the fee note. Kila says, for example, S-000078 issued for KES 1,500.00.
Check the fee note
Under Fee notes, open it. It shows what was billed, its History (drafted, reviewed, approved) and its eTIMS state: eTIMS queued at first, then eTIMS confirmed with its number. PDF, Send and Record a payment are at the top.
Not available yet
Kila is not connected to KRA yet. Until its KRA connection is ready, eTIMS runs in test mode: a fee note carries a test eTIMS number, starting with TEST-, and is not a valid fiscal receipt.
The partner sends it back
Link to this section: The partner sends it backThe pre-bill goes back to its reviewer with the partner’s note. Change what the note asks for, record the review again and send it back to a partner.
The partner who sent it wants to approve it
Link to this section: The partner who sent it wants to approve itThey cannot: a different partner approves. At Wanjiru & Otieno Advocates any of the other partners can.
Something should be billed later
Link to this section: Something should be billed laterTake it off this bill: it stays in the work in progress for the next pre-bill.
- Record your time: where the time comes from.
- Charge interest on a fee note: when it stays unpaid.
- Partner and Accounts: who reviews, approves and keeps the books.
Next: when the client pays, tap Record a payment on the fee note.