This document will explain how Projects work in Time59 and how you can use them to bill for multiple timekeepers.
A Time59 Project consists of a description and an hourly billing rate. One or more projects may be defined for each Time59 Client. Projects must be defined separately by client. A single project record cannot be shared between clients. You can create and maintain projects on the "Projects" tab on the Time59 dashboard.
When you enter a time record for a client, you will be able to select a project from a list of all projects set up for that client. The selected project's description and hourly billing rate will then be associated with that time record. When you create an invoice, the time record will be billed at the rate specified by the project.
Projects are very flexible. A project can represent a specific matter, a type of work, a timekeeper, or something else.
Here are a few examples of how projects can be used to bill for single and multiple timekeepers.
A basic setup would be to create a project with the name "Legal Services" for each client with the appropriate rate for each client. This approach would work well for a single timekeeper and would accommodate different billing rates for different clients.
Extending the first example, we will provide the ability to bill paralegal time at a different rate. Set up a second project for each client with the description "Paralegal" and the appropriate rate. When entering time for clients simply select the appropriate project. Multiple projects can be combined onto one invoice and the time records will be calculated at the approriate rates according to the project.
Now let's say you are working on different matters for the same client. In this case you can create two projects, say "Matter 1" and "Matter 2", with the appropriate rates. You can even create two different projects for a client with the same name and different rates. This would allow you to bill attorney time and paralegal time under the same project name. When it's time to bill the client, you will be able to combine projects onto a single invoice or split them onto separate invoices.
In the previous examples, projects were used to represent types of work or specific matters. In the next example projects will correspond to timekeepers in your firm.
In this example you can create projects where the project description is the name or initials of the lawyer. This is useful when multiple lawyers are working on the same matter for a client and you want to show on the invoice who did what and at what rate.
On the invoice, the lawyer's name or initials will be displayed in the project column. You can then change the heading of the project column from "Project" to "Timekeeper".
Q: How are Timekeeper Codes used in Time59?
Timekeeper Codes are primarily used for LEDES invoicing. To learn more click on the following link:
After reading this article you should have a good idea of the type of flexibility Time59 can provide.
This article provided a few examples of how to set up Time59 to work for different situations.
If you need further assistance in tailoring Time59 to your firm's requirements please contact us. We are ready to help.
Check out the "Using Time59" section of the Time59 Blog.
You may also contact us using the Feedback form or at support@time59.com.