This article covers the following:
About Budgets
Budgets help your organization track and plan overall legal spend on a per-matter or multi-matter basis. They provide the visibility and control needed to manage matter-related expenses effectively. With the Budgets feature in LexisNexis® CounselLink®, you can capture valuable data and generate operational reports.
Depending on your setup, budgets can be created collaboratively with a law firm or independently by your organization. Each budget consists of two components:
- A framework that includes contact information, law firm access, fiscal year information, and other administrative details
- The budgeted amounts for each designated time period
As invoices are submitted, CounselLink tracks the total amount spent and compares it to the approved budget limits. When spending approaches a pre-determined threshold, you can choose to receive an email notification.
Finding the Budget Search Page
There are several ways to access the Budget Search page within CounselLink. However, the quickest method is through the Financials Panel on the homepage.
Clicking a link in this panel takes you to the Budget Search page with the selected filter automatically applied.
For example, if you click on Budgets Assigned to Me, you will be taken to the Budget Search page with your user name (budgets assigned to you) as the filter:
Creating Budget Reports from Search Results
You can use customized search results and Saved Views to generate operational reports. Begin by running a search, then apply filters to define which budget information to include. Once your results are configured, you can print, export, or save the customized report.
Printing and Saving a Formatted Budget Report
- Customize your Budget Search page results to display the information in your report.
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Select the budgets to include by placing a check mark next to each name.
Use the display results drop down to show more results on the page.
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Click the printer icon above the search results.
The Print Results page displays.
- Once you've selected your print preferences, click Print. The Print Preview Page displays.
- Choose your output (e.g. print to paper or save as PDF).
- Save the document to your desired location if necessary.
Exporting a Budget Report to a Spreadsheet
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After selecting the budgets for your report—either manually or by using a Saved View—click the Export Results icon above the Budget Search page results.
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The results are downloaded to a .csv file in your default downloads folder.