CounselLink Answer Center for Clients

Submitting and Managing Accruals

  • Updated

This article covers the following:

Finding Accruals

You can search for existing accruals by accessing links in the Billing panel or Info Tiles and filtering results on the Accruals Search page.

Click here to learn more about the search features in CounselLink.

Accessing Accruals from the Billing Panel

The Billing Panel on the homepage contains quick links to common accrual searches. Clicking one will bring you to the Accruals Search page with the filter you've selected applied to the results.

  • Open Law Office Accruals: Displays the number of law firms with open accruals.
  • Action Required: Displays the number of accrual amounts submitted by law firms and require review.

Accessing Accruals from Info Tiles

You can configure your info tiles to display Open Law Firm Office Accruals and Action Required.

The Accruals Search page displays all accruals to which you have access. You can also use saved views to save your commonly used search criteria for quick access.

Deleting an Accrual

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Deleting an accrual removes all associated data for its periods.

You must have the Accrual Delete Admin role to delete an accrual.

  1. Click the trash can icon in the upper right corner of the Accrual Overview page.

    The confirmation window displays.

  2. Click Yes, Continue. The accrual is deleted.

Using Accrual Comments

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You can add a comment to an accrual amount for a specific matter. This allows you to communicate directly with the law firm regarding its submission.

You cannot tag users or reply inline to these comments. To leave a comment on the entire accrual and tag users, use the Comments tab instead.

  1. Click the Amounts tab on the Accrual Overview page.
  2. Place a check mark next to the law firm.

  3. Click Edit. The Edit Accrual Amounts page opens.

  4. Click the More Actions (three-dot icon) next to the row.

  5. Select Add Comment from the drop-down menu.

    The Add Comment window displays.

  6. Enter your comment.
  7. Click Save.
  8. Make any other changes if necessary, and click Save on the Edit Accrual Amounts page.

Your comment will appear inline next to the Matter Title under the law firm.

Accepting an Accrual

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After a law firm submits its accrual amount, you may review, edit (if enabled), and accept the submission. Accepting an accrual indicates that the submission has been reviewed.

You can report submitted amounts to your finance department regardless of acceptance status.

  1. Click the Action Required link in the homepage Billing panel.

    The Accruals Search page displays.

  2. Click the accrual in the Accrual Name column to be taken to the Accrual Overview page.

  3. Click the Amounts tab. You can find the submitted accruals by looking in the Status column.

  4. Click the arrow next to the law firm name to review the amounts for each matter. You can also edit the amounts submitted if necessary.

    Your organization must have the edit feature for submitted accruals enabled in order to perform this action.

  5. Place a check mark next to the law firm(s) for which you'd like to accept the amounts.
  6. Click the Accept button. The Accept Law Firm Office Accruals window displays.
  7. Click Yes. 

A confirmation message displays. If any submissions were not accepted, the message provides the reason.

Exporting Accrual Entries

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You can export accrual entries for a single law firm and its associated matters. This is useful when creating a new accrual period and editing data in Excel before re-importing.

You can export data for one law firm at a time.

  1. Click the Amounts tab on the Accrual Overview page.
  2. Place a check mark next to the law firm.
  3. Click More Actions.

  4. Select Export from the drop-down menu.

The .xlsx file file downloads to your computer containing the accrual data.

Removing a Matter from an Accrual

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Both your organization and law firm users can remove matters from an accrual period.

Removing a matter deletes all period data for that law firm office on that matter. It does not remove the matter from other accrual periods.

  1. Click on the Amounts tab on the Accrual Overview page.
  2. Place a check mark next to the law firm(s).
  3. Click More Actions.

  4. Select Remove Matters from the drop-down menu.

    The Remove Accrual Matters window displays.

  5. Place a check mark next to the matter(s).
  6. Click Save. 

The selected matters are removed from the accrual period.