The Cashroom. Daily Routines and Accounting Procedures. Lawware.co.uk. Lawware Ltd

Transcription

1 The Cashroom Daily Routines and Accounting Procedures Lawware Ltd Lawware.co.uk

2 Contents Contents... 1 Introduction... 4 Posting Introduction... 4 Daybook Date... 4 Viewing the Client Ledger... 4 Searching within the Client Ledger... 5 Toolbar... 6 Posting screen layout and field descriptions... 6 Posting Types... 8 Client Posting Routines... 9 Payment out of a Clients Ledger... 9 Receipt into a Clients Ledger... 9 Third Party Cheques Transfer from Client Bank to Firm Bank (Decrease Float) Case File Specific Transfer between Firm/Client/Designated/Loan Inter Client Transfer between two different Clients Matters Inter Client Transfer between two different Client Bank Accounts Memos Add a Client Matter Ledger Payment Memorandum Add a Client Matter Ledger Receipt Memorandum To Convert a Memo To Delete a Memo Notification of Memos Outstanding Feeing Preparing a Fee Rendering a Fee Note Outlays Split a Fee on Rendering Assign Split when the Fee Note has been Processed Allocate a Fee Note (Mark as Paid) Reversing a Fee Note Writing off a Fee Note Write off Outlays on Fee notes Page 1

3 Credit Notes Feeing Reports Print Preview Screen and Saving Your Report Firms Posting Routines Payment out of the Firms Account Receipt into Firms Account Transfer from Firm Bank to Client Bank (Increase Float) Client Ledger Payment out of Firms Account (Outlay) Client Ledger Receipt into firms Account Transfer between 2 different Firms accounts Client to Nominal Movement Nominal to Client Movement Journal Entry Multi-Sided Posting Nominal Accounts View the Firms Nominal Accounts Create a New Nominal Account Edit a Nominal Account Delete a Nominal Account VAT Posting Codes The Bank Account Centre Viewing your Bank Accounts Viewing the Account Details Creating a New Bank Account Archiving a Bank Account Viewing Archived Accounts Un-archiving a Bank Account Reconciling a Bank Account Un-reconcile a Transaction Day End Routines and Accounting Procedures Float Check Daybook Date Date Check Transaction Queue Page 2

4 Process the Transaction Queue Transaction Scheduler To View or Amend Transactions in the scheduler Corrective Entries To remove an unprocessed posting To remove a processed posting Performing a Day End Performing the Month End Performing the VAT End Performing a Year End Productivity Centre The Cashroom View The Notification Centre Firms Trial Balance Page 3

5 Introduction The Lawware Cashroom Module allows you to confidently post Client and Firm transactions ensuring that you are compliant with the Law Society Rules and regulations. This manual will cover all postings available within Lawware. For information on how to create client s and casefiles please refer to our Creating Client s and Case Files guide. Posting Introduction Each Case File has its own Ledger allowing you to record what monies you hold, outlays and Fee Notes outstanding for each client. When a posting is made in Lawware the entry will appear in blue on the ledger. This is a ghost posting and can be deleted or changed. All postings are sent to the Transaction Queue and are held there until you process them. (see page 45) Once they are processed they cannot be deleted of changed (see corrective entries page 48) Daybook Date Central to understanding the Lawware accounting system is the Daybook Date shown in the bottom right hand corner of your Lawware Screen. Post everything for one posting day, then run the day end procedure. This will move your posting date onto the next day. You can forward post which will hold the postings in the transaction queue until you reach that posting date, however, you cannot back post. If you have missed a posting from a previous day then you have to post it on the day you are in with an explanation in the narrative. If you do not finish all the postings for one day you simply close Lawware down and only run the day end when you have finished the postings the next day, we would recommend that you do a bank reconciliation before moving on to the next day so that you can make any amendments and post any transactions that have happened at the bank that day. Viewing the Client Ledger Within the Case File you will find the Client ledger card, where you will record all monetary transactions for that client. One Client may have many Case Files, therefore several ledgers. Search for the Case File you wish to see the ledger for and click on the Ledger Tab The Ledger Card is displayed Page 4

6 You can view the current month/year/specific dates, sort and print the ledger. Double click on any transaction to see the narrative and more detail To Add Narrative to a posting highlight the posting then click on the ledger, a dialog box will appear, type in the required narrative and click OK. Add narrative button at the top of the client s At the bottom of the ledger you will find a useful summary showing the totals for each section. Searching within the Client Ledger Click on the Find button The following screen is displayed to search within the client s ledger Enter the information you are wanting to search for Refine your search working through the drop-down lists Click Search All matching items on the client s ledger will appear in red To clear the search right click in the ledger and select Refresh Ledger Page 5

7 Toolbar The toolbar is located at the top of the Lawware screen, hover over the icons for a description and click on the icon to invoke the posting screen. If the icon does not appear on your toolbar all postings are available from the Accounts menu. Click on Accounts and select from the drop-down menus. Posting screen layout and field descriptions All the Lawware posting screens are very similar in layout the only fields that change depend on whether you are posting a client payment/receipt or a Firm payment/receipt See below for an example of a typical posting screen and list of field descriptions The Payment Date is automatically populated with the current Daybook Date, you can forward post by typing in a date in the future. The Branch is automatically populated with the branch associated with the Bank Account, if you have more than one branch then you can select from the drop-down menu From/Paid into Account the default Firm/Client account will be selected, click on the drop down to choose a different account. From/To Nominal choose from the drop down the nominal you want to credit/debit From/Paid into Case File choose the Case File that you are looking to credit/debit Narrative builder Narrative to/from type in the required text who the payment is to/from Narrative re type in the required text what the payment/receipt is for The narrative box will populate with what you have typed you can add to this if required The blue disk at the end of these fields allows you to save the text as standard posting narrative so that the next time you have this type of posting begin typing in the narrative Lawware will predict what you are about to type Page 6

8 The Funds Option doesn t apply to Payments out only receipts in you can select here when for instance the cheque will be cleared and acts as a reminder and note to all staff that a payment out should not be made before this date Important: This needs to be checked on your actual bank account as the bank may have bounced the cheque this would not show in Lawware Select a Posting Type from the drop down eg CHQ, BACS etc Click on the settings link to add any posting type, (see posting types on the following page) Enter a Reference No this is generally the Cheque number or go with the Lawware suggested reference number Batch Posting Tick the Hold Reference Number Box to use the same reference for multiple postings for the one cheque and tick the Block Posting box if you want to make a series of the same postings for different Case Files, the same posting screen will keep appearing, change the case file number enter amount then click ok/queue until you are finished then click finish If applicable, Select the VAT type if the correct one has not already been selected, Be careful with VAT codes Enter the Gross Value (you do not need the sign) The Fee Status field is generally set to Exclude from Fee. This means that the transaction will not be included when a fee note is raised on the system. If you do wish to track your outlays on your fee notes the change the Fee Status to Fee on this Fee. If you choose leave Next Fee this amount will not be added to the Current Fee Note but will be included on the next Cheque Printing If you have this module the area will be available to click into In the Cheque Printing field choose Add to Queue if you want to print the cheque later Type in the Payee Name as you would want to appear on the printed cheque. Account of Charge & Discharge Users with the Account of Charge & Discharge module can assign their postings to an analysis code, which will then in turn be included on their account of charge and discharge report Analysis Code choose from the drop-down the Executry heading required. (see the separate Account of Charge & Discharge manual for more information) High Priority tick this option to flag as a High Priority in the Transaction Queue to be processed as soon as possible Click OK/Queue, you will be presented with a Summary window for your posting, check the details and click Yes to proceed or No to go back and make changes to your posting Note: The additional posting slips area is for when your firm wishes to use Electronic posting slips, see our separate guide for more information Page 7

9 Posting Types All Lawware Posting Screens have a Posting Types drop-down where you would select whether it s a Payin, Cheque etc When posting, Lawware will choose a type for you depending upon the type of posting which you can change by clicking on the drop-down, below is a list of the most common types Payin CHQ CHAPS BACS S/O D/D CHRG INT PDQ If you have a Payin Book to bank multiple Cheques or cash you would enter the Payin Reference number and tick hold reference after each posting so that they are grouped together in the bank statement, Fund Option can be selected to show as cleared immediately up to 10 working days Used for Payments being sent out by Cheque on Client or Firm Account. Enter the Cheque number in the Reference number and if one cheque is for multiple client ledgers, tick hold reference after each posting so that they are grouped together in the bank statement Same day electronic transfer used for payments and receipts, Lawware automatic numbering in Reference no. 3 Day electronic transfer used for payments and receipts, Lawware automatic numbering in Reference no. Standing Order used if it s a payment from the bank account Direct Debit for payments coming off the bank account generally used for outgoing payments only ie Insurance, Rates etc.. Use for posting Bank Charges debited to the bank account Use for posting Credit or Debit Interest to bank accounts Credit Card receipts into the client or firms bank accounts it can also be used for payments out of the firms account be way of credit card Some Posting types will automatically be entered for you, for instance when you are posting to the Interest Nominal the default is INT, Journal Entries JN and Memo entries Memo. To add a New Posting Type click on the settings button next to the posting Types drop-down and click add Type the description eg Faster Payment Short Type Prefix eg FP Funds Default eg Mark as cleared immediately Click OK The posting type will not be available until the next posting screen is displayed The following chapters are going to explain each posting and when you would use them. Client Posting Routines Feeing Firms Posting Routines Bank Account Centre Day End Routines and Accounting Procedures Page 8

10 Client Posting Routines All client and firm Lawware posting screens have a standard layout the difference being that on Client posting routines you will select a case file to debit or credit and with Firm posting routines you will select a nominal to debit or credit In this section we are going to look at the Client Posting Routines When posting a Client transaction, you can either Highlight the casefile in the main screen then select the appropriate posting icon You can open the Case File and click on the Ledger tab Select the posting icon then manually change the Case File number Payment out of a Clients Ledger A payment out of the Clients ledger will Debit the Clients ledger and Credit (DR) the Bank, you would use this if you needed to pay an outlay from the clients ledger Click on the Payment out of a Clients Ledger (Outlay) button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed From the above screen you will note that the money will Credit (DR) the Client bank account and Debit the Client Case File shown. Enter the narrative who the money is to and what it is re, select the Posting Type and enter a reference eg if you have written a cheque choose CHQ and enter the cheque number in the Reference no. field. Enter the Gross Value and click OK/Queue, you will be presented with a Summary window for your posting, check the details and click Yes to proceed or No to go back and make changes to your posting Receipt into a Clients Ledger A Receipt into the Clients Ledger will Credit the Client Ledger and Debit (CR) the Bank, you would use this if you had received money into the clients account for payment of a Fee Note instance Click on the Receipt into a Clients Ledger button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Page 9

11 From the above screen you will note that the money will Debit (CR) the Clients bank account and Credit the Client s Case File shown. If you have already raised a Fee Note and this money is to pay the Fee Note select the Fee note from the drop-down Allocate to Fee. Enter the narrative who the money is from and what it is re, select the Posting Type and enter a reference eg if you have received a cheque choose PAYIN and enter the pay in slip number in the Reference no. field. If you have been paid by cheque you can mark the transaction with a flag to indicate when the funds will be cleared (e.g. so you can check with the bank on this date to make sure that the cheque has not bounced) in the Funds Option field. Enter the Gross Value and click OK/Queue, you will be presented with a Summary window for your posting, check the details and click Yes to proceed or No to go back and make changes to your posting Note: Tick the Hold Reference Number Box to use the same reference for multiple postings for the one payin and tick the Block Posting box if you want to make a series of the same postings for different Case Files, the same posting screen will keep appearing, change the case file number enter amount then click ok/queue until you are finished then click finish Third Party Cheques When you have received a payment from a 3 rd party, it must be recorded in the client ledger. This option allows the recording of a received payment but with no effect on the ledger balance Click on the 3 rd Party Cheque button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Page 10

12 Select the Case File for the client whom the cheque is for (the Client name is greyed out) The posting will appear in the same line as a Debit and a Credit with a ^ symbol signifying the balance has not been affected. Remember to enter the cheque number in the Reference no. field. Transfer from Client Bank to Firm Bank (Decrease Float) The option to transfer from a Client Bank Account to a Firm Bank Account will have the effect of moving funds as a single cross entry that will appear on both the firm and the client bank ledgers. Remember that this transaction will also decrease the float surplus and will therefore check for a breach on this rule before posting. Some Firms will operate with a specific float say 1000 so after closing each day anything over that amount can be transferred from the Client Bank to the Firm Bank as long as the funds are cleared. Click on the Transfer from Client Bank to Firm Bank button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Make sure that you select the correct Bank Accounts from the drop-down menus and remember to reflect this in your online banking. Page 11

13 Case File Specific Transfer between Firm/Client/Designated/Loan Use this option when Uplifting or Lodging funds on a deposit account for a client. When money is lodged it is moved from the Client bank to the other funds account, when it is uplifted it is moved from the other funds account to the Client bank See Creating a New Bank account on how to open an other funds account (page 38) Click on the Case File Specific Transfer between Firm/Client/Designated/Loan button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Inter Client Transfer between two different Clients Matters Inter Client Transfers are used for moving monies between different Client ledgers. This option will Debit the ledger you are moving money from and Credit the ledger you are moving money to, always select the client you are debiting first. For example if you had one client with 2 case files a Sale and Purchase and you wanted to move the Sale proceeds to the Purchase case file Click on the Inter Client Transfer between two different Clients Matters button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Leave the posting type as TXFR this is a Lawware code indicating a transfer. Page 12

14 Inter Client Transfer between two different Client Bank Accounts If you have more than one general client bank account setup you may at some point want to transfer monies between them (as a non-case file specific transfer). Click on the Inter Client Transfer between two different Client Bank Accounts button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Note that this facility will not be available if you only have one General Client Bank Account and remember to reflect this in your online banking. Memos You can add Memos to the ledger to remind yourself of potential Outlays or Receipts. Memos do not affect the ledger balance and can be deleted or converted to debit or credit entries when required. If you are using tracked Outlays on the Lawware generated Fee notes then the Memos will be pulled through regardless if they have been converted. Memos are the one transaction that can be processed through the transaction queue and still be deleted. Add a Client Matter Ledger Payment Memorandum Use this posting for instance to create an outlay on a fee note that has not yet been paid out or simply as a reminder of a request from Registers of Scotland for a disposition. Therefore, when the invoice comes in from Registers of Scotland at the end of the month you can recall all the Memo entries and convert them into real postings. See the next few pages on how to achieve this. Click on the Add a Client Matter Ledger Payment Memorandum button on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed Page 13

15 As you will see from the above screen you can select whether you want this posting to affect the firm bank or the client bank when it is converted. The posting type defaults to Memo as it is not an actual posting (see posting types Page 8) Memo entries appear underneath all other transactions on the client s ledger under the heading Memoranda Entries Add a Client Matter Ledger Receipt Memorandum The Client Matter Ledger Receipt Memorandum posting works in the same way as the payment memo and is used for anticipated receipts. This could be used for entering a note on the client s ledger of anticipated funds due in from a sale Click on the Add a Client Matter Ledger Receipt Memorandum on the toolbar The Standard posting screen is displayed As you will see from the above screen you can select whether you want this posting to affect the firm bank or the client bank when it is converted. The posting type defaults to Memo as it is not an actual posting (see posting types Page 8) Memo entries appear underneath all other transactions on the client s ledger under the heading Memoranda Entries Page 14

16 To Convert a Memo When you are ready to convert a memo into an actual posting which means it will debit/credit the clients ledger and the bank Highlight the Memo you wish to convert and click the Convert Memo button The following screen is displayed that appears at the top of the client s ledger You will only be able to change certain fields in the transaction and a summary of the original posting will be automatically entered into the posting slips notes Select a Posting Type from the list Enter a Reference Number (cheque number/payin slip number) Amend your Gross Amount if required Select from the Fee Status field if this transaction is to be pulled into the next Fee Note (If it has already been Feed you will see the message This Transaction has been feed ) Click OK/Queue You will be presented with a Summary window for your posting, check the details and click Yes to proceed or No to go back and make changes to your posting The Memo has now been converted to show as a debit or credit entry on the client s ledger. To see a summary of all Memos recorded in Lawware see below for setting a notification in the Productivity Centre To Delete a Memo Highlight the Memo you wish to delete Either right click the Memo and select Delete Transaction or click on the Delete this memo posting button at the top of the client s ledger A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm that you want to delete this transaction, choose Yes to confirm deletion Note: You will not be able to delete a memo that has been included on a Fee Note Page 15

17 Notification of Memos Outstanding Using the Productivity Centre Notifications you can set an alert to notify you how many Memo Payment/Receipts you have on the system. To set this Open the Productivity Centre and Choose View, Notifications Click on the link click here to configure my notifications You will be presented with a list of options, under the heading Cashroom, select the following notifications Next click on the link Finish Configuration You will then see how many Memo Payment/Receipts you have in the system Double click on it a new window will open in the left listing them all, from here you can double click on any memo posting to open it. Page 16

18 Feeing Lawware can create Fee note transactions and documents, allow you to mark these fully or part paid, provide you with reports on Aged Debt, outstanding Fees and fees rendered and recovered. Preparing a Fee When you are using Time Recording or working with outlays you can prepare the items on the Fee Note in advance of rendering the Fee. So, that when the Fee is rendered the items are marked as billed. To do this, from the Activities tab within the Case File, click on the Options button and choose Prepare Fee Note The screen displayed is a summary screen detailing total outlays and activities. Both Unbilled Outlays and Unbilled Activities work in the same way and there is a tab to access each of these: To amend the Unbilled Outlays or activities on the Fee Note, click on the item you want to change, select the status at the top of the window and click the Change button: The status codes are as follows: Leave Next Fee Fee on this Fee Not Chargeable Has Been Feed Written Off Never Fee To leave until the next fee note created (after the current fee note has been raised) Appear on the Fee note Will not appear on Fee note Will not appear on fee note and will show as already Fee d Write off note this does not affect any nominal accounts Will not fee If you are working with a number of items that you want to change, you can click the Multiple Select check box and use Shift + Click to select adjacent items or Ctrl + click for non-adjacent items. There is also an option to view the items that will be Fee d on the next Fee Note Page 17

19 Rendering a Fee Note The following transaction will raise a Fee note on the Clients ledger and if configured create the Fee Note in Word Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Click on the Render a Fee Note On the The Following screen is displayed toolbar Enter the required Fee Note number, If you want to Post receipt to on the ledger at the same time select this option and choose the bank, it will add another transaction to the ledger to show the money being paid in. If you also tick Allocate in Full it will show the fee note as being recovered, only use this option if you have the funds and they have cleared the bank The client and matter details will be displayed automatically as well as the fee narrative. Enter the Net fee amount, if you have Tracked Outlays for any tracked Payments out of the Clients Ledger if they are not showing check the clients ledger and post these first. (See the outlays section on page 20) IMPORTANT If you enter a figure in the Other Outlays field you then need to create a memo or payment out of the client s ledger for it to show on the client s ledger Adjust the Split of the fee if required -S(ee Splitting the Fee section for more information on page 21) You then have a choice of what kind of Fee Note you want to raise If you are using Lawware Templates to create your Fee Notes make sure the Create and Save Fee Note Activity box is ticked and choose the Fee Style from the drop-down that you want to use Note: The Fee Styles need to be uploaded to your system, contact the Lawware helpdesk in the first instance to have this done. When you click on the OK/Queue button the Fee Note template will open in Word and allow you to make any changes, print the Fee Note if required and click on the Back to Lawware button to save changes in the top right corner of Word to close the Fee note and return back to Lawware Page 18

20 If you have chosen to create a Draft fee note this allows you to raise the Fee Note and shows as a grey entry on the ledger and is not seen in the transaction queue until you convert it into a normal Fee note. To amend the Draft Fee Note double click the entry on the ledger and either open the fee note or if you have added any time recording or tracked outlays click on the blue link Recreate the Fee Note To change the Draft Fee note to a normal Fee note click on the Normal button the Save Draft button will then change to OK/Queue the transaction will appear on the ledger as blue ghost entry and will be added to the transaction queue for processing as normal If you are not using Lawware to create your Fee Notes just click OK/Queue A dialogue box will appear asking you to confirm all the details are correct before posting to the ledger. Click Yes to continue or No to go back to the posting screen to make changes or cancel the posting. The fee note now shows as a blue ghost entry on the client ledger and is sent to the transaction queue for processing. When the client pays the fee and the money is credited to the ledger you then need to Allocate the fee note Page 19

21 Outlays The Fee Note allows you to enter an Other Outlay amount when rendering the Fee Note. Entering the Other Outlay amount on a Fee note only adds it to the fee narrative. It does not debit the clients ledger balance. To debit the client ledger balance you must click on the Memo link to create a reminder/memo entry on the ledger that can be converted at a later stage to an Outlay to debit the ledger. Note: that when you create a memo and choose the Fee on this Fee status and it has been processed in the transaction queue, it will appear as a tracked outlay on the next fee note created. When you convert the memo to a debit on the ledger, if the amount has already been feed (if the Fee on this Fee option was chosen), the system will convert the memo, but will not include the amount on the next Fee Note: Once converted the original memo will disappear and be replaced as a standard posting on the client ledger. See Memo Entries earlier in this manual for more information page 13 Tracked outlays are pulled through from any Outlay you have posted on the ledger and marked as Fee on this Fee in the Fee Status Box. See Payment out of a Clients Ledger for more information Time Recording can also be set to Fee on this Fee when creating an activity which means that the charge will be automatically pulled through into the next Fee Note rendered. In the example screen the Time recording figure is represented by (WIP) in the Net field To Remove Activities or Outlays from the Fee Note: When you have the Render a Fee Note window open click on the Items on Fee tab From this window you can highlight any Outlay or Activity then click on the Mark to <Leave for next fee> link Page 20

22 Split a Fee on Rendering This section identifies the split of the fee note between Work Type assigned to the Case File and Fee Earner. The Fee Earners time is assigned at activity creation level when using Time Recording in the Created for field, this can then be used to assign the time of each Fee Earner within the Fee by ticking the Auto Over-ride split defaults with % WIP splits (if applicable) box or you can manually change the split of the fee earner and the work type in the Assignment tab within the Fee Note window. This split can be changed at any time, even after the Fee Note has been processed. When you have the Render a Fee Note window open click on the Assignment tab Using the Add/Remove Buttons you can highlight, change and add to adjust the split Assign Split when the Fee Note has been Processed You can still change the Split Assignment once the Fee Note has been processed: right click the Fee Note Transaction in the ledger window and choose Credit Control and then Change Split Assignment. Allocate a Fee Note (Mark as Paid) In Lawware marking the Fee note as paid is known as Allocating the Fee note. You can mark Fees as paid when you are Render a Fee Note (See Rendering a Fee note) You can mark Fees as paid when you record the Receipt into the client ledger (See receipt into client ledger) See below on how to mark as paid after the Fee note has been rendered, you have received the funds and the payment has cleared in the bank. Page 21

23 Right click the Fee Note on the Client ledger Select Credit Control Select Allocate Funds The Allocate Funds Screen will appear Enter the amount you wish to allocate (mark as paid) in the Allocate Amount field if you only enter part of the total outstanding the remainder will show as an outstanding balance still to be paid. Click OK/Queue, Process through the Transaction Queue as normal Reversing a Fee Note If a Fee Note has not been processed in the Queue, it can be deleted. The exception to this is where you have allocated the Fee note (marked as paid) as in this case there are additional postings that will first have to be deleted. Right click the Fee Note you want to delete and click Delete Transaction. If the Fee Note has been allocated, the following message will be displayed: You will have to delete the allocated transactions in the ledger; right click on the entry that says Fees allocated and choose Delete transaction: You will now be able to delete the fee note. If the Fee note has been processed in the Queue, you cannot delete; you must Reverse the posting: Right click on the Fee and choose Reverse Posting. The Fee note will be reversed removing entries from Fees Rendered and VAT accounts. You will then be presented with the following screen and 3 options: YES, NO or CANCEL. Page 22

24 Choose Yes, if you wish to reinstate any activities (WIP) and outlays that may have been on the fee note, this will allow you to include them in the Next Fee. Choose No if you do not want to recharge any WIP or outlays. If you do not want to reverse the Fee Note until you determine which option to take, click Cancel. Writing off a Fee Note You can write off a Fee note, or part of a Fee note and update the Fees Written off account and the relevant VAT account (suspense or vat output account) To write off a fee note, right click on the Fee Note in the ledger and click Credit Control, Write Off. Enter the amount of the Fee you want to write off and click OK/Queue. The written off fee is displayed with a tick beside it and the write off entry shows the fee amount written off in the credit column with ^ symbol beside it. Note: The fee is automatically written off to a nominal called *Outlays Written Off and Non-Recoverable Expenses. The VAT element will automatically adjust either removing the VAT from VAT Suspense (if your firm is a cash basis firm) or VAT Output (if your firm is a Bills Rendered Firm) depending on which VAT method you are using. Write off Outlays on Fee notes When you write off a Fee note, the outlay recorded will remain on the ledger or as a memo. If you need to write off an outlay, then you should use a nominal to client transaction type and choose the Outlays written off account; this will allow you to Credit the client ledger and Debit the Outlays written off account. See Firms postings, Nominal to Client Transaction in this manual for more information page 30 Credit Notes A credit note will credit the clients account, you can raise a credit note in one of 2 ways depending on whether you have marked the fee as paid or if it is outstanding. The outstanding fee amount is reduced. The credit note amount is displayed in the credit column with a ^ symbol beside it Page 23

25 When the Fee is Outstanding If you have raised a fee, but the fee has not yet been paid (allocated), you can right click on the Fee, choose Credit Control and choose Issue Credit Note: Enter the Net Fee amount to credit and Lawware will update the VAT amount. This will update the Fees Rendered Account and VAT account with the credit When the Fee has been Paid If you have already allocated the Fee, you can choose to Reverse the posting this option will credit the full amount of the Fee note. If you want to credit only part of the Fee Note, you should render a fee note and enter a negative amount: This will show as a corrective posting in the client ledger, the Fees Rendered and the VAT account. When you enter a Fee note with a negative amount, you do not need to allocate; the transaction will immediately affect the ledger (once processed in the queue). Feeing Reports You can view the details and total amounts of Fees Rendered and Fees Recovered in a report which allows you to view Fees by Partner, Fee Earner and Work Type. Fees Raised will show in the Fees Rendered Report and once fees are marked as paid, the report will show updated figures in the Fees Recovered Report, i.e. the amounts will no longer appear on the Fees Rendered Report. To access the Reports section, choose Centres from the Menu bar and Report Centre: Expand the Feeing and Credit control section and expand the Feeing Analysis section to view all the available reports: You can choose to view the Fees Rendered and Recovered in a full listing or in a summary format, there is also a report for aged debtors and a list of fees outstanding. Click once on each of the reports to access the format options, Click View Report, Choose to Preview to the Screen and click OK Page 24

26 Print Preview Screen and Saving Your Report If you have chosen to display your report in Preview, from here you can choose to print, save or export the data into Word or Excel. The buttons at the foot of the print preview screen will move you through the pages:. The print preview toolbar should appear at the left hand side of the screen and will allow you to print, save and export the file into Word or Excel. Page Setup use this to set margins and orientation Print send to printer Word export your data to Microsoft Word (this can often be the best export option) Excel export your data to Microsoft Excel Notepad export to Notepad Export and save on your computer or network Page 25

27 Firms Posting Routines All client and firm Lawware posting screens have a standard layout the difference being that on Client posting routines you will select a case file to debit or credit and with Firm posting routines you will select a nominal to debit or credit, unless you are paying an outlay from the firms account In this section we are going to look at the Firms Posting Routines When posting a Firms transaction, click on the required icon on the toolbar or from the Accounts menu select the posting via the drop-down menus. Payment out of the Firms Account Used to Pay Firm Invoices eg Rent, Electricity, Telephone Bill Click on the Payment out of the Firms Account The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Select the nominal and enter the details of who the payment was to and what it was for ensuring if you are VAT registered that you choose the appropriate VAT rate Receipt into Firms Account This Posting would typically be used when Interest or Commission is received (Click on the Paid into drop-down to choose the bank account the interest was paid into) Click on the Receipt into the Firms Account The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Page 26

28 Transfer from Firm Bank to Client Bank (Increase Float) The option to transfer from a Firm Bank Account to a Client Bank Account will have the effect of moving funds as a single cross entry that will appear on both the firm and the client bank accounts Remember that this transaction will also increase the float surplus Click on the Transfer from the Firm Bank to Client Bank The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Page 27

29 Client Ledger Payment out of Firms Account (Outlay) This posting is generally used if the Client Bank does not have the funds to cover an outlay it will debit the clients ledger and Credit (DR) the firms bank. Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Click on the Client Ledger Payment out of Firms account The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Ensure you are focussed on the correct Case File and select the Fee Status field if required, it is generally set to Exclude from Fee. This means that the transaction will not be included when a fee note is raised on the system. If you do wish to track your outlays on your fee notes the change the Fee Status to Fee on this Fee. If you choose leave Next Fee this amount will not be added to the Current Fee Note but will be included on the next Client Ledger Receipt into firms Account If a Client has paid money into the firm account you would use the client ledger receipt into firms account icon Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Click on the Client Ledger Receipt into Firms account The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Page 28

30 Transfer between 2 different Firms accounts Use this icon to transfer money between 2 firms account for example you may have a Savings account where you want to keep money separate for the VAT bill To access this icon you may need to click Accounts on the menu bar Select Firms Accounting and Posting Routines Select Transfer between 2 different Firms Accounts The standard posting screen is displayed Ensure that you choose the correct bank accounts in the from and to field Page 29

31 Client to Nominal Movement This facility enables you to Debit the Clients Ledger and Credit a Nominal account, this posting does not affect the bank account. It could be used for writing off a small balance on a client ledger to the Write off nominal It is a very useful facility but must be used with caution. Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Click on the Client to Nominal Movement The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Nominal to Client Movement This facility enables you to Debit a Nominal Account and Credit the Client Ledger It is a very useful facility but must be used with caution. e.g. If you have outstanding outlays on a client ledger that you want to close you would use this transaction and choose the outlays write off a/c Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Click on the Nominal to Client Movement The standard posting screen is displayed On the toolbar Page 30

32 Journal Entry JOURNAL ENTRIES SHOULD BE USED WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND ONLY BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL Journals are used in the event when you need to make adjustments to the nominal ledgers, either as corrections or more commonly at the Year End to indicate depreciation or movement of profit loss to partner s accounts. The journal entry debits one account and credits another, recording the entry in the nominals effected. Click Accounts on the menu bar Select Accounting procedures Select Post Journal Entry The following screen is displayed Page 31

33 Multi-Sided Posting MULTI-SIDED POSTINGS SHOULD BE USED WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND ONLY BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL A multi sided posting is used to create a transaction that will affect more than 2 accounts, including a bank account, a case file or a nominal account. Using the other posting types within Lawware only allows for 2 accounts to be affected. You may use a multi sided posting for example when you are posting Salaries and require the Wages account, the PAYE account and the bank account to be affected in one transaction. Click Accounts on the menu bar Select Accounting procedures Select Multi-Sided Postings The following screen is displayed A Wizard function will appear to guide you through the posting, Click Next Click Add Transaction Page 32

34 Select the Type of Transaction i.e. Debit or Credit Select the Item Nominal, Bank Account, Case File Enter a Reference and Narrative Enter the Amount and click OK You will see your Transaction in the window The next step is to click Add Transaction and complete the entry as described above, the process should be continued until all transactions have been added and the batch balance is zero. The corresponding entries must equal zero or the entry cannot be processed you can add as many transactions as required. Click Next then Finish You will see a confirmation screen click OK Page 33

35 Nominal Accounts The firm s nominal accounts are split into different categories; Income, Expenses, Assets, Liabilities and Capital Reserves etc. At the yearend Income and Expense nominals are cleared down to the Profit/Loss report and the others go to the Balance Sheet report. Each nominal can be set to a specific VAT type from the following options: Standard VAT 20% Non Standard VAT This can be set to a specified amount VAT Exempt/Zero Rated This does not include VAT but does include the figure in the sales or purchases total Outwith the Scope of VAT This does not include VAT and does not include the figure in the sales and purchases total View the Firms Nominal Accounts Click on the Nominal Ledger Accounts The Following screen is displayed On the toolbar Click the plus sign beside any group heading This expands the group and displays the nominal accounts inside that group. The blue * accounts are Lawware system nominals. Double click on any nominal to open the ledger By default the transactions for the current month will be displayed, you can choose to view the current year or specify between periods. You can also print the ledger. Click Close to return the Nominal Account Dialogue box Page 34

36 Create a New Nominal Account Click on the Nominal Ledger Accounts On the toolbar You will see a list of the Nominal Group Headings, Highlight the Nominal Account heading you want to create a new code under and right click Select New Nominal Code Enter the Account Name Select the Account type from the list e.g. Expenses Select the Member of from the list if it is part of a group heading e.g. Telephone may be the group heading and Orange Mobiles may be the account name. This would be a member of the Telephone group Select the default VAT type from the drop-down list This can be overwritten when you make a posting to the nominal as there may be exceptions to this VAT rate. Select the default branch if required Click OK Edit a Nominal Account Highlight the Nominal Account Right Click and choose Edit Nominal Account Make Changes and Click OK to Save Delete a Nominal Account Highlight the Nominal Account Right click and choose Delete Nominal Code A prompt will appear confirming you want to Delete the Nominal Click YES Note: The nominal code will now be deleted. If there is a balance on the account then the system will not allow you to delete the code. Page 35

37 VAT Posting Codes You need to mindful when posting Firms transactions and check that you are using the correct VAT code and VAT rate so that the correct amount of VAT is claimed back. Outwith the Scope Zero Rated/Exempt STD VAT Non-Standard VAT Salaries, Drawings to Partners, HMRC payments, PAYE Commission, Bank Interest, Insurance, Postage, travel Costs,Tea, Coffee, Milk or any other invoice with no VAT receipt (except anything marked Outwith the Scope) Any invoice where it shows the vat rate as 20%. You may have to amend the amount of VAT being claimed if there is something on the invoice that is non-vatable you can split the posting into 2 different postings Any Invoice that shows reduced rate VAT 5% often used on small use Gas or electricity invoices If in any doubt check the HMRC website for up to date and more detailed information Page 36

38 The Bank Account Centre The Bank Account Centre contains all bank accounts, displays the bank account ledgers, allows you to add and edit details of bank accounts and perform bank reconciliations. Viewing your Bank Accounts To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button The Lawware Bank Account Centre page is displayed on the toolbar Select the Account type you would like to view Firm Accounts, Client Accounts or show designated or loan accounts for Double click on a Bank Account in the list to view the entries and the ledger is displayed The default option is to view the current month s transactions. You can choose to view the Current year, Entire year or specify between months You can change the order of the statement to display Ascending or Descending. You also have the option to sort by date or reference. To close this tab click on the Close button Page 37

39 Viewing the Account Details To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button on the toolbar Select the Account Type Firm Accounts, Client Accounts or Designated or Loan Account Highlight the bank account details you want to view/edit and right click Select Account Details The Bank Account Details window is displayed View the information and amend any details Click OK to save and close the window Creating a New Bank Account If you want to open another Bank Account for Petty Cash, or a Client Investment/Other Funds/deposit Account To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button on the toolbar Right Click the Window and Select New Account then choose the type of account you want to create You will be presented with a blank Account Details Window, fill in the appropriate information and click OK to Save and Close If you are opening an Other Fund Bank on behalf of a client you need to link this to the Clients Casefile by using the Client Information Link to Casefile option. Enter the name of the account appropriately eg. Arnold Hood Estate deposit account Page 38

40 When closing an Other Funds account make sure you pay the interest received using the Receipt into Clients Ledger posting selecting the correct other funds account before transferring all the funds back to the Client Account for Uplifting (see Receipt into Clients Ledger for posting) Archiving a Bank Account To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button on the toolbar Select the Account Type Firm Accounts, Client Accounts or Designated or Loan Account Highlight the bank account details you want to Archive and right click, Select Archive Account You will be prompted to confirm that you want to archive the account, Click yes and the Account will be removed from the Current Accounts View Viewing Archived Accounts To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button on the toolbar Select the Account Type Change the Show Banks with Status from Live Accounts to Archived Accounts in the drop-down list Double click on any Archived Account to see the history Un-archiving a Bank Account To Access the Bank Account Centre click the Bank Account Centre button on the toolbar Select the Account Type Change the Show Banks with Status from Live Accounts to Archived Accounts in the drop-down list Highlight the Account you wish to un-archive and right click and choose Account Details From the Cashbook Status drop-down choose Live and click OK Page 39

41 Reconciling a Bank Account Reconciliations are exactly the same for the client, firm and designated accounts. When you are ready to reconcile an account you must have a copy of your bank statement. You will work through your statement matching up items that have been entered into Lawware. Lawware provides an easy to use ticking facility so that you can quickly check through and reconcile items. Click the Bank Account Centre button Select either Firm, Client or Designated Accounts Right click the Account you wish to Reconcile and select Reconcile Account The Bank Reconciliation window is displayed Pre-Lawware Balance This field is only relevant If Lawware has converted your old data into the Lawware software. You will have Pre-Lawware uncleared items that will appear on your bank statement that have been included in your opening balance when Lawware was first installed. As time goes by and the cheques are cashed they will show on your bank statement but there will be no entry to reconcile against in the Lawware reconciliation screen as they were part of your opening balance. For this reason, in order to reconcile your bank account, you will need to enter the balance of un-cleared items in the Pre-Lawware field. Note that this Pre-Lawware figure will reduce each time you prepare reconciliation with each cheque or item that appears on the bank statement reducing the Pre-Lawware total. Once all items have been cleared, in time, the figure for Pre-Lawware items will be zero. Enter the Date of reconciliation; this is the closing date on your bank Statement Enter the Closing Bank Statement balance Click OK The Bank Reconciliation Screen is displayed, as you reconcile each item in Lawware, mark the checkbox at the left of the transaction Page 40

42 There is a useful summary at the foot of the reconciliation window showing: Total of unreconciled Dr and Cr. Statement amount that you entered and are reconciling to. Rec Balance is the total amount you have marked as reconciled this amount will eventually reduce to zero. Difference shows the difference between what you have reconciled and your statement balance once all items have been reconciled, this will be zero. Pre Lawware Balance is also shown if you have unreconciled items from your old system Once you have marked all your items and both Lawware and your Bank Statement reconcile the following message will appear Note: If you have entered a Pre-Lawware figure then the above window will not appear If the above message does not appear you can still perform the reconciliation Click on the options button and choose Clear all reconciled Transactions The reconciled report will at this point save itself back to Reports folder as a PDF document. Users will still be presented with the prompt to print a hard copy should they wish. Clicking No to this prompt is simply telling the system that you do not want a physical copy. The PDF copy of the Bank Reconciliation will still remain in the Users report folder for them to reproduce and review whenever the need arises. Page 41

43 Click Options and choose Clear all Reconciled Transactions again This time click No when prompted to take a print of the ledger The next Window will ask you to confirm that you want to clear all reconciled transactions Confirmation Screen willl appear Items cleared Successfully! and the reconciled items will dissapear from the screen and you will be left with the unreconciled items ready for the next reconciliation. Note: If you want to take a print of the unreconciled items use the print icon on the ledger Un-reconcile a Transaction If you have incorrectly marked an item as reconciled, you can un-reconcile the transaction. Open the bank account centre and double click on the account, locate the transaction you want to work with and double click to open it: Click on the blue Unreconcile link Page 42

44 Day End Routines and Accounting Procedures The following section is going to guide you through processing the Transaction Queue, Checking the float and running the Day, Month and Year End and other accounting procedures. Float Check The Law Society rules require you to have a float surplus. The float or surplus is the amount that is held in client banks less the amount due to clients (credit balances). The float should never be in breach, i.e. you should never have less money in the client bank account than is due to client s Float = Total Client Bank Balances Sum of Client s Credit Balances You can check your float in Lawware at any time by clicking the Quick Float check button on the toolbar Lawware calculates the float in two ways: Non-netted - On a per case file basis whereby all the credit balances are taken into consideration to give an overall sum of credit values Netted on a per client basis, whereby all the debit and credit balances are netted to give an individual debit or credit balance per client. All Credit balances per client are then summed to give credit balance value (This method works in favour of the firm and is the most common method used). Daybook Date Central to understanding the Lawware accounting system is the Accounts Daybook Date shown in the bottom right hand corner of your Lawware Screen. The computer date is simply the calendar date picked up from your PC s calendar. Post everything for one posting day, then run the day end procedure. This will move your posting date onto the next day. You can forward post which will hold the postings in the transaction queue until you reach that posting date, however, you cannot back post. If you have missed a posting from a previous day then post it on the day you are in with an explanation in the narrative. If you do not finish all the postings for one day you simply close Lawware down and only run the day end when you have finished the postings the next day, we would recommend that you do a bank reconciliation before moving on to the next day so that you can make any amendments and post any transactions that have happened at the bank that day. Posting into multiple Daybooks Larger firms may need to allow cashiers to post into multiple days at the one-time Lawware can allow this. One cashier can be posting into the day book of 1 st and another cashier is posting into the daybook of the 2 nd and so on. You must however close the day book for the 1 st before you can run a day end for 2 nd. Also remember none of your reports will include any of the posted transactions figures until your day book is closed. Page 43

45 Setting your Posting Date This option allows you to default your date on transactions, it is particularly useful if your staff are using electronic posting slips and they want the default date on their transactions to be today rather than the daybook date as the daybook date may be a day behind Go to the Productivity Centre Click View Select Cashroom Click on Show options At the bottom of the screen you will see the posting settings where you can specify your posting date and branch if required Date Check The Date Check button allows you to check when your next month end, Vat end and year end is due. It is vital that these dates are correct as Lawware will automatically run the period ends when indicated You can also set your posting date from this screen Click on the Date check The following screen is displayed On the toolbar Click the Close button to close the window Page 44

46 Transaction Queue The Transaction Queue within Lawware holds all unprocessed transactions. When you enter a posting, it is placed in the queue before it is permanently commited to the ledgers. From the queue you can view all unprocessed postings (in blue on the ledgers) and amend or delete postings. The queue allows those with relevant permissions to permanently post transactions to the ledger. You cannot post future transactions to the ledger and the current date is determined from the Daybook date. All transactions for the day (as per the daybook date) must be posted before the day end process can be run. You can process the queue at any time throughout the day or you can process the whole queue at the end of the day. Priority items will appear at the top of the queue with a flag to indicate their urgency. Any future postings in the queue will not affect any balances, the main screen balance remains unaffected until processing, as does the client s trial balance, bank account balance, float check and client control account. You will not be allowed to close off your day if you still have un processed items in the queue for that day. Click on View Transaction Queue On the toolbar The Following screen is displayed at the top of your screen Towards the bottom left of this screen you will see options where you can view transactions posted by you only or all users You can also choose the dates of the transactions you want to see You can double click any of the transactions to view them and make any changes Click the Options button for the following menu or right click the screen Process the Transaction Queue This will process all ticked transactions (same as the Process button) Tick all Transactions Enables you to tick all transactions in the queue ready for processing Untick all transactions Enables you to untick all transactions in the queue Edit transaction Opens the transaction dialogue box, you can modify any of the transaction details Transaction Scheduler apply specific transactions to a schedule ideal for reoccurring DD Delete Transactions Removes the transaction entirely Refresh Transaction Queue This will refresh the queue displayed Page 45

47 Process the Transaction Queue Click on View Transaction Queue On the toolbar Tick the transactions you wish to process or right click and Tick all Transactions Click the Process Button or right click and Process the Transaction queue A Prompt will appear asking if you are sure you want to process the queue. Click Yes Once the queue has been processed a message will appear Processed Successfully. Click OK The items will be removed from your queue and will appear as permanent entries on the ledgers Click Close to exit the Transaction Queue Note: If by processing the queue you will be in breach a warning message will appear asking you if you want to cancel the process to rectify the breach Transaction Scheduler The Transaction Scheduler is useful for Direct Debits, standing orders and any other transactions that recur each week or month. This option will automatically add transactions to the queue for the date selected and will appear once the preceding day end has been closed. Click on View Transaction Queue On the toolbar The Following screen is displayed at the top of your screen To access the scheduler, first you must highlight the transaction in the queue that you want to recur. Next click the Options button or Right click the screen and choose Transaction Scheduler Page 46

48 You can either apply an existing schedule or create a new one To Create a New Schedule click on the Create a New Schedule for this transaction then click OK In the Recurrence pattern editor give your schedule a name eg Monthly Schedule Choose when you want this particular transaction to recur eg every Month, last work day Choose when you want this to start and finish Click OK When the date comes round the transaction will appear in the queue with this symbol Page 47

49 To View or Amend Transactions in the scheduler Click on View Transaction Queue On the toolbar Next click the Options button or Right click the screen and choose Transaction Scheduler Click on the View/Amend Schedule Button From this window you can change the recurrence of a schedule and by clicking on the Associated Transaction tab you can see the transactions associated with this particular schedule Highlight any transaction and click the Remove from Schedule button to disassociate the transaction from that particular schedule Corrective Entries If you find that a transaction has been posted in error and has not been processed in the transaction queue, these items can be deleted from the system as they are still showing as a Ghost entry in blue. However if the posting has been processed in the transaction queue, you won t be able to delete it but you can reverse it off the clients ledger. To remove an unprocessed posting Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Highlight the posting you want to remove Right click on your mouse Select Delete Transaction You will be asked to confirm Yes or No To remove a processed posting Search and open the required Case File and click on the Ledger Tab Highlight the incorrect transaction Right click on your mouse Select Reverse posting Page 48

50 A dialog box appears asking you to confirm that you want to reverse this posting click Yes A corrective posting is automatically posted to the ledger in blue Once the item has been processed through the transaction queue it will be committed to the ledger and appear black Note: If you need to cancel a cheque which was processed through your old system you will need to post another Payment out of the client ledger as a negative to cancel out the entry Performing a Day End You must run a day end to close the day book for each days postings. Your current Day Book date is found at the bottom right hand corner of the posting screen. When the Day end process is run you will automatically be moved on to the next day, weekends are ignored. Click on Run Day, Month, Year and VAT Period Ends The Following screen is displayed On the toolbar The icons on the Left indicate the procedures due to be run e.g. Day end, Month End, VAT End and Year End. In the example above it is showing that we need to run all If this is the first Day End you are about to run in Lawware click on the Options button Tick the box Store all reports to electronic PDF Files this will store an electronic copy. If you ever need to re print any of the DAY, MONTH, YEAR, VAT end reports click on the blue link to view the folder where the reports are stored Page 49

51 To Run the Day End Step 1 allows you to check the posting totals before running the day end, Click on the tabs at the top of the window to view Inflow Transactions, Outflow Transactions and Overall Summary Click the Bank Consistency Check button or tick the box Skip Consistency Checks Then click OK to close window Step 2 allows you to process the transaction queue only when the items are ticked. You can also View the Transaction Queue or View the Current Day Book. You may want to view the queue and tick items that you want to be processed if you haven t already done this Click Process Transaction Queue Step 3 Indicates the reports that will be printed (Day book and bank balances including float check) and has the tick options to Increment Pay In Slip numbers for all banks and Ignore Weekends. It displays what the next posting date will be set to. Click OK to run the day end The Daybook date will now show with the following days date The day book and the bank balances and float check will be printed. The day book can be re-printed for any day in the Report Centre, General Accounting, Reprint Accounts Day Book. Note: You cannot reprint the bank balances and float check for a particular date. However you can print the Firm and Client Bank Balances before starting postings for the next day, this will also give you a Float check. Report Centre, General Accounting, Firm and Client Bank Balances. Page 50

52 Performing the Month End Lawware will prompt you to run each of these automatically when they are due. When you reach the last day in the month and run your day end, the Lawware System Period End dialogue will indicate that the month end and possibly the VAT and Year End are due. You can select each icon to see what will be printed. Or you can select the Options icon and can untick any procedure if you do not want to run it at this time. Click on Run Day, Month, Year and VAT Period Ends The Following screen is displayed On the toolbar The icons on the Left indicate the procedures due to be run e.g. Day end, Month End, VAT End and Year End depending which is due. In the example above it is showing that we need to run all. Click the Month End icon, the following screen displays Step 1 shows all the reports that will run for that particular period end Step 2 If you haven t already done your Bank Reconciliation click on the View Bank accounts button. See the chapter on Bank Accounts on how to do your Bank Reconciliation page 40 It is a requirement of the Law Society to do your Bank Reconciliation at least monthly and on the same day every month Click Ok, the Period end will run Page 51

53 Performing the VAT End Click on Run Day, Month, Year and VAT Period Ends The Following screen is displayed On the toolbar Click the VAT end button to run your VAT period end The following screen is displayed Step 1 Checks and advises re outstanding fee notes Step 2 Lets you view the VAT Ledgers, click on each to view Step 3 VAT adjustments and Clear Down Click on the Make VAT Adjustment button to make any manual adjustments eg fuel scale charges, by clicking the button it will take you to the Journal entry posting screen Click Ok The Period end will run Page 52

54 Performing a Year End Click on Run Day, Month, Year and VAT Period Ends On the toolbar The Following screen is displayed, Click the Year end button to run your Year period end The following screen is displayed Running your yearend will automatically clear down your Income and Expense Nominal to your Profit and Loss Account Page 53

55 Productivity Centre The Lawware Productivity Centre is displayed on your main screen as a panel on the right-hand side. It has many functions and two in particular to help with the cashroom day to day functionality, the Cashroom View and the Notification Centre. The Cashroom View allows you to see the entries that are being posted and the Notification Centre allows you to see a snapshot of the financials for the whole system To Open the Productivity Centre The productivity centre will automatically open when you launch Lawware. If however you have closed the productivity centre click on the icon in the bottom left corner The Cashroom View To view the Cashroom click on the View dropdown in the top right of the Productivity centre and choose Cashroom By default it will display the most recent 25 items posted by you. Double click any posting to view the individual posting screen. You can choose to view Yesterday, This Week, Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, Other Posted by - Specific Cashier or choose Anyone to see all Type Can choose specific type of transaction Page 54

56 The Notification Centre The Notification Centre will give you a snapshot of the current position of your Cashroom. If the Productivity Centre is not already open click on the icon in the bottom left corner. Click on View and select Notification Centre If you have never configured your notification centre you will see the window below Click on the blue link Click here to configure your personal notifications If you have already been configuring the notification centre click on the Configure Notifications blue link at the bottom right of the screen Page 55

57 Working your way down the list ticking the notifications you wish to view. For Example Credit Balances over 500 Debit balances over 0.01 Queued Postings for Attention Client Payment Memoranda Entries Net Fees Recovered this month Net Fees Rendered this month As you tick each notification you will be presented with the screen below, depending on your permissions some options may be greyed out, make your selection then click Close Once you have made your selection click on the Finish Configuration link at the bottom of the screen The screen will reconfigure itself to show you the options you have ticked. At any point during the day click on the refresh link at the bottom of the screen to refresh your data By double clicking any of your notifications a screen will show on the left the information e.g. If you double click the Debit Balances over 0.01 it will show the 2 case files on the left. The Notification centre will become invaluable to you keeping you up-to-date with your current position in the cashroom. Page 56

58 Firms Trial Balance This report will list the client and firm accounts and show the balances. Click on Firms Trial Balance on the toolbar This screen will be displayed, it is defaulted to Preview to Screen click OK You now have some choices, below is the default, click OK The report will preview to the screen, click once with the mouse to enlarge the view If you have chosen to display your report in Preview, from here you can choose to print, save or export the data into Word or Excel. The buttons at the foot of the print preview screen will move you through the pages:. The print preview toolbar should appear at the left-hand side of the screen and will allow you to print, save and export the file into Word or Excel. Page Setup use this to set margins and orientation Print send to printer Word export your data to Microsoft Word (this can often be the best export option) Excel export your data to Microsoft Excel Notepad export to Notepad Export and save on your computer or network Page 57