Orion Law Management Orion Desktop Articles Accounts Payables Voucher Processing Updated April 14, 2024 17:31 A Voucher is a record of a monetary obligation to pay a specified amount to a specified entity. The Voucher also provides a record of the terms of purchase, including the date when payment is due, the amount of the available discount, and the date by which the payment must be made to take the discount. Processing a Voucher With Orion, you can save Vouchers as payables or as manual checks. You also can print a check immediately without going through a check selection process, and have Orion create a Voucher that you can distribute later. When you enter information for a Voucher on the Voucher Entry screen, the system automatically assigns the next available Voucher Number to the Voucher and saves the entry immediately. The initial value displayed in the Voucher field is NEW. Canceling a Voucher Addition If you need to cancel a Voucher addition after you enter the information, press theF9 key or click the Clear button. The system clears all fields, and no data is saved or deleted from the database. Uniqueness of Voucher Numbers The system does not reuse Voucher Numbers even if you delete a Voucher or clear the screen after starting to enter a Voucher. At times, two or more people may be entering Vouchers at the same time, and you may notice that two or more Vouchers have been assigned the same Voucher Number; however, Orion checks the Voucher record before saving it and changes the Voucher Number if a Voucher using that number already exists. Entering a New Voucher Use this procedure to add a new Voucher to the system. You can then enter multiple distribution lines for the Voucher. You use the Voucher Entry screen to enter information that applies to the Vendor. You use the Distribution screen to enter information that applies to the client. From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers. The system displays the Voucher Entry screen. The initial value in the Voucher field is NEW. Fill in the fields as required. 3. Click Add Distribution. Note: At this point, you can save the Voucher without distributing it by clicking Save or pressing the F10 key; however, you cannot post it until the total distribution equals the Amount field on the Voucher Entry screen. 4. Fill in the fields as required. 5. After completing a distribution line, click OK. Saving a Voucher as a Manual Check You normally enter a Manual Check when you use a physical check that was not printed in Orion. For example, if an attorney needed to take a check to court to pay a filing fee, he/she may not know the amount of the check in advance. In this situation, the firm notes that the attorney has taken a signed check, and upon their return with a receipt, the manual check is then entered into Orion. In essence, it allows you to bypass the printing process. Following the same steps for entering a new voucher. Prior to posting the voucher, click on “Manual Check” and enter the “Check Number” and “Check Date” (s/n The system defaults to the invoice date on the voucher…this date can be changed to the date the check was issued.) Save or Save and Post your voucher. If the voucher has not been saved and you want to remove the check number, click on Manual Check, and set the check number to 0 and click OK. If the voucher has been saved (not posted), click on “Remove Check”. You will be prompted to “save” the voucher. Note:Saving the Voucher automatically creates a check record in the bank reconciliation file. However, the system is not completely updated until the Voucher has been posted. Until you have posted the Voucher, the Manual Check information can be removed by calling up the unposted Voucher, accessing the Manual Check screen, and changing the check number to zero. Once the Voucher has been posted, you must void the check and the check number cannot be reused. Voucher Entry Options There are several options you can set for Voucher Entry/Edit that are intended to maximize the efficiency of data entry. To set these options: Access the Voucher Entry screen. See "Entering a Voucher." Click Tools and select Entry Options. Fill in the fields as required. See the following table for specific information. Click OK. Note:If you choose to retain the Bank Code in your entry session, all Vouchers will default to this Bank Code regardless of the default Bank Code set up for the Vendor Code used. Editing a Voucher or Manual Check Note:You cannot change the invoice amount of a Voucher that has been saved as a Manual Check. You must first go to the Manual Check screen and change the Check Number to zero. You can then change the invoice amount and the distribution. After completing this, return to the Manual Check screen and save the Voucher as a Manual Check. To edit a Voucher: From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers to display the Voucher Entry screen. Place the cursor in the Voucher Either enter the Voucher Number or use the Look-up button. The following screen appears if you use the Look-up button. The Look-up list defaults to displaying all unposted Vouchers. To further filter the view, click Voucher Filter. Set your filter as desired and click OK. Note:Even though you can display paid or posted Vouchers, you cannot edit them through the Voucher Entry/Edit program. Once your new list is displayed, choose the Voucher to be edited and make any necessary changes. Once you have made the changes, click Save or press the F10 key to save the Voucher. Deleting a Voucher or Manual Check Note:You cannot delete a Voucher that has been saved as a Manual Check or was created by the Quick Check program. To delete a Voucher saved as a Manual Check, you must first go to the Manual Check screen and change the Check Number to zero. You can then delete the Voucher. You can never delete a Voucher created by the generation of a Quick Check. You must post the Voucher and then void the check. To delete a saved but unposted Voucher: From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers to display the Voucher Entry screen. Place the cursor in the Voucher Either enter the Voucher Number or use the Look-up Once the correct Voucher is displayed, click Delete or press the Ctrl+Delete keys. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion. Click Yes if you want to delete the Voucher or No if you want to keep it. Posting Vouchers or Manual Checks Note: Only Vouchers and Manual Checks that have been fully distributed and have appeared on a Voucher/Manual Check Journal will be posted. To post Vouchers or Manual Checks: From the Button Bar, click Action and select Post Vouchers. To post Vouchers, highlight the Vouchers you want to post and click Post Vouchers. The system prompts you to confirm the posting. Click Yes if you want to post the Voucher(s) or No if you don’t want to post the Voucher(s). Once the Vouchers have been posted, all those Vouchers that had a Manual Check or Quick Check attached have a status of Paid, and the system updates the check register file. All those Vouchers that were not paid by a Manual Check or Quick Check are now in an open status and can be selected for payment. Recurring Payments Every business has certain payments they make during each accounting cycle. Your monthly rent payment is an example. The Orion recurring payments feature allows you to enter such payments once, store them for later use, and retrieve them whenever needed. Orion allows you to set up recurring payments (Vouchers) and then create them monthly. You enter (set up) recurring payments through the Voucher Entry screen found under the Action button. There are several other types of overhead files entered under this button, but this section addresses only the setup of recurring payments. The recurring payments feature is comprised of two Accounts Payable programs: Recurring Payments Entry program Creating Recurring Payments program What is a Recurring Payment? A recurring payment entry is not really a transaction at all, but a database record with some of the elements of a transaction. Real (postable) transactions are created when a date and fiscal period are added to the database records, and the results are stored in the unposted Vouchers batch. Recurring payment entry procedures are like those for normal transactions except for the substitution of ID for the Period, Voucher Number, and Date fields found in a normal voucher entry screen. Adding a Recurring Payment Template From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers. Enter a Voucher Number or use the F8 key or the Look-up button to find the one you want. Click Tools and select Recurring, then Make Recurring. Assign a template name, description, and frequency. If the amount will be the same each month, select Include amounts. Click OK. After creating your template(s), click Save or press the F10 key to save your entry. SN – The voucher does not need to be an existing voucher to set one up for recurring. This can also be done by click on New to get the voucher screen. Fill in the voucher information and click Tools -> Recurring -> Make Recuring. Then follow the above steps for saving the recurring template. Using a Recurring Template The Create Recurring Payments program adds a period identifier, Voucher Number, and voucher (invoice) date to each entry in the group(s) specified to create and creates unposted Vouchers for each template selected. From the Voucher Entry screen, click Tools and select Recurring, then Recurring List. Highlight the template name for the desired recurring payment and click Create Selected. This creates an unposted payment and informs you that the transaction was successfully created. Multiple templates can be selected by using the Shift or Ctrl key if you want to create all entries at once. Once the vouchers are created, closed the recurring box, and make any edits to the voucher you wish to make. Editing a Recurring Payment Template To edit a recurring payment template: Access the Recurring Voucher List screen and select the Voucher to edit. Click Edit Selected. Make changes and click OK. Close the Recurring Voucher List. Deleting a Recurring Payment Template To delete a recurring payment template: Access the Recurring Voucher List and select the template to delete. Click Delete Selected. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion. Click Yes if you want to delete the template or No if you want to keep it. The recurring payment template is now deleted from the system. From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers. The Voucher Entry screen appears. Enter a Voucher Number or use the F8 key or Look-up button to find the one you want. Click Tools and select Recurring, then Make Recurring. Fill in the fields and click OK. For details, see "Field Descriptions – Make Recurring Screen." Voucher Adjustments Adjustments are operations on Vouchers that have already been posted or paid. You cannot adjust an unposted Voucher or a Check. Furthermore, the system does not allow an adjusting entry that produces a negative balance in a Vendor account. Although you cannot adjust the amount of or void a paid Voucher, you can adjust the distribution. Adjusting a Voucher From the Button Bar, click Action and select Vouchers. Enter the number of the Voucher you want to adjust. If you are not sure of the correct Voucher Number, use the F8 key or the Look-up The Look-up list defaults to all Open (unpaid) Vouchers. To display paid vouchers or to further filter the view, click Voucher Filter. Set your filters as desired and click OK. Note that even though you can display unposted Vouchers in this view, you cannot change them through the Adjustment program. Once your new list is displayed, choose the Voucher you want to adjust. To adjust the voucher, click Tools and select Adjust Voucher. Change the period and add notes if needed. Click OK. 12. Perform the following steps, as required. If you choose to add or edit a distribution line, a screen appears. Note: If the line was not originally distributed to a Client-Matter, only the Date, Account, and Amount fields are displayed. Fill in the fields as required. Click OK. Note: If the Voucher has already been paid, the net adjustment must equal zero (0.00) before the system allows you to print the register and post the adjustment. After making sure all changes are made or the net adjustment is 0.00 for a paid Voucher, click Print Register. The Voucher Adjustment Register screen appears. Click Print. After confirming the Voucher Adjustment Register is correct, click Post Adjustment. For Accrual based accounting, the voucher will be updated and updated GL information will be created. For Cash based accounting, the voucher will be updated and there will only be an update to the GL if the voucher had been paid. There are some areas that cannot be edited. These will be grayed out. To change the amount to be paid on a posted voucher, make an adjustment to the existing distribution line. The amount will change when the adjustment is posted. If the voucher has been paid, any change to the dollar amount must come back to the check amount. If a client-matter is involved the following happens on the billing side: Unbilled transaction, the system will delete the original line and add a new one that equals the new voucher amount. Billed transaction, the system will place what is knows as a Retainer from Voucher Adjustment on the client-matter. This can be applied to a future invoice or refunded to your client if the client has paid the invoice in full. Note:If you use accrual-based accounting, you can adjust the amount of a partially paid Voucher by increasing or decreasing the amount of the Invoice; however, you cannot decrease the amount of the Voucher by more than the remaining amount to be paid on the Voucher. If you want to reduce the Voucher by more than this amount, you must first void the check(s) paid against the Voucher. Voiding a Voucher If the voucher has a status of “Open” it will need to be voided, it cannot be deleted. From the Button Bar, click Action, and select Vouchers to display the Voucher Entry screen. Enter the number of the Voucher you want to void. If you are not sure of the correct Voucher Number, use the F8 key or the Look-up The Look-up list defaults to all Open (unpaid) Vouchers. To display paid Vouchers or to further filter the view, click Voucher Filter (paid vouchers can only be voided once the check has been voided or at the same time as the check is voided). Once the Voucher is displayed, click Tools and select Void Voucher. Orion automatically enters the current Accounts Payable period for which to create General Ledger transactions. However, you can enter a different period or use the Look-up button to choose another period. Once you have specified the General Ledger period, click Void Voucher and Orion voids the Voucher. The Voucher Adjustment Register shows a history of the voided Voucher's values, status, period and year voided, and reason. To print this report, click Print Register. If you choose to void a Voucher or delete a distribution line that contains a retainer or trust (RDS, TDS, TAP) transaction, Orion deletes the original transaction in the Billing and Accounts Receivable module and adds the amount back to the Retainer/Trust balance. Note: You cannot void a Voucher or delete a distribution line that contains a RDS, TDS, or TAP that has already appeared on an Invoice generated in the Billing and Accounts Receivable module. Editing Distribution Lines If you adjust a distribution line that contains a client advance already billed to the Client-Matter, Orion creates an adjusting entry in the Billing and Accounts Receivable module. If you reduce the amount of the distribution, Orion creates an unapplied credit (CR) transaction. If you increase the amount, Orion creates a new Client Advance transaction equaling the amount of the increase. If you choose to adjust a distribution line that contains a Client Advance not yet billed to the Client-Matter, Orion adjusts the original Client Advance transaction to the new amount. If you increase or decrease the amount of a distribution line that contains a retainer or trust transaction (RDS, TDS, TAP), Orion adjusts the amount of the transaction in the Billing and Accounts Receivable module as well as the Retainer/Trust balance. Note:You cannot edit a distribution line that contains a RDS, TDS, or TAP that has already gone through a billing cycle either by generating an invoice or running the “Exclude $0.00 Invoices” utility. Was this article helpful? Yes/No