Adding a New Client Advance Code

To enter a Client Advance Code, click on the TOOLS Button on the File Maintenance Manager Tool Bar and then click on the Manage Codes option.  From the File Maintenance Codes window, choose to Show Client Advances.  The following window will appear:

You may sort the list by Code or Description by clicking on the appropriate column name.  To add a new Code, click the NEW Button and the following window will appear:

Code

You may use up to six (6) alphanumeric characters in the Code field; however, you must proceed each Client Advance Code with the letters “CA” (the system automatically populates the "CA" for you).

Our Unit Code

If applicable, enter the cost per unit to your Firm.  For instance, if photocopies cost the Firm 3¢, enter .03 in this field.

Client Unit Cost

Enter the amount you want to charge the Client per unit.  For example, if you will bill photocopies at 10¢ per copy, enter .1 in this field.

Write Up %

Orion allows you to charge the Client a certain percentage above the cost to the Firm.  This is useful when you do not know the Firm's cost until the invoice comes in from the Vendor.  For instance, some Firms will charge 5% over the actual cost of courier charges.  Therefore, for the CA Code you set up for courier charges you would enter 5.0 in the Write Up % field.  

Options

If you have set up your System File to charge Sales Tax, Orion will make the Taxable field accessible.  Otherwise, it will be grayed out in your window.  If the type of transaction for which you are setting up the Code is subject to Sales Tax, click on the Taxable Box to enter a check mark.  If it is not taxable, click on the box to remove the check mark.

Each Client Advance Code can be summarized (combined) on the invoice to the Client.  This means that if you do not wish to see repeated entries for the same Client Advance Code on the invoice format, then you would request that the Code be combined and the invoice would print one entry with a total amount of all entries for the same Code.  This is typically used for photocopy charges and postage charges where individual entries would not be printed on the final invoice.  To combine transactions with the same Client Advance Code on the invoice, click on the Combine field to place a check mark in the box.  To itemize the transactions, click on the box to remove the check mark.

Billing Option

Orion gives you the ability to set up certain parameters for Client Advance Codes so that if those Codes are used, the transaction can automatically be written down to zero or flagged as off invoice.  This option is useful for those Matters where you cannot charge for courier, etc. but you want to track them.  If you would like to set up a Client Advance Code to be treated in this manner, click on the Billing Option Drop-Down and choose the “Off Invoice,” the “Write Down to 0," or the “Off Inv/Write Down” option.

If a Client Advance Code is set for “Off Invoice” and it is used in the Code field of a Voucher distribution, the Client Advance transaction will be saved and automatically flagged as off invoice.  This saves preparation time at the billing process.  If it is set for “Write Down to 0," the transaction will automatically be written down to zero when saved.  This does not affect the original amount of the transaction.  If set as “Off Inv/Write Down”, the transaction is automatically written down to zero and flagged as Off Invoice when it is saved.  If the Billing Option is set to “None”, the expense transaction using the Client Advance Code is saved as entered.

Description

Enter the description which you wish to use when the Client Advance Code is entered.  Text may be entered or edited at any place within the Description field.

Once you have completed all the fields, click the SAVE Button to save the Client Advance Code.  To clear the screen at any time prior to saving the record, click the CLEAR Button.