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Expense Attachments
Expense Attachments

Introduction to LeanLaw's Expense Attachment Feature

Melissa Schaefers avatar
Written by Melissa Schaefers
Updated over a week ago

LeanLaw's new expense attachment functionality seamlessly integrates with QuickBooks, offering a streamlined approach to managing client costs and billing. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of the feature, including its limitations and best practices.

Note: This feature is available to Pro users only. If you have Core or Pioneer and are interested in upgrading, please click here to manage your subscription.

Get Set Up

  1. Go to Settings in LeanLaw

  2. Click QuickBooks

  3. Open Expense Sync Settings

  4. Check Sync Attachments from QuickBooks

  5. Click Done

Now your attachments on hard costs entered in QuickBooks will sync into LeanLaw

Optional: Enable Expense Attachments & LEDES

  1. Click LEDES in the left-hand navigation bar.

  2. Scroll down and check Expense Attachments & LEDES

  3. Click Save Changes

Now your expense attachments will be available with your LEDES file from the Manage Invoices screen on LEDES invoices.

Optional: Enable Expense Attachments on all Invoice Emails

  1. Click Email Settings in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Toggle on Expense Attachments for All Clients

  3. Click Save Changes

Now all clients will be receive a link to download their expense attachments if any have been entered on each invoice email.

Optional: Enable Expense Attachments for Specific Clients

If you want to keep track of all your expense attachments in LeanLaw, but only email them to select clients, choose them under the Clients tab.

  1. In Settings, click Email Settings in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Toggle off Expense Attachments for All Clients

    Save changes before exiting this screen.

  3. Click Clients in the top navigation bar

  4. Click on the desired client

  5. Click Lean Align Settings

  6. Check Attach expense receipts to invoice emails for this client

  7. Save Changes

Now all clients will be receive a link to download their expense attachments, if any have been entered, on each invoice email.

Managing Attachments

It's important to note that while you can add attachments to any expense, when adding receipts for advanced client costs, it's important to make sure the expense is first entered in QuickBooks and syncs to LeanLaw to make sure it is accounted for correctly.

  1. Enter your expense in QuickBooks and assign it to your hard costs account

  2. Add any relevant attachment

  3. Syncing to LeanLaw

The expense and its attachment will sync over to LeanLaw from QuickBooks. Review and manage these attachments in LeanLaw from the Expenses tab.

Managing Expenses in LeanLaw

  1. Adding Attachments in LeanLaw

    Add any additional attachments in LeanLaw if necessary.

    Note: attachments added or removed from the expense in LeanLaw will not affect the expense in QuickBooks.

  2. Billing Preparation

    Attachments accompany the expense through the billing process.

  3. Client Invoicing Options

    • LEDES Billing: Attachments and LEDES files can be downloaded together using the LEDES & Expenses button.

    • Email Billing: Attachments are included in the invoice email as a zip file.

Note: Expense attachment emailing is only supported through Lean Align, our invoicing and payments product. Click here to find out more.

Managing Attachments From Mobile

You can manage your attachments from the mobile app as well.

  1. Download the LeanLaw app from the Apple or Google Play stores

  2. Select the expense to add an attachment

  3. Choose Attachments

  4. Add an attachment

    You can choose from your gallery, file manager, or to open your camera and take a photo.

  5. Tap the X to return

  6. Save the expense

Understanding the Limitations

  1. Unsupported Attachments:

    • Multi-line expense attachments aren't supported and won't sync to LeanLaw. Please add attachments after the expense has synced into LeanLaw.

  2. Attachment Synchronization Limits:

    • Deleting or adding an attachment from LeanLaw doesn't change the expense in QuickBooks so it remains the source of truth.

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