Here’s an easy-to-follow guide on how to create and send an invoice using LeanLaw. You can watch our helpful video or just follow the steps in this article.

Go to the Billing tab in LeanLaw, then choose Ready to Bill on the left side. This section displays a list of unbilled items, including tracked hours, fixed fees, and expenses for each client and matter.

Filter your view by client, date range, or matter to quickly locate items. To include non-billable or contingency matters, be sure to select the appropriate filters.

To add items to your invoice, simply check the box next to each relevant entry. If you only want specific items, hover over each one and click its checkbox to select.

After selecting the entries you want on the invoice, you have a few options to create a draft:

One-Click Create Draft Invoice:

1. Hover over the item you want to add to the invoice.

2. Click the green lightning bolt icon to instantly create a draft.

Step-by-Step Create Draft Invoice with Review of Time Entries:

1. Click the grey arrow next to any item to see details, make adjustments, or edit entries.

2. Once ready, click the green "Prepare Invoice" button to create your draft.

Create Multiple Draft Invoices:

1. Check the box next to each item you wish to include.

2. Click the green "Create Draft Invoices" button at the top right.

3. Click "Ok" to confirm.

A green message will appear at the bottom right of your screen to confirm the process is complete.

In the Drafts section under Billing, select your draft invoice for review and further editing.

Invoice #: Leave blank for automatic numbering (syncs with QuickBooks Online) or enter a custom ID if needed.

Invoice Date: Choose the date for the invoice, ideally the last day of the billing period to align your "Billed Revenue" with the month the work was performed.

Bill to: Auto-populated based on client setup. Click the text box to edit if needed.

Memo: Add client notes, or check the boxes to add custom fields, trust balance details, matter totals, or a summary of hours billed. Click "Apply" to go back to the draft invoice.

Invoice Details: Click on any line item to make changes, such as marking items as non-billable. Add new entries with the plus ( + ) sign. Adjust write-downs or save entries for later to send them back to "Ready to Bill" if not needed.

Add Credits: Use "Add Credit" to apply a one-time discount.

On the bottom of the Draft page, you can select the invoices you'd like to download as either separate LEDES or as a single, combined LEDES file.

Once you've made all edits, click on Save to keep the changes.

To submit the draft to QuickBooks Online, click Approve or Approve & Submit to QuickBooks.

If your billing workflow requires approval, the invoice won’t sync with QuickBooks until you approve it.

In the Approve section under Billing, review and approve draft invoices that are ready but not yet finalized.

You can also use the Approved section to select the invoices you'd like to download as either separate LEDES or as a single, combined LEDES file.

To see your firm’s current billing procedures, review the Billing (Workflow/Fees) page found in your firm's Settings.

In Manage Invoices, view all invoices submitted to QuickBooks Online. Note that invoices created in QuickBooks Online will not appear here.

To email a PDF invoice, click the Email button next to the invoice. You can also send multiple invoices by selecting them and choosing Deliver > Email from the menu.

To review an invoice in QuickBooks Online, click the three dots next to it and select Open in QuickBooks.

If you need to make changes to an invoice, select the invoice, scroll to the bottom, and click on Back to Draft.

When you submit an invoice through LeanLaw, the system automatically records the transaction in QuickBooks Online, ensuring accurate account records for revenue and accounts receivable.

By following these simple steps, you’re ready to create, edit, and send your first invoice in LeanLaw! For additional questions, feel free to reach out to our support team.