Efficiency Unleashed: Navigating Time and Billing with Filevine

Company

Product Name

Filevine

Latest Developments and Upcoming Updates

Recently unveiled Payments by Filevine is a potent in-house tool that functions as the cornerstone of the platform for payments, billing, and timekeeping.
When emailing a single invoice, there is now an option to include oneself in the CC field. Previously, bulk emailing was the only way to do this.
Project fund debits, deposits, and payment records now have ACH as an integrated payment option.
Trust handling and automatic payments from project (individual case) funding.
Filevine plans to introduce a public API for Filevine payments in the near future, along with unique payment links for every project.

“Users can switch between clients and projects seamlessly, ensuring accurate time entries. Time can also be tracked directly from email, eliminating the need to toggle between applications.”

Your All-in-One Legal Tech Solution

Managing cases, documents, and billing can be a complex juggling act. Filevine is an all-in-one solution designed to simplify legal workflows. As a unified platform, Filevine is more than just a case management tool; it’s a comprehensive legal tech stack. From document management to timekeeping and billing, Filevine brings everything under one roof. Filevine’s client portal facilitates communication and transparency. Filevine’s timekeeping features allow legal teams to track billable hours seamlessly, whether at their desk or on the go.

Timekeeping

There are several ways for users to track their time in Filevine. Filevine integrates time tracking directly into calendar events. When creating a new event in the project calendar, a user can select Add Time- Tracking Details, choose billing codes, mark entries as billable and chargeable, and even set draft status for review. When attendees are added to the event, each attendee can have individual time tracking associated with it. The event creator clicks on the clock icon next to an attendee’s name to add time entries.

Filevine’s billing timer widget simplifies time tracking. Users can manage interruptions effortlessly because only one timer runs at a time while others remain paused. Users can switch between clients and projects seamlessly, ensuring accurate time entries. Time can also be tracked directly from email, eliminating the need to toggle between applications.

Team members can access their timesheet by clicking the bar graph icon or selecting Timesheet from the main menu dropdown. The timesheet displays time totals at the top and lists recent time entries in reverse chronological order. Users can review, edit, and manage their time entries conveniently.

Whether attorneys, paralegals, or other team members, intuitive timekeeping is built into the platform so timekeepers never miss a billable minute. Users can track time seamlessly within their case management system, eliminating the need for separate tools or manual entries.

As team members work through their day, they can have multiple timers for a matter and perform tasks billed at different rates. Once a timekeeper is done for the day, they finalize the timers, which become time entries that will appear on the client’s invoice. Team members can review and modify their time entries before the end of the billing cycle as needed. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Filevine makes it easy to enter and track time. The timesheet view provides each user a comprehensive look at how they spend their time, on which matters, and the overall value to the firm. Users can easily filter this view or add a new entry.

Billing and Payment

Filevine streamlines the billing process for law firms. Firms can set up billing preferences in Filevine, like rate schedules for different team members, and assign rates based on roles, experience, or tasks. These preferences can be set firm-wide or per client. Invoice templates can be customized to match the firm’s branding by uploading an invoice design or modifying the default template provided by Filevine. Firms can also configure additional settings, such as enabling email delivery or creating LEDES-compatible invoices. Payment terms can be set, such as net 30 or 60 for clients at both the organization and project levels. Billing codes, such as LEDES codes, can be defined to categorize time entries and expenses for consistency and compliance. Code descriptions can be customized and assigned to relevant billing items. Firms can control who can view rate schedules within their organization, granting rate-viewing permissions to specific users and ensuring transparency while maintaining privacy.

Filevine allows firms to create invoices directly within the platform. Users navigate to a matter or client, click the Invoices tab, and select New Invoice. A user chooses the appropriate time entries, expenses, and other billable items to include in the invoice.

Before the invoice is finalized, it is reviewed for necessary adjustments, accuracy, and compliance with client agreements. Firms can create the workflow required to ensure consistency and efficiency. Trust accounting is integrated seamlessly. Trust funds can be applied to invoices, ensuring proper handling of client funds. Automated reminders for overdue invoices can be set to help firms stay on top of collections and follow up with clients. Users can see the pending transactions on the Transaction dashboard. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: The payment transaction dashboard shows the status of payments. Pending and completed payment numbers are prominently displayed at the top, and more details about individual payments are provided below.

An invoice can be emailed to the client upon completion of the approval procedure, and a link to the invoice is included. The bill will be paid from the trust fund if a retainer is in place. After clicking the link, the client is taken to a payment page where they can finish the transaction by entering the amount to be paid, choosing the payment method, and providing any necessary information. Filevine’s payment processing feature allows firms to offer flexible payment methods to their clients. From credit cards to ACH transfers, clients can pay with ease, with the click of a button, and the firm receives instant payment.

“Firms can set up billing preferences in Filevine, like rate schedules for different team members, and assign rates based on roles, experience, or tasks. These preferences can be set firm-wide or per client. Invoice templates can be customized to match the firm’s branding by uploading an invoice design or modifying the default template provided by Filevine.”

Reports

Using their tight integration with Periscope, Filevine provides reports on billing performance, outstanding balances, and revenue trends, providing insights to make informed decisions about the practice’s financial health. All reports are dynamic, allowing users to filter results and drill down to the information they need. See Figure 3.

Figure 3: Interactive dashboards provide key information such as reviewing data related to settlements. You can drill down to key numbers including by attorney, month, or office. The dynamic nature of the dashboards provides easy access to filtered information.

Integrations and Security

In addition to tight integration with Microsoft Office, Filevine offers an open API and plays well with other applications, allowing users to customize Filevine as a single location for daily tasks. Plugins work in both the desktop and mobile versions. Firms can seamlessly synchronize billing and invoicing data with Intuit QuickBooks as well as other accounting software. The Outlook plugin enables users to attach emails to cases, add time entries, and manage case-related documents and tasks without leaving the inbox. It also allows users to search for cases and contacts and copy documents and contact information directly from the case to email and vice versa. The most common integrations include Zapier, Slack, and Google (calendar, Gmail).

Filevine takes information security, privacy, and compliance seriously. Filevine aids law firms and professionals with best-in-class compliance, privacy, and security programs. These programs protect data from potential threats, including ransomware attacks. Filevine employs robust security measures, including encryption and regular audits. They meet the highest standards to safeguard client information. Filevine continuously improves its security posture through regular risk assessments, audits, and privacy impact analyses. Additionally, vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and other best practices ensure ongoing security. Filevine undergoes various audits, including HIPAA, CJIS, and ISO 27001 security controls. NIST 800-53 controls are also assessed to maintain compliance. Filevine complies with state, federal, and international privacy requirements. A Data Privacy/Data Protection Officer (DPO) leads privacy efforts. Filevine further conducts vulnerability assessments to detect system vulnerabilities. Employees receive ongoing security awareness training to combat evolving cyber threats. Filevine’s security team members hold industry-recognized security certifications covering cloud, network, wireless security, penetration testing, auditing, and more. Filevine products and services run on AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure, and data traffic is encrypted using HTTPS, ensuring secure communication.

“The Outlook plugin enables users to attach emails to cases, add time entries, and manage case-related documents and tasks without leaving the inbox. It also allows users to search for cases and contacts and copy documents and contact information directly from the case to email and vice versa.”

Pricing

All Filevine licenses include unlimited document storage, cloud-based case and task management, scheduled reports, automated workflows, calendaring, team collaboration tools, contact management, guest access, instant email or text communication, enterprise-level security, and powerful integrations. More modules are offered for an additional cost. For detailed pricing and further details, please contact Filevine.

Who is Filevine?

Filevine is changing the way legal work gets done for law practitioners and their clients. As a leading legal operating system, Filevine is dedicated to empowering organizations with tools to simplify and elevate complex, high-stakes legal work. That is why Filevine now offers a full suite of custom-built AI-powered solutions with the legal user in mind. Powering everything from lead intake and e-signatures to document assembly and case management, timekeeping, billing, payments, and business analytics, over 3,400 law firms and legal teams use Filevine daily to deliver excellence. Filevine is recognized on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Utah Business Fast 50 lists, is a Top Workplace USA winner, and is among the fastest-growing companies on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list.

Why Buy Filevine?

Filevine is continually developing and adding key features to the platform.
Filevine provides robust resources and Filevine University for clients to stay current with information and skills.
Customization allows firms to develop workflows tailored to their needs to capitalize on the efficiencies of timesaving automation available on the platform.