How do I add/deposit a Retainer into my client's account?

The easiest and most accurate way to handle Retainers in Bill4Time requires the Trust Accounting feature, which is only available on the Legal Pro version of our software.

• If you are currently on the Bill4Time Legal Pro plan, there are two ways to add a Retainer to the system. Please continue reading for step-by-step instructions.

• If you are not currently on Legal Pro and wish to upgrade your account, you can find instructions for that by clicking here.

ADDING/DEPOSITING A RETAINER ON THE CLIENT LEVEL

If you deposit the Retainer funds at the Client level, this will allow you to apply those funds to any Invoice for the Client (regardless of which Matter the invoice is associated with).

Please follow the steps below to add the Retainer at the Client level:

1. Click on the Clients tab
2. Open the client profile you wish to add a retainer deposit under.
3. Click on their Trust Account
4. Click the "Add Deposit" button and fill in the required information.
5. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the window.

This deposit will sit in the client's General Trust and will be held separate from your client's regular Accounting. If you wish to pull funds from this Trust Account to pay an outstanding Invoice, please click here for further instructions.

ADDING/DEPOSITING A RETAINER ON THE PROJECT/MATTER LEVEL

A Retainer can also be added at the Matter/Project Level. By depositing the funds in a specific Matter or Project, this will dedicate those funds to that Matter/Project and the system will only allow you to pay Invoices for that respective Matter/Project.

Please follow the steps below to add the Retainer at the Project level.

1. Click on the Matter/Project tab (to the right of your Client tab).
2. Open the Matter/Project you wish to deposit the retainer under.
3. Click on the Trust Account
4. Click the “Add Deposit” button and fill out the required information.
5. Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the window.

This deposit will sit in the Matter/Project specific Trust and will be held separate from your client's regular Accounting. If you wish to pull funds from this Trust Account to pay an outstanding Invoice, please click here for further instructions.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO ENTER RETAINERS IF I DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL PRO PLAN?

If you are on the Time & Billing plan, you would not have access to this separate Trust Accounting tab, and you would not be able to enter a legitimate Retainer.

There is a workaround for this, but you will not have any specific reporting for this activity (as you would with the Trust Report), and these funds would be combined with your client's regular accounting records.

If you still wish to proceed with this workaround, please follow the instructions below:

1. Click on the Accounting tab
2. Press the Balance Adjustment
3. Change the Type from Debit to Credit and fill out all further information
4. Use the Notes field to specify that this is meant to be a retainer.
5. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the window.

When invoices are generated for this client or matter, you will want to apply a portion of that credit to the invoice to reduce any balances the client will owe.