This article discusses how to finalize, send, and void invoices. Before reading this article, make sure to read the Handle Invoices article.
Tip
If you are bulk invoicing in the Billing Advanced tool, follow the steps in the Invoices Tab section of the Billing Advanced tool article.
Finalize Invoice
Once you are satisfied with your invoice and are ready to send it out, your next step is to finalize the invoice. Finalizing the invoice will lock it so that it can no longer be edited.
Heads Up!
To ensure invoices are billed accurately, only users with rate-viewing permissions should finalize invoices.
To finalize an invoice, either go to the Summary tab of the project’s Billing section, or go to the Invoices tab of the Billing Advanced tool. Find and select the desired invoice to open the invoice drawer.
In the menu along the top, click Finalize. In the modal that appears, click Finalize again to confirm.
Once an invoice is finalized, all fields will become uneditable and the invoice status will change to Final. The invoice is automatically generated as a downloadable PDF, which appears directly below the description field.
Finalized invoices have additional options in the menu along the top allowing you to send the invoice, generate docs, apply payments, and more. Continue reading to learn more about these options.
Generate or Send
Once an invoice has been finalized, the menu options along the top expand to include options to send the invoice, generate a file, and more.
Send
You can either generate a shareable link to the invoice PDF, or send the invoice directly via email to the project billing contact(s).
Note
When sending an invoice, the last-generated PDF will be used. If you have not manually generated any PDFs, the PDF generated after finalizing the invoice will be used.
Send Link
To generate and send a shareable link to the invoice PDF:
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Click Send > Send Link. In the menu along the top, click Send, and then select Send Link from the dropdown.
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Choose permissions and expiration. In the modal, choose the permissions and the expiration date for the link. To learn more about these options, read the Share Documents article. Click Save.
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Copy or share. The link will appear at the top of the modal, with the option to either copy the link to your clipboard or to share it via email.
- Mark as sent. Once you’ve sent the link to the client, mark the invoice as sent in Filevine.
Send By Email
Before you can use the Send By Email option, you must have a reply-to email address on file, and at least one project billing contact must have an email on file.
Once those steps are complete, you can send the invoice via email by clicking Send in the menu along the top, and then selecting Send By Email from the dropdown. To learn more, read the Emailing Invoices article.
Generate Docs
You can generate a new copy of the invoice PDF, or generate a LEDES 1998B compatible bill.
Generate PDF
When an invoice is finalized, the invoice’s PDF file is automatically generated as part of the finalization process. However, you can generate and download the PDF at any stage in the invoice’s lifecycle.
Tip
When you generate a PDF, the document title includes the status of the invoice. For example, if you generate a PDF when an invoice is in editing status, the document might be named “Emma Laurel - Invoice #1377 (Editing).” When you finalize the invoice, a new PDF document is automatically generated with the Final status in the document name.
In the menu along the top, click Generate Doc, and then select Generate PDF from the dropdown.
By default, invoice PDFs are saved to the project’s Docs section. If desired, you can set them to auto-move either to a specific folder or to a single dedicated project.
To print the invoice and send it, click the caret next to the generated PDF below the description field and select Preview.
In the preview window, click the print button in the top right corner, or download the document and print. Once you’ve sent the invoice to the client, mark the invoice as sent in Filevine.
Generate LEDES
Before you can generate a LEDES 1998B compatible file, you must complete the required setup in the Billing Setup and Billing Advanced tools. Learn more about creating LEDES files.
When setup is complete, you can generate and download the LEDES file at any stage in the invoice’s lifecycle. In the menu along the top, click Generate Doc, and then select Generate LEDES from the dropdown.
The LEDES file appears directly below the description field, and is saved to the project’s Docs section by default. You can set them to auto-move to a specific folder if desired.
If the LEDES file contains errors, the title of the file will read “CONTAINS LEDES ERRORS.” Click to preview the file and review the errors. If the title does not include this text, the file successfully adheres to LEDES 1998B standards.
Mark as Sent
Invoices are automatically marked as Sent after using the Send By Email option. However, invoices sent using any other method must be marked as sent manually. This step is critical to maintain an accurate sent date for reporting and record-keeping.
To mark an invoice as sent, click Mark as Sent next to the invoice number and status.
The Sent label will appear next to the invoice status to indicate the invoice has been sent.
Collect and Apply Payments
You can also take the following actions once an invoice has been finalized.
Apply Payment
To create and apply a payment toward the invoice balance, click Options ⋮ and select Apply Transactions.
In the Create Transaction flyout, enter the payment method, date, total, and description. To learn more about these options, read the Record Transactions article. The boxes underneath display the current invoice balance, the payment total, and the remaining amount due from the client after the payment is applied.
When you’re finished, click Save. The invoice status will change to Paid or Partially Paid, depending on the payment amount. The payment transaction will appear in the Applied Payments section of the invoice drawer.
Open Payment Link (Payments by Filevine)
Firms with Payments by Filevine have the option to navigate directly to the invoice-specific payment link and enter the client’s payment information on their behalf. In the invoice drawer, click Options ⋮ and select Open Payment Link.
This action opens the payment portal, where you can enter the client’s information to collect their payment.
Void or Write Off
Invoices in the Final status can no longer be deleted. Instead, you can void the invoice, or write off its balance.
Void Invoice
To void an invoice, either go to the Summary tab of the project’s Billing section, or go to the Invoices tab of the Billing Advanced tool. Find and select the desired invoice to open the invoice drawer. In the menu along the top, click Options ⋮ and select Void Invoice.
Heads Up!
Voiding an invoice cannot be undone, so use caution when voiding.
In the modal that appears, choose between the following options:
- Void Invoice: select this option to void the invoice entirely. The invoice status will change to Void. All billing items in that invoice will be made available to be invoiced again.
- Void & Redo Invoice: select this option when you need to edit or redo a finalized invoice. The original invoice will be marked as Void, and all line items, applied payments, and other settings will be copied over to a new invoice in the Editing status.
Write Off Balance
Write-off transactions allow you to mark an invoice as Paid or Partially Paid without recording a payment. This option is useful if you want to adjust the balance due—based on negotiation or billing disputes, for example—while still keeping a record of the original billed amount.
To write off the unpaid balance of an invoice, click Options ⋮ and select Write Off Balance.
In the modal that appears, choose between the following options:
- Full Remaining Balance: select this option to write off the entire remaining unpaid balance of the invoice. The invoice status will change to Paid.
- Partial Amount: select the option to write off a partial amount of the unpaid invoice balance. The invoice status will change to Partially Paid.
Click Write Off Invoice in the modal to confirm. The write-off transaction will appear in the Applied Payments section of the invoice drawer, with the invoice number in the transaction’s description.
Note
Each invoice can have one write-off only. To adjust the write-off amount, you must void the existing write-off transaction and create a new one.
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