When an attorney is representing multiple parties in a case, it’s essential to list all parties who own the debt on each invoice. Most case management systems are designed to handle only one debtor per matter, requiring law firms to create tedious workarounds and multiple copies of the same invoice, or even an additional matter – but no longer. Smokeball is proud to introduce the ability to add multiple debtors to a matter or individual invoice.
Split billing is frequently required in Mediation or Guardian ad Litem cases, and is a must-have feature for firms practicing Family Law and Estate Planning. A couple in the midst of a divorce may have separate addresses, and Smokeball make it easy to include this information on invoices for accurate legal billing.
With a new release this week, users can now add up to three debtors to a matter or invoice, with the debt shared by the debtors – as well as a slew of additional functionality.
Separate invoices can be sent via email to each debtor on an invoice, rather than defaulting to one shared email. Smokeball Billing will track when an invoice was last sent to each debtor. Attorneys can treat each debtor as an individual, while keeping a bird’s eye view of who has been sent an invoice when. Follow-up communication can then be sent individually and appropriately, rather than as a blanket reminder to all debtors.
Custom notes can be created for each invoice. A reminder of an agreed-upon billing split, an explanation of a charge, or any other necessary details can be added directly to the invoice, preventing ambiguity and enabling clients to take care of bills promptly.
Reporting abilities for shared debt matters allow users to track data accurately and stay on top of billing issues. Any report pulled will show the full debt of the invoices that are shared under the individual contact, with an indication that there are multiple debtors.
The addition of multiple debtors is an exciting next step in legal billing software, and we’re excited to share it with our clients. This feature is available to all Smokeball users as an update to our case management software and billing software this month.
