Fees and billing · 6 guides
Set your default fees
Choose how new matters are billed, your appearance fee schedule, VAT, payment terms, reminders and hourly rates, all on one settings page.
Where to find it
Open Settings, then Fees and billing. Everything on this page is a default. New matters start with it, and each matter can change its own fees later. See fees on a matter.
When you have made your changes, click Save changes at the top of the page. Only a firm admin can save this page.
Default fee arrangement
Under Default fee arrangement, tick one or more ways to bill. You can combine them, for example a fixed fee plus appearance fees.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fixed fee | One amount for the matter, billed at once, in instalments or by stage. |
| Appearance fees | A fee each time you appear in court, from your schedule. |
| Retainer | A set amount every month or quarter. |
| Hourly | Logged time billed at each person's rate. |
- Choose how to Bill fixed fees: By stage, All at once or In instalments.
- If you bill by stage, type your Default stages as names and shares, for example "On filing 40% · At trial 40% · At judgment 20%". The shares must add up to 100%.
- Click Add a handling charge if you add a percentage to disbursements. Click Remove to take it off.
Disbursements are always billed at cost, with receipts.
Appearance fees
- In the Fee per appearance column, type the fee for each court level you appear in. Leave a level empty if it has no default.
- Under Outcomes that charge the fee, tick Held, Adjourned or both.
When someone records a hearing with one of those outcomes, Chronica adds the matter's appearance fee to Ready to bill. A vacated hearing never adds a fee. The lawyer can still untick the fee on the outcome form. See record a hearing outcome.
Retainers
- Under Invoice retainers on, pick a day from the 1st to the 28th, or The last working day.
- Turn on Send them automatically to email retainer invoices on that day. Leave it off and they are saved as drafts for you to check.
VAT
- Enter your VAT Rate and your Firm TIN. The TIN appears on your invoices.
- Tick the lines VAT is added to: Professional fees, Appearance fees, Retainers and Time.
Disbursements (filing fees, CTCs, transport) are never charged VAT, so that box can't be ticked.
Invoices
- Next invoice number shows the number your next invoice will get. You change the format in Settings, then Invoice numbering.
- Payment due after sets the due date on new invoices, from On receipt to 60 days.
- Reminders sets when Chronica emails clients about unpaid invoices, for example "3 days after due, then weekly", or No reminders.
- Bank details on invoices come from your payout account. See online payments and payouts.
Hourly rates and time
- Click Show rates.
- Click + Add personal rate, choose the Person, enter the Hourly rate and click Save rate. Use Change to edit a rate.
- Set the Weekly target: the hours a week you expect from each lawyer. It shows on everyone's timesheet.
Rates are saved as soon as you click Save rate. New time entries use the new rate; time already recorded keeps its rate. Time rounds up to 6 minutes (0.1 hour).
Questions
Do changes affect matters I've already opened?
No. These are defaults for new matters. To change an existing matter, open its fees.
Why can't I save this page?
Only a firm admin can save fee settings. Ask an admin at your firm to make the change.