TurboLaw Time and Billing National Press Release
January 2, 2009
We are excited to announce our first national press release for TurboLaw Time and Billing!
We are proud and excited that it has been featured in publications from near and far, from the Boston Business Journal to the International Business Times!
You can read the full release below.
New TurboLaw Time and Billing Software Simplifies Important Tasks for Legal Professionals
Running a legal practice requires you to do chores that do not involve giving opinions on the law or arguing a case. Tasks such as keeping track of the time spent for clients and making bills for them, while necessary, can be time-consuming, difficult, and distracting. TurboLaw now offers new Time and Billing Software that makes the work quick and easy.
TurboLaw Time and Billing Software is now available as a free 30-day trial download via the TurboLaw website. This software allows legal professionals to keep records of time spent with each client as well as expenses related to each case. The Time and Billing Software also has features to help any legal practice, with billing aids, performance graphs, productivity charts, and staff reports.
“Our stopwatch tool makes it easy to keep track of time spent on work for each client, including communications such as emails and phone calls. We want legal professionals to try our Time and Billing Software free trial to see just how helpful and easy it is,” Thomas A. Whitestone, CEO of TurboLaw, comments on the new software offer.
The billing features of TurboLaw Time and Billing Software offer assistance in presenting a professional image. Through the time keeping functions and billing choices, bills can be set up to reflect the exact time spent, in hours, quarter hours, or any unit of time that is set. Times can also be broken out into tasks completed, including meetings, phone calls, document preparation and research.
TurboLaw Time and Billing Software gives you the ability to create custom bills and statements. The bills can be printed or saved to PDF or other formats suitable for email. Along with opening and closing balances, statements generated by TurboLaw Time and Billing Software can add finance charges with just a click. The result is a document that looks both orderly and official.
“Your clients take you seriously when you accomplish legal work for them. Using TurboLaw Time and Billing Software encourages them to do the same at billing time,” Thomas A. Whitestone, CEO comments.
When managing a legal practice, it is sometimes the everyday tasks that demand the most of your energy. TurboLaw Time and Billing Software makes it easy to remain productive and professional.
For more information on TurboLaw Time and Billing Software visit www.turbolaw.com.
Transferring TurboLaw to a new computer
December 17, 2008
Lots of people get new computers around this time of year, and it’s an unfortunate fact of life that when you get a new computer, you have to re-install all of your programs on that new computer - and TurboLaw is no exception.
Of course, here at TurboLaw we try to make the process of moving to a new computer as easy as possible. So if you’ve got (or are going to get) a new computer (either as a gift or because an old computer died), here’s some tips and information to help make it a little bit easier to get your TurboLaw software up and running again.
Lost your TurboLaw CD? No problem!
Just give us a call at (800) 518-8726 and let us know. We’ll give you a special web link you can use to download the software on your new computer.
Using TurboLaw on a Network?
In most cases, if you have TurboLaw’s data saved on a network, you don’t need to “move” anything from your old computer - since all your data (cases, documents, files, etc.) is saved on your network, not on your computer. Just re-install TurboLaw on your new computer, use the Network Setup Assistant to point it to where your data is on the network, and you’re all set!
Need to transfer your cases and documents to a new computer?
Although copying your cases and documents to a new computer is fairly easy, we’ve gone and made it even easier by providing you with a utility to help “migrate” your TurboLaw cases and files to a new computer.
We call it the “Migration Wizard“.
The TurboLaw Migration Wizard
This handy little program will archive all of your TurboLaw cases, documents, and files into one handy little “migration file” which you can easily copy to your new computer using a disk, send via email, copy over your network, save to a USB memory stick, or any other method you want to use.
Once you’ve got the migration file on your new computer, this same little program will help you “un-pack” all of your TurboLaw cases and files into your new computer. Easy!
You can download the Migration Wizard here and read instructions on how to use it here.
Don’t forget to register!
When you install TurboLaw on a new computer, you will have to register it on that computer. TurboLaw will prompt you to do this the first time you open it, although you have up to 30 days before you must register. Once you’re satisfied that all your cases are moved to your new computer, you can un-install TurboLaw from your old computer (Start > All Programs > TurboLaw > Uninstall TurboLaw or use the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet) and register TurboLaw on your new computer. No “codes” or any other information is required to register on-line (just click the “Register Online” button when prompted). If you can’t register on-line for any reason, just give us a call.
Not sure what to do?
If you’re not sure what to do when it comes to transferring your TurboLaw data to a new computer (or if you even need to do this), just contact us - we’re here for you.
TurboLaw Time and Billing 1.12 Released
December 11, 2008
Once again, we are proud to announce the latest new version of TurboLaw Time and Billing - Version 1.12!
For this new version of TurboLaw Time and Billing, we’ve included a number of new features that were added based on feedback from our customers. So you might say that we heard your “wish list” and this is our holiday present to you.
- Major new feature: Notes and details fields now have built-in automatic spell-checking - the same sort of “red squiggly” spell-check that you’d expect.
- New way to view “Account History” similar to a register or ledger, for those people that prefer this type of view.
- Bills can now be viewed without groups so you can sort all bills together.
- Matters now display summary total, so you can see how much you’ve billed for a particular matter.
- Dashboard home screen now has summary totals, to help give you more of an “overview” of your accounts.
- Graphs can now be zoomed in & out, and can be scrolled when zoomed in, which makes it easier to see the details when there are a lot of bars in a graph.
- Improved initial start-up time, so the program starts up faster - even on slower computers.
As always, TurboLaw Time and Billing checks for updates automatically in the background, so you don’t have to do anything special to get this update - just keep your eyes open for the pop-up balloon that notifies you of the update or this little message that appears in the bottom-right corner of TurboLaw Time and Billing’s window:
This message lets you know a new update is available.
Just click the pop-up balloon (or the message) to install the update (it only takes a few seconds to install).
As always, we welcome any feedback you may have, and we hope you enjoy this latest version of TurboLaw Time and Billing!
Did You Know: Where your Data is Saved
November 28, 2008
Did you know that TurboLaw Time and Billing saves everything you enter into the program into a single, convenient, easy-to-locate file?
By default, TurboLaw Time and Billing saves everything you enter into a file called “TurboLawBilling Database.mdb,” and it saves this file in your My Documents folder, in a folder called TurboLaw Time and Billing. This one file contains everything you’ve ever entered into the program - staff, clients, time, expenses, payments, and bills.
The TurboLaw Time and Billing Folder.
A sample TurboLaw Time and Billing database file.
When it comes time to make a backup of files on your computer, or if you just want to share your data with another user in your office, this file can be easily backed up or shared with other users just as you would share any other file on your computer.
Although this data file is called a “database,” it’s also a file - which means you can treat it just like other files on your computer. You also don’t need a special database server to share it with other users in your office - just put it wherever you share your other files.
You can open a TurboLaw Time and Billing data file by using the File > Open menu. TurboLaw Time and Billing remembers the last file you opened and will keep opening that same file each time you open the program, unless you choose to open a different file.
You can also save a copy of your TurboLaw Time and Billing data file by using the File > Save As menu. When you do this, TurboLaw Time and Billing creates a copy of your data file, and then opens that new copy.
Being able to treat your TurboLaw Time and Billing database as a file is just another way we’ve worked to keep the program simple and easy-to-use.
Did You Know: The Calculator Drop-Down
November 26, 2008
Did you know that TurboLaw Time and Billing has a built-in calculator in places where you type in a dollar amount?
Although virtually every computer has some sort of calculator program built-in, it might take you a few seconds to bring it up - or even longer if you’re not sure where where it is. Fortunately, TurboLaw Time and Billing has its own calculator built right into the program, and bringing it up is as easy as clicking a button.
The Calculator in TurboLaw Time and Billing
In any place where you’d type a dollar amount (for example, when entering an expense) you can click the drop-down arrow button on the right side of the box to bring up the in-place calculator.
This calculator works just like most desk calculators, so you can use it to add up expenses quickly (perhaps if you are consolidating them) or just to do any other quick calculation you might need.
This is just another example of our attention to detail in TurboLaw Time and Billing. Using the calculator in your computer or on your desk might not take much longer, but those seconds can add up - and if you have trouble finding your calculator, that little bit of frustration you feel can add up too.
“Easy to use” means more than just making a program simple, it also means making it convenient, and we strive to provide that convenience to you in every aspect of our program.
Did You Know: Printing Time, Expense, Payment, and other Items
November 24, 2008
Did you know that you can print out a paper (or PDF) copy of just about everything you see in TurboLaw Time and Billing?
Although TurboLaw Time and Billing saves everything you enter, sometimes you’d also like to have a paper printout. Fortunately, this is very easy to accomplish in TurboLaw Time and Billing. Almost every screen you see has a Print button which you can use to print whatever you are currently viewing. Here are a few of the print buttons from various windows in TurboLaw Time and Billing:
You can print individual items (such as a client’s entry, a time entry, an expense entry, or a payment entry) or you can print out a list of items (such as the list of clients, the list of time & expenses, or the list of bills).
The Print button also gives you all the usual printing options you’d expect - printer setup, page size, etc. - as well as offering you a Print Preview option, which opens the standard TurboLaw Time and Billing Print Preview window.
The Print Preview Window (click for larger image)
From the Print Preview window, you can not only print what you see to your printer, but you can also export what you see to any of the different file formats that TurboLaw Time and Billing supports - such as PDF, plain text, RTF (for Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, OpenOffice, or any other word processing program), or even as an image.
Supported file formats for exporting (click for larger image)
As you can see, TurboLaw Time and Billing can be used to print much more than just bills and statements. As always, we encourage you to use the program however you see fit and in whatever way best suits your firm’s business.
Did You Know: Searching in TurboLaw Time and Billing
November 21, 2008
Did you know that TurboLaw Time and Billing has a built-in search feature that’s easy to use and lets you quickly locate bills, expenses, time entries, payments, and clients?
The search box is located in the upper-right hand corner of the main window, and using the search box couldn’t be easier - just type in something you’d like to find and press the Enter key on your keyboard (or click the search button - the magnifying glass).
TurboLaw Time and Billing’s search is simple and easy to use. Let’s say a client calls you with a question about a bill. You can ask your client for the bill number that’s printed on the bill and then type that into the search box.
Once you press Enter (or click the search button), the search results screen will appear. In the example picture shown below, the very first result is the bill that matches the bill number we sought.
You aren’t limited to searching by number, either. Let’s say you wanted to look up all the items you’d entered that were for transcription - you could just type in “transcription” and press Enter.
The results appear almost instantly. You can also search for a client’s name.
Additionally, if you search from the main window, TurboLaw Time and Billing keeps a history of everything you’ve searched for (until you close the program), so you can recall searches you’ve made earlier if you need to.
With TurboLaw Time and Billing’s simple search, there are no complex search keywords to memorize, or confusing options to select. Just type what you’re looking for and you’ll find it - quickly and easily.
New Feature Highlight: Column Resizing and Sorting
November 19, 2008
One of the changes we made in Version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing was the way that the bills list was sorted. Previously, the list started with the bill number followed by the client’s name. Perhaps somewhat confusingly, the list was sorted by bill date by default.
Although it seemed natural to us that bills should be sorted by date, it was also natural to want to scan the list visually and find a bill by the client’s name. So, we changed the layout of the list. Now, the client’s name is listed first, and by default the list sorts by client name.
In making this change, however, we discovered that very few people realized that you can change the size of the columns, or even sort by a different column if you wish.
Resizing a column is as easy as grabbing its edge with your mouse and dragging it to the desired size, and sorting a column is as easy as clicking the column heading. You can also double-click the edge of a column heading to force it to adjust automatically to the “best fit” for whatever is in that column.
New Feature Highlight: Template Designing
November 17, 2008
One of the major changes for version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing was the new “drag & drop” field list in the template designer.
These drag & drop fields make it easy to customize your templates so that information (such as the bill number, the date, your address, and the details of the bill) appear exactly where you want them to. This makes designing a template less like a complex technical process and more like putting together a simple mail merge - as you might do for printing envelopes or mailing labels.
If you’ve ever done a mail merge in another program (such as Microsoft Word/Publisher/Works, or WordPerfect, or OpenOffice) the process for designing your template will seem very familiar. If, on the other hand, you’ve never done mail merge before, there are many excellent resources to help you become familiar with the process:
- Our How-To Videos section has a video on Advanced Template Customization that shows you how to drag & drop fields to re-create a bill or statement template from the ground up
- Microsoft Office Online has a Mail Merge 101 section that contains numerous videos and tutorials to show you how to use mail merge which can help you understand mail merge - in both TurboLaw Time and Billing and in Microsoft Office
- WordPerfect Office has a similar article on how to do mail merge using WordPerfect
Once you understand the basics of mail merge, you can begin dragging & dropping fields onto your bill or statement templates with ease and create professional-looking bills and statements that reflect well on your practice, help your clients understand their bills, and reduce confusion about what’s been billed.
New Feature Highlight: New Graphics and Icons
November 13, 2008
Here at TurboLaw, we take “ease of use” seriously - that’s why we work so hard on the visual appearance of our programs. One of the new features of our latest release was improved graphics and icons. Now, while some people might not think very much of a few small pictures, we know better - good graphics and icons help make programs more intuitive, which makes them easier to use.
Presented below are some of the new graphics you’ll see in Version 1.11 of TurboLaw Time and Billing. You can click on any picture to see a larger version along with some comments about the design of the graphics on that screen.
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- Workflow Home Screen
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- Time or Expense Question Window
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- Error Window
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- Delete Confimation Window
Icons and graphics may not seem like a big deal, but we all know how little things can add up. That’s why we take the time to design our icons carefully and to pay close attention to detail so that you get the best possible user experience from our programs.
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