TurboLaw Software News
"I wanted to write to thank you and your firm for the substantial support. I have dealt with other vendors of legal software, and TurboLaw is by far the best, both with respect to the product itself and also with respect to the technical support assistance which you provide.
"Your services and product has promoted the efficient running of my office."
Joyce G. Perocchi
North Andover, MA
Timeslips to TurboLaw: How to print a worksheet in TurboLaw Time and Billing
January 29, 2009
Today’s tip is for people who are switching to TurboLaw Time and Billing after having previously used Timeslips.
One of our customers, a former user of Timeslips, called asking if she could print worksheets in TurboLaw Time and Billing. If you’ve been wondering the same thing – here’s your answer!
Our customer explained that the type of “worksheet” she used to print was just a list (a grid, really) of the time/expenses for a particular client or staff member. Since TurboLaw Time and Billing allows you to print just about anything you see on your screen, all you need to do is just bring up a list of the time/expenses for a client or staff member and you can print that out as a”worksheet.”
For a client, you do this by first double-clicking the client’s name from the Clients list. Then, click either the Time/Work button or the Expenses button (circled in red in the picture below), and choose Edit Time/Work or Edit Expenses.
This will open a new window which shows you the time and expenses for this client.
Note the Print button (we’ve circled it in red) in the top-left corner of the window – this means that you can print what you see on the screen!
Just click the Print button to print out the list that you see – this is your worksheet! (You can also choose Print Preview and save the results as a PDF, or add watermarks, headings, and other options – or choose Page Setup to make changes to the page margins.)
If you would rather see the time and expenses for a particular staff member, just switch to the Staff list, select the staff member you’d like to view work for and then click on View Work (circled in red in the picture below).
The same sort of window will open up as shown previously, except now it will list time and expense entries for that staff member, instead of for a client. You can print the list just the same as before.
TurboLaw Time and Billing allows you to print just about anything you see in the program – most windows have a Print button in the upper-left corner, and if you see a print button – you can print what you see!
Although the terminology used in TurboLaw Time and Billing is sometimes different from other billing programs (we try to stick with “plain English”), you’ll find that you can still do most – if not all – of the same things. Of course if you are not sure how to do something, just contact us and we’ll be happy to help you!
TurboLaw Time and Billing 1.13 Released
January 27, 2009
Once again, we are proud to announce the latest new version of TurboLaw Time and Billing – Version 1.13! We’ve added a number of new features in this version to help you work faster in TurboLaw Time and Billing – saving you even more time when doing your billing.
For example, you can now type in any drop-down box (instead of using the mouse) and the program will show you those items in the drop-down that match what you’re typing. So, instead of clicking and choosing a client’s name (to use one example), you could begin typing the client’s name – and the program will automatically show you those clients’ names that match what you’ve typed. This allows you to “touch-type” your way through most windows in the program, which for some people is faster than using the mouse. (You can still use the mouse of course!)
We’ve also added some amazingly powerful new features for customizing your bill and statement templates – including something called “conditional formatting,” which allows you to change the way your bill (or statement) looks, based on what’s in the bill (or statement). So, for example, you could have the “amount” show up in red if money is owed to you, or make it show up green (or black) if the client doesn’t owe you money (for example, if they still have money left from a retainer payment). You can find all these features when you customize your templates. (You can also watch a video on customizing templates.)
Here’s the full list of what was added or improved in this version:
- Added “auto-complete” functionality in the “Enter Time” or “Enter Expense” windows – so you can find and select client, staff, and matter names more quickly
- Added the ability to add a “matter” on the fly by just typing in a name when entering a time or expense entry
- Improved support for “conditional formatting” in templates, so you can change the way the template looks based on what’s in the bill or statement (e.g., changing the color of dollar amounts based on the dollar amount itself)
- Numerous “behind the scenes” improvements for better performance and for possible new features in the future
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 notification, or for this little message:
Watch for this message to appear when a new update is available!
Just click the pop-up notice (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!
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
Note: This article refers to TurboLaw Document Software, not TurboLaw Time and Billing.
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.
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