Consolidated Invoicing in Solaria

The "Consolidated Invoicing" feature in Solaria allows you to consolidate invoices together in a group under one parent invoice for a client.  This allows you to send one invoice to a client for jobs that span multiple days (as an example).  Once invoices are consolidated together, they are assigned a parent invoice number, are printed as one invoice and can be paid using the parent invoice number in Solaria.

Settings

Turn on this feature by going to Settings -> System Preferences -> Invoices tab and check Consolidated Invoicing.  Click on Save Changes.

Creating Consolidated Invoices

In order for invoices to be consolidated, they must have the same client and billing address, cannot be voided and cannot be marked as deposits.  You can create consolidated invoices in two ways:

1. From the Orders list window by selecting multiple, un-invoiced orders and clicking on the Create Invoice button.
2. From the Invoices list window by selecting multiple invoices and clicking on the Consolidate button.

Orders List

If you have Consolidated Invoices turned on in System Preferences, you will see a Create Invoice button on the Orders list window.  Use this to create an invoice for a single order (bypassing the order window), or create a consolidated invoice for multiple orders that you have selected. The following explains how to create a consolidated invoice.

In order for a consolidated invoice to be created, the orders must have the same client and billing address, cannot be voided and cannot be marked as deposits.  Select the orders and click on Create Invoice.  You will be prompted for confirmation:

Click on Yes to continue.  You will be prompted to enter the invoice terms, original sent date and due date for all invoices being created.  This uses the client’s preference for the terms; otherwise, the system default will be used.

 Click on OK to continue.  The invoices will be created and you will be informed of the parent invoice number:

If you integrate with ServiceLink, the invoices will be sent to ServiceLink.  You will then be prompted if you want to print the consolidated invoice.

Invoices List

If you have Consolidated Invoices turned on in System Preferences, you will see a Consolidate button on the Invoices list window.  Use this to create a consolidated invoice for multiple invoices that you have selected. The invoices must have the same client and billing address, cannot be voided and cannot be marked as deposits.  

Select the invoices and click on Create Invoice.  You will be prompted for confirmation:

Click on Yes to continue.  You will be prompted to enter the invoice terms, original sent date and due date for all invoices being created.  This uses the client’s preference for the terms; otherwise, the system default will be used.

 Click on OK to continue.  The invoices will be consolidated and you will be informed of the parent invoice number:

If you integrate with ServiceLink, the invoices will be sent to ServiceLink.  You will then be prompted if you want to print the consolidated invoice.

Searching for Invoices

When using the hot-key or menu to find an invoice by its number, you can enter a parent invoice number and Solaria will go to the first invoice under it.

Viewing/Updating Consolidated Invoices

If you are viewing a consolidated invoice, you will see the parent invoice number in the top, right corner of the window.  

Click on this to go to the Invoice list window and show a list of all invoices consolidated under that one parent invoice number.

These invoices must have the same client, billing address, terms, original sent date and due date.  If you make changes to any of these fields, it will automatically change the related invoices.  Note that this could affect related resource invoices.

Printing Consolidated Invoices

When printing an invoice that is consolidated with other invoices, it will print one invoice, showing the parent invoice number at the top, a section for each job and invoice under it and one set of totals at the bottom.  Standard Report Text fields named “Consolidated Invoices” are used for the bottom of these invoices and for emailing them.

When using the preferred destination to print consolidated invoices, it will always use the client’s preferred destination as there could be different attorneys on the individual invoices.  The attorney name will not print on the consolidated invoice, nor will shipping information and most other job-specific information.  Case information will print at the top if all invoices have the same case; otherwise, the case information will be printed under each job.

Payments

When a payment needs to be entered for a consolidated invoice, you can search for a parent invoice number or an invoice under a parent invoice, and it will find all unpaid invoices related to the same parent invoice number.

NOTE: Parent invoice numbers will not be found in ServiceLink at this time.  Clients can pay individual invoices in ServiceLink for now.  These show on the printed consolidated invoice from Solaria.

Deconsolidating/Voiding

You can deconsolidate invoices by going to one of the invoices and clicking on the Void button.  You will be prompted for the options to deconsolidate, void the one invoice you are on, or void all of the consolidated invoices.

The Void Parent Invoice option simply deconsolidates the invoices and deletes the parent invoice number.  This sets the invoices back to where they can be printed individually.

The other two options allow you to void just the invoice you are viewing (and removing it from the parent invoice), or voiding all of the invoices under the parent invoice.  Both of these options give you the ability to save the original invoices to a PDF on the job before they get voided.