Set up default time and fees

You can set default Time & Fees for both staff members and matter types.

Add default rates for staff members

To add a default time rate for a staff member:

1. Select the gear icon at the top right of Smokeball.
   
2. Go to the Staff & Users menu option.
   
3. Double-click on the relevant staff member’s name.
4. Go to the Billing heading.
   
   
5. Input the staff member's hourly rate.
6. Select Save.

Add default fees on a matter type

Set up default fee entries to appear when you open a matter. The feature is helpful to ensure you never forget to add charges to a matter.

Before you begin, ensure you have set up your standard time and fee activity codes.

To set up the default fees:

1. Select the gear icon at the top right of Smokeball.
   
2. Go to the Matter Configuration menu option and select Add New.
   
3. Select the relevant Matter Type, for example, Conveyancing General, then select OK.
   
4. Navigate to the Time & Fees tab. Tick the Automatically create fee entry checkbox and select Add.
5. Select the previously set up activity code from the drop-down menu. The selected activity will pre-populate the empty fields. Select Save.
   

Good to know

• Changes to Matter Configuration settings only apply to new matters.
• Once Matter Configuration settings are in place, you can see if there are fee entries at a glance.
• To edit a Matter Configuration item, double-click on its name