Learn how to create an invoice for time and disbursement activities in Smokeball.
Before you begin
If you are planning to create an invoice for the first time, you should review the pre-invoice checklist below.
- Review invoice settings and create invoice templates.
- Apply any outstanding interest or surcharge on a matter.
- Review your firm’s email template.
- If applicable, set up your evergreen retainer.
- Set up cheque printing.
- Create and edit time, fee, or disbursement entries.
Once all steps in the checklist are complete, you will be ready to create an invoice.
Create a draft invoice
To get to the draft invoice screen for a matter:
Open the matter and select the Invoices tab. Then, select Create Invoice.
You can also create draft invoices in bulk, for multiple matters.
Enter the invoice details
Before you send off your invoice, ensure that all required fields and time, fee, or disbursement entries are filled in.
- Enter the invoice issue date and due date, and confirm the debtors/clients to receive the invoice.
- Select Edit invoice options to choose the invoice template and edit the body of the invoice. Tick all the components you want the final invoice to show.
- Review the Time & Fees and Disbursements sections. You can check each entry by selecting the arrow icon under the View column.
- Add additional entries by selecting Add Entry and entering the details.
- To write off entries, tick the box in the W/O column against that entry, and the amount will be "slashed" from the invoice total.
- The totals displayed on the right-side panel will update as you add, remove, and edit entries.
- To apply a discount on the invoice, tick Apply discount on fees. Learn more about applying discounts to an invoice.
- To apply a surcharge, tick Apply surcharge. Learn more about applying surcharges to an invoice.
Select View Preview at the bottom of the side panel to check the invoice as a PDF.
To save the draft so you can work on it later, select Save Draft at the bottom of the side panel.
Send the invoice
Choose if you want to email the invoice to your client or send it securely via the Client Portal.
- Select the Final tab on the right panel of the draft invoice.
- Choose whether to send the invoice via Email or Client Portal at the bottom of the right panel.
- Once you're ready to send off the invoice, select Finalise and Send. This will also move the invoice from a draft state to Unpaid.
You can also send an invoice to multiple recipients.
View the list of invoices
You can access all invoices generated by your firm by selecting Invoices from the left menu.
Next Steps
Once you've sent an invoice to a client, you can record a payment against the invoice, either paid manually or via credit card (powered by Stripe).
Did you know
- If you have the Xero or MYOB Essentials integration turned on, a paid invoice will feed through to your Journal Reports and Bank Account/s in your accounting software.
- If you do not wish to display time entries on fixed fee invoices, create a fixed fee invoice.
- If you need to display non-billable time entries on an invoice, configure the invoice to show non-billable entries.