Rates in Matters

A Guide to setting, using and manipulating Rates on the Matter level.

Vaughn avatar
Written by Vaughn
Updated over a week ago

*********NOTE* - Due to changes in labeling, all references to Bills have been changed to Invoices, and all references to Billings have been changed to Time Entries in the Guide below. At some point, the Video above may also be updated. *************

Before you begin using Rates in Matters, you’ll want to ensure that your Rates are set up. You can do this by following the Creating Rates Guide here, or for a complete walkthrough on Rates, how they work, and a whole lot of caveats and contingencies, check out our Rates Workshop, here.

Using the Rate Type

Assuming, however, that you have your Rates all set up and ready to go, you’ll implement them on the Matter level, during Matter creation. To begin, let’s create a new Matter. Navigate to the Matter Entity on the left side of your screen.

And once here, click +New.

During Matter Creation, many fields will require some sort of input, denoted by a Red Asterisk, and the Rate Type field is included in this list. Here, you’ll choose the Type of Rate that you would like to use on this Matter.

When choosing a Rate Type, understand that each of your Users will Invoice using the selected Rate. If you choose Standard, as in the example below, then all Users who Invoice will have their Standard Rate applied. Likewise, if you choose Premium, or some other Rate Type that you’ve created, then all Invoices created by Users on this Matter will apply their Premium Rates.

Select your Rate Type and continue with Matter Creation.

Next, we’ll look at the Rate in use during Billing. We’ll skip a few steps in order to get us to where we need to be for this Guide, but for a full Guide on Billing, click here.

Once you select a User for creating the Invoice (usually, defaulted to yourself), you’ll see the Default Rate applied, based on the Rate Type associated with the Matter, as seen below.

Alternate Rates

But you can also take this opportunity to choose the Rate Type’s Rate Type (which is a little confusing, but I’ll give an example). Each Rate Type, Standard or Premium, for example, can have a Default and an Alternate Hourly Rate, and which one you use is determined by the Rate Type field in a Time Entry, as shown below.

When choosing Alternate, the system will instead use the secondary Rate associated with the Rate Type chosen for the Matter.

*NOTE* - This term Rate Type is different from the Rate Type chosen for the Matter. They are two different things with the same name. This Rate Type is specific to the to the Rate and the Time Entry that you’re currently making, and is simply asking the question ‘Do you want to use the Default or Alternate value associated with this User’s Rate?’

The Alternate Rate value, seen below, is set on the Rate Record, and can be used in any Matter, as shown below.

Matter-Specific Rates

But both the Actual Rate and the Alternate Rate value can also be changed at the Matter level. I’ll give an example:

Matthew’s Default Rate on the Premium Rate Type is $350

Matthew’s Alternate Rate on the Premium Rate Type is $200

But in Matter X, we change the Default Rate to $400 and the Alternate Rate to $300

This means that when Matthew Invoices *specifically* in Matter X, his Default Rate will be $400 and/or, if he chooses his Alternate Rate, it will, *for that Matter only*, show an Alternate Rate of $300. Let’s look at how to change the Actual and Alternate Rate on a Matter level.

In the Matter, click the Related tab and choose Matter Rates.

Next, Double Click anywhere in the Gray Area.

Notice here that the subheading says Matter Rate. This is to denote that the Rate you’re looking at the changes that you’re making are not on the Rate Record, but specifically for *this* Matter’s instance of the Rate.

Here, these two values can be changed.

And once finished, you can click Save and then Refresh the page in order for the new Rates to take effect. But note also that you could make ENTIRELY NEW, Matter-Specific Rates by clicking the +New button!

When creating a new Rate specifically for this Matter, be sure to choose the Resource Type and Rate, shown below, that reflects the Rate Type chosen for the Matter.

Again, these Rates created will be specific to this Matter only. I encourage you to experiment with this before attempting to use it on a live Matter.

Applying Missing Rates

Finally, let’s discuss what to do as we make Global Rate changes in Curo365. At times, new Users will be added or Rates will be updated to reflect new positions or new prices. By default, the system WILL NOT ADD these new Rates or Rate changes to existing Matters, but there is a way to update existing Matters with these new Rates, either one at a time or in bulk.

On the Matter Screen, you can select one or more Matters by clicking the Invisible Checkbox.

And then click the Add Missing Rates button at the top of the screen.

Conversely, you can click the came button in the Matter itself.

If you ever find yourself absolutely positive that you’ve set a Rate or a User properly, but you’re still unable to Invoice with them of the system tells you that it can’t find the appropriate Rate Type, Adding Missing Rates will usually solve your ills!

*VERY IMPORTANT NOTE* - Make sure that if you Add Missing Rates, you mean to do it. Adding Missing Rates to Matters that you didn’t want to have them, that you wanted to continue to use the old Rates, will require a good deal of micro-managing to resolve, so BE CAREFUL.

And that’s it! If you were able to follow this and the Rates Workshop, then I think you’ll be good to go, but reach out for any questions or clarifications – I know that this can be a little confusing.

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