Trust Integration Overview

 

Tabs3 Billing integrates with Tabs3 Trust Accounting (Trust) when installed in the same directory as Trust. Information that is used by Tabs3 Billing and Trust is stored in shared data files. Integration between Tabs3 Billing and Trust consists of the following:

Shared Data Files

Manual Payments to Firm

Automatic Trust Payments

Trust Information on Reports and Statements

Shared Data Files

• The Tabs3 Billing client information and the Trust account information is stored in a shared data file.
  
  When a client is added using Tabs3 Billing, the client information will automatically be available in the Trust Accounts window. However, a bank account must be associated with the trust account before trust transactions can be entered. The Trust ID Lookup window in the Trust Accounts window will show these clients with "TABS" in the bank account column. After a bank account has been associated with the trust account using the Trust Accounts window, the trust account will then be available in all other Trust ID Lookup windows. Once a bank account has been associated with the trust account, you cannot delete the client in Tabs3 Billing; it must be deleted in Trust before it can be deleted in Tabs3 Billing.
  
  When a trust account is added using Trust, the trust account will automatically appear as a client in Tabs3 Billing (and as a client in PracticeMaster). Additional client information such as statement templates, billing rates and client notes can then be added in Tabs3 Billing.

Note: Changes to the Date Opened field of the Client file in Tabs3 Billing will not be passed to Trust. Likewise, changes to the Date Opened field of the Trust Account file will not be passed to Tabs3 Billing.

Note: Changes to the Primary Timekeeper field of the Client file in Tabs3 Billing will not be passed to Trust. Likewise, changes to the Responsible Attorney field of the Trust Account file will not be passed to Tabs3 Billing.

• The contact information in Tabs3 Billing, Trust, AP, and System Configuration is stored in a shared data file.
  
  Any changes made to a contact in Tabs3 Billing, PracticeMaster, Trust, AP, or System Configuration will also be made to the contact information in the other Tabs3 Software applications.

• The timekeeper information in Tabs3 Billing and the attorney information in Trust is stored in a shared data file.
  
  Any changes made to the timekeeper file in Tabs3 Billing will also be made to the attorney information in Trust. However, any additions, changes or deletions to the attorney file must be performed in the Tabs3 Billing timekeeper file.

Manual Payments to Firm

• Trust will automatically post payment entries to a Tabs3 Billing client when a check or electronic funds transfer (EFT) is added with the “This is a payment to our firm” check box selected.
  
  The Trust Transactions file in Trust allows you to enter EFTs and checks with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected. When an EFT or check transaction is added with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected, you will be able to specify the amount of the Tabs3 Billing regular, fee, expense, or advance payment(s) that will be created for the check/EFT. The payment transaction codes used are those that were specified for the Trust Bank Account.
  
  When a check with a check number greater than zero or an EFT is entered with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected, then payment transaction(s) are created and posted to Tabs3 Billing at the same time the transaction is added to the trust data file. When a check with a check number equal to zero (i.e., an unpaid check) is entered with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected, then payment transaction(s) are created and posted to Tabs3 Billing when the check is printed using the Trust Print Checks window.
  
  Like all Tabs3 Billing payments, the payment is applied at the time of entry, provided there are amounts due.

• For Trust payments with the “This is a payment to our firm” check box selected, Tabs3 Billing will post GL journal entries based on the settings in the GLS Integration Setup window and the payment allocation in Tabs3 Billing.
  
  When Tabs3 Billing is configured to integrate with Tabs3 General Ledger (GL), Trust payments with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected will post GL journal entries based on the payment posting method and defined payment allocation in Tabs3 Billing. Journal entries will be posted to GL with a Type of Check (for checks) or EFT (for EFTs).
  
  When an EFT or a check with a check number greater than zero is entered with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected, then GL journal entries are created and posted to GL when the transaction is added to the Tabs3 Billing data file. When a check with a check number equal to zero is entered with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected, then GL journal entries (and Tabs3 Billing payment entries) are created and posted when the check is printed using the Trust Print Checks window.

• When a check with the “This is a payment to our firm” check box selected is voided in Trust, the associated work-in-process payment will be deleted in Tabs3 Billing.
  
  When a check with the This is a payment to our firm check box selected is voided in Trust, the associated work-in-process payment will be deleted in Tabs3 Billing, and Tabs3 Billing will create the associated reversing GL journal entries (provided a journal entry has not been modified, is not reconciled, cleared or part of a deposit).
  
  If the payment has already been run on a final statement and updated in Tabs3 Billing, the payment will not be affected and no GL reversing journal entries will be created. Manual payment adjustments and/or GL adjusting journal entries may be required.

Automatic Trust Payments

• Trust can automatically create trust transactions and payment records based on a client's due amounts.
  
  Trust can be configured to allow Tabs3 Billing to automatically create Trust Transactions. This feature can be enabled or disabled on a global level, at the bank account level, and at the trust account level. You can specify whether to pay work-in-process, accounts receivable, or both; whether to pay fees, expenses, or advances from these amounts; and whether to create check or EFT transactions in Trust for these amounts.
  
  When automatic Trust payments are enabled, trust transaction and payment information is displayed on draft and final statements. A "Pending" trust transaction is created when a final statement is generated. The Trust transaction is committed at different times depending on the type of transaction created. EFT transactions are committed when a final statement is updated or the EFT is included on a combined transaction, whereas check transactions are committed when the check is assigned a check number via the Print Checks window, the Trust Transactions window, or the Combine Transactions window. GL integration occurs when the payment record in Tabs3 Billing is created, which is when the transaction is committed. Attempting to update a statement before a check number has been assigned to a pending automatic Trust check will display a message indicating that the statement was unable to be updated. The Update Statements Verification List in Tabs3 Billing will display additional information on which statements could not be updated.
  
  The date used for the payment transaction is the statement date for both EFT and check transactions.

Trust Information on Reports and Statements

• Tabs3 Billing will include a client's trust account balance(s) on the Detail and Summary Work-In-Process Reports.
  
  When printing the Detail Work-In-Process Report and Summary Work-In-Process Report in Tabs3 Billing, a client's trust account balance(s) will be included on the report. When printing the reports, you have the option to include only clients that have a trust account balance. You also have the ability to customize Tabs3 Billing to include clients on these reports that have a trust account balance but no previous balance or work-in-process.

Note: Trust accounts that have a balance of zero will not print on work-in-process reports. Similarly, trust accounts that have a balance of zero and no transactions to print will not print on statements.

• Tabs3 Billing can print either detail or summary trust information at the end of a statement.
  
  Each Tabs3 Billing client can be set up to include detail, summary or no trust account information on their statement. The Trust Integration option is set on the Statement Options tab of the Client file. If the Trust Integration option is set to Detail, then trust transactions that are dated after the client's last statement date through the current statement date will print at the end of the client's statement along with the client's prior and current trust account balance. If the Trust Integration option is set to Summary, then only the current trust account balance will be included. You also have the ability to customize Tabs3 Billing to generate statements for clients with a trust account balance but no previous balance or work-in-process. This option is set on the Other Systems tab of Tabs3 Billing Customization. The terminology used in the trust section of the statement can be customized using the Bank Account file in Trust.

• Tabs3 Billing can print a message on a billing statement indicating that the client needs to remit an amount to replenish the trust account.
  
  If a client's trust account balance falls below the trust account's Desired Minimum Balance, you can bill the client either the amount shown in the Request fixed amount field or the difference between the Current Trust Balance and the Request amount it takes to reach. These amounts are specified in Trust in the Trust Account Information window.
  
  Billing a replenishment amount is sometimes referred to as an evergreen trust retainer.

• Tabs3 Billing can print a message on a billing statement indicating that an automatic replenishment payment has been scheduled.
  
  If a client’s trust account is configured to automatically schedule replenishment payments, when the account balance falls below the trust account's Desired Minimum Balance, you can bill the client either the amount shown in the Request fixed amount field or the difference between the Current Trust Balance and the Request amount it takes to reach, up to the amount shown in the Limit amount to field. These amounts are specified in Trust in the Trust Account Information window.
  
  Auto-replenish, sometimes referred to as an evergreen trust retainer, is only available via Tabs3 Pay®.

• Tabs3 Billing can print automatic trust payment information when generating final statements.
  
  If automatic trust payments are enabled in Trust, Tabs3 Billing will include an Automatic Trust Payments Report when generating final statements. The Automatic Trust Payments Report includes a list of each client who had an automatic payment created during the final statement run as well as a total amount for automatic payments created for each configured bank account.

• Terminology for Trust information used on Tabs3 Billing reports and statements can be customized by bank.
  
  Using the Bank Account entry window in Trust, you can customize the Trust Terminology used for the Current Balance, Opening Balance, Closing Balance, Bill Remittance, and Target Remittance text.

• Tabs3 Billing can include a trust request link when sending email statements.
  
  When a Tabs3 Pay merchant account is configured in Trust, the Email Statements window can create a trust request link that allows a client to deposit funds in their trust account via the Tabs3 Pay™ website. This link is included in the email message that is sent with the PDF statement. In order to include a trust request link when sending statements via email, your email template(s) must be modified to include the Online Payment Trust Button, Online Payment Trust “Click Here”, or Online Payment Trust URL field.
  
  Once your client receives the trust request, they can click the included link to open a personalized page on the processor’s website. This page shows the requested deposit amount, and allows them to make a payment by specifying a new payment method, or using an existing method that they have previously entered. Once the payment has been processed, it can then be imported into Tabs3 Trust Accounting via the Import Online Payments window.

See also:	Setting Up Trust Integration
	Retainer Billing Using Trust
	Trust Terminology on Statements
	Request Trust Deposit
	Knowledge Base Article R10929 - Troubleshooting Tabs3 Billing/Trust Integration
	Knowledge Base Article R11139 - Integration from Tabs3 Billing to Other Tabs3 Applications
	Integration Guide