There are two different processes for generating an invoice in Clio:
- You can generate invoices from the Bills section of Clio for Matters that already have associated time and expense entries.
For complete instructions, click here. - You can create a Quick Bill to add Matter, Contact, time and/or expense information on the fly. This means even if you have not yet created time or expense entries, you can create them using the Quick Bill tool.
Contents
What is a Quick Bill?
Creating a Quick Bill when a related Matter does not yet exist
Creating a Quick Bill from an existing Matter or Contact
You can create a single invoice quickly with information that you add on the fly, whether or not the Matter and Contact already exist in Clio. From the New Quick Bill form, you can instantly create a new Matter and add time & expense entries that will automatically be applied to the newly created Matter. Similarly, when you create a Quick Bill from an existing Matter, you will also be able to add linked time and expense entries from within the bill form.
It is recommended to create a Quick Bill as a one-off. However, for your regular billing workflow we recommend using Billable Clients. More on a billable workflow can be read in the Creating Bills Support Article.
Creating a Quick Bill when a related Matter does not yet exist
To instantly create an invoice without having to first add a Matter, locate the appropriate client in the Contact tab, click to view their name, and choose the blue New Quick Bill button in the upper right of the screen.
This will open a New Quick Bill form in which the client information will be automatically pre-filled.
- Matter field: Add a brief description to the Matter field. This information is all that is required to instantly create a new Matter for the existing Contact. If you would like to complete the remaining Matter information fields, you can edit the newly generated Matter later.
- Time and Expense Entries: To add time and/or expense entries, click the Add a time entry and/or Add an expense entry buttons then complete the fields as provided.
- Billing Options: Click Show options to reveal the bill options fields.
- Generate Bill: When you are ready, click the Generate Bill button. If you would prefer to generate a bill that is approved and ready for payment, check the Skip the bill approval process option as imaged above.
Creating a Quick Bill from an existing Matter
You can find quick links and buttons to create a Quick Bill from a variety of locations around Clio.
From a Contact
When you start a Quick Bill from a Contact, it will link to that particular Contact but not to any Matter. You will have to create a new Matter for the contact from within the Quick Bill. All time or expense entries that you add to the Quick Bill will also appear on the newly created Matter
You can also start a Quick Bill by clicking on down arrow and then Quick Bill from within the Matters section on a Contact card.
From a Matter
When you start a Quick Bill from a Matter, it will link to both the Matter and the appropriate Contact. All time and expense entries that you add to the Quick Bill will also appear on the linked Matter.
You can also start a Quick Bill by clicking on the Quick Bill button from under the Work in progress section within a Matter's Financial details.
Please note: You will not have the option to create a Quick bill from the Matter Dashboard if the Matter is marked as Non-billable.