Adding Value Items

Once a Value entry is saved, the Header Band across the top of the Value item will display several options. Return to the Value List View using the View List button. To add new or edit existing Value Notes attached to the Value item, click on the View/Edit Notes button. When a note has been added for a Value item, a red pushpin will display on the View/Edit Notes button. The Value Subtotals button will open the Value Subtotals Window. Navigation buttons are available to easily page through the Value items attached to a party using the navigation arrows. The total number of items and the number of the current item is displayed.

A user will need Add permissions to the Value tab in order to add Value items to a case.

• Value Detail View
• Adding a Value Item
• Provider Information
• Description
• Transaction Summary
• Calculate Value Amount
• Transaction Details
• User Defined

Value Detail View

The View/Edit Notes and Value Subtotals buttons will be disabled until a new Value item is saved. The Value Detail View contains fields organized into the following group sections: Provider Information, Description, Transaction Summary, Calculate Value Amount, Transaction Details, and User Defined. The corresponding fields in each section are described below.

Party

Value items are attached to a party in the case. The current party will display by default in the Party field of a new Value item. A different party can be selected by clicking on the Party dropdown at the top of the Value item to display the list of parties in the case with their party role. Parties marked Our Client are displayed in bold.

Adding a Value Item

To add a new Value item,

1. Click the Add button on the Case ribbon. A blank Value item will display.
2. Enter the information into the fields described in the following sections, as applicable.
3. Click on the Save button on the Case ribbon to save the new Value item..

Provider Information

Provider

The Provider field is required in order to save a Value item and will display a red validation border and icon until a Provider name is entered. Mouse over the validation icon to display the reason for the error. The Provider field is a searchable names field allowing for a name to be searched in Needles to select an existing provider or add a new name to your database.

• Enter a fragment of the Providers's last name. The Name Results List will display a list of matching results.
• Double-click the desired name from the search results or add a new name by clicking on the Add Provider button.

Double-clicking on the name in the Provider field will open the Provider Folder.

Lien

• Select the Lien check box if there is a lien associated with the Value item. If selected, an icon will display in the Lien column of the Value list view. Reports, such as the Settlement Memo Lien Summary can be run to quickly to track items marked as Lien with an amount due.

Description

Memo

• Enter a Memo to briefly describe the transaction. You may use the Memo field to keep track of account numbers, invoice numbers or other useful information.

If using the check or deposit request feature in Needles, the Memo field will be exported with the check or deposit information to the integrating accounting program.

Reference 1 and 2

Additional Reference 1 and 2 fields may be used to track further details (e.g., invoice #, account #, purchase order numbers, etc.). These field titles can be renamed in the Default Info tab in Firm Preferences. The Reference 1 and 2 field titles can also be designated by Value Code in the Value Code Mini Directory, allowing for a different label to be displayed depending on the Value Code selected. The Reference Label from Firm Preferences will be displayed if there is no Reference Label specified in the Value Code Mini Directory.  

• Enter the appropriate information in the Reference 1 and/or 2 fields based on the firm's data entry guidelines for the reference fields.

Value Category

Use the Value Category field to further categorize a Value item for more detailed reporting. Categories are defined in the Value Categories Mini Directory.

• Select the Value Category from the dropdown.

Report Requested

The Report Requested check box can be used to track if a report detailing services provided has been requested.

• Select the Report Requested check box if a report has been requested and is still pending.
• Enter the date the report was requested in the Date field.
• Select the Payment Requested check box if payment has been requested.
• Enter the date payment was requested in the Date field, if applicable.

The Report and Payment Requested fields are used to generate a report , such as Cases with Report Requested on Value Tab which lists providers who have not satisfied the request for reports. You may wish to use one of the user defined tabs or user defined Value fields for more detailed tracking of records and reports requests instead.

Settlement Note

A Settlement Note text field is available to enter text up to 20 characters that can be used in documents, forms or reports. When using the QuickBooks check request interfaces, the Settlement Note can be added to the Memo or Voucher portion of a check request.

Transaction Summary

Value Code

The Value Code identifies the type of expense being tracked, such as a medical bill, lost wages, or a case expense for which the firm should be reimbursed. Depending upon the value code selected, the value item will be treated as a debit or credit. The list of codes are defined in the Value Codes Mini Directory.

• Select the Value Code that categorizes the item from the dropdown list displaying available Value Codes, their Descriptions and whether the corresponding code is a Credit or Debit (C/D). The Value Code is a required field for new entries. If a Value User Defined screen has been defined for the selected Value Code for this case type, the User Defined section will display at the bottom of the Value item when the Value Code is selected.

Description

The Description will automatically populate from the Value Code Mini Directory based on the Value Code selection for the item.

Service Dates

The Service Date range represents the dates the services were rendered by the provider that are reflected in the invoice or bill.

• Enter the Service Dates for the date range in which the services were rendered by the provider for the bill or invoice.

Most value reports filtering on the Service Date are using the Service From Date field.

Value Total

• Enter the total amount of a transaction into the Value Total money field. Click the calculator icon to calculate the total value, if needed. The fields in the Calculate Value Amount section can also be used to calculate the total value of an item.

Reduction

• If the bill has been reduced (e.g., through a negotiated reduction of fees), enter the amount by which the bill has been reduced in the Reduction field. Negative values will display in red using the formatting set in the user's Windows regional settings for currency.

The last four fields in the Transaction Summary section are read-only. Their values are determined from other fields.

Total Adjustments

The Total Adjustments field is a read-only field that is a calculated sum of all adjustment items from the Transaction Details window. Mouse over the icon in the Total Adjustments field to display a tooltip explaining the calculation.

Total Payments

The Total Payments is a read-only field that is a calculated sum of all payments from the Transaction Details window. Mouse over the icon in the Total Payments field to display a tooltip explaining the calculation.

Due

The Due field is a read-only field that is calculated using the following formula: Value Total – (Reduction + Total Adjustments + Total Payments). Mouse over the icon in the Due field to display a tooltip explaining the calculation.

Open Requests

If a check has been requested for the value item but has not yet been exported, the amount of the pending request is displayed in the Open Requests field.

Calculate Value Amount

Use the fields in the Calculate Value Amount section to calculate and populate the Total Value of an item. This is particularly helpful when calculating lost wages or manually entering a Time item in a case. Use the Period, # Periods, and Rate/Period fields to calculate periodic values, such as lost wages, rental car charges or attorney fees. If periodic payments are not involved or you wish to enter only the amount due, leave these fields blank and enter the total manually in the Value Total field.

1. Select the Period in Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, or Other.
2. Enter the Number of Periods to be calculated.
3. Enter the amount charged per period in the Rate/Period field.

If using the Needles Time Tracking feature to send time entries to the Value tab, the Period, # Periods and Rate/Period fields are sent automatically from the timecard and are used to calculate the billing amount for the time entry in the value item.

Transaction Details

A list of transactions from the Value Transaction window will display in the Transactions Details section. The transaction details section is read-only, however transactions can be added, modified or deleted by clicking the Add icon or double-clicking a transaction item to access the Value Transactions window.

Amounts entered in the Transaction Details will cause the Total Adjustments, Total Payments, and Due fields to be recalculated.

User Defined

If a Value user defined screen has been designed for the selected Value Code in this case type, the User Defined section will display additional fields.

• Enter the information into the fields displayed, if applicable, according to the firm's data entry instructions for this section.