About Activity

Danalix allows you to create three types of Activities:

Specific Time Entry
Expense Entry
Block Time Entry



Every “Activity” created is tied to a Matter and not the Client.

About Specific Time Entry Activity

Specific Time Entry allows you to log a specific time spent on a Client Matter. You can log the time duration in past, present, and future dates.

Logging future specific time entry: If the logged time is in the future, you can set a reminder to alert you of the date and time setup for the Specific Time Entry. Reminder can set be in minutes, days or months on a specific day before the appointed time and date .

You are able to create an activity with past dates and times.

You are able to send a copy of the activity entry to your client. The client will receive an email with the activity entry information .

This reminder will be displayed in your Calendar Events with the Date and Time of the Specific Time Entry. You can View and Edit the details of this Specific Time Entry Activity directly from the Calendar.

When you create a specific time entry, you can select to create it as: Time Entry, Expense, Block Fees, General Expense or Client Request.

How to Create a Specific Time Entry Activity

Step 1:

Go to:

Activities & Billing sidebar menu > Activities tab > Create Activity button




Step 2:

On the pop-up window, select Specific Time Entry



Step 3:

On the “Create Specific Time Entry” pop-up screen, complete the form fields > save as draft or save. You can create a specific Time Entry as a: Time Entry, Expense, Block Fees, General Expense, or Client Request.

You are also able to create a new Matter at this stage for the client if one is not available for selection. Select “New Matter” within the Matter dropdown field and follow the instructions.

Specific Time Entry Form & Billing Rate

When you create a Specific Time Entry, if you have already set-up a billing rate, this rate will automatically be pre-populated in the Per Hour Rate field. However, you can change this rate to a new rate and adopt the new rate going forward, or treat the new rate change as a one-time occurrence.

About Activity Summary

When you complete the Specific Time Entry form and save it, you can view it on the Activities Summary screen under the “Draft” tab if you saved it as “Draft,” or under the “Not Billed” sub-tab if you just “Save & Confirm” it.

The Activity Summary screen allows you to easily find and view all activities by categories or grouping such as: Client Request, Permanent, Tentative, Not Validated, Validated, Billed, Not Billed, All, and Draft. For example, if you want to easily find all activities that are “not validated,” you can easily do so by clicking on the Not Validated sub-tab.

Activity Summary Search

With Danalix smart search feature, you can further find an activity much faster and precisely by entering at least two letters of your search term. For example, if you want to find a client called John Doe, your search term can be as short as Jo or Do; or as long John, Doe, or John Doe.

Note: You are only able to search and find activity by Client Name or Matter. Search terms related to other activities information such as Category, Firm User, Status, etc. will yield null result.

Activity Validation

You cannot validate a future dated activity – only those created within the current date and in the past. Therefore, when you create an activity with a future date(s), it will not display an exclamation mark indicator to validate the activity. The future date can be both the start and end dates or the end date. When the future activity date (s) becomes the present or past date, the exclamation indicator will display to validate the activity.
You cannot validate an activity that is tentative.
You have to validate an activity before you can generate an invoice.

Specific Time Entry Activity Status

Upon completion of the Specific Time Entry Activity form, you can save as “Draft” or save it as “Not Billed”




If you select the “Save & Confirm” button, your Activity will be displayed on the "Activities Summary" screen under the “Not Billed” sub-tab with a “Not Billed” status. From there you can perform the following tasks using the Actions menu: Update, Add Notes, or Delete the activity.

If you “Save as Draft” it is displayed on the “Activities Summary screen under the “Draft” sub-tab with a “Draft” status. From there you can perform the following tasks using the Actions menu: Update, Add Notes, or Delete the activity.

Permanent and Tentative Specific Time Entry Activity Rules

Permanent Activity
You are able to validate an activity if it is permanent.
If you create a permanent activity that has the same start and end dates/times as an already created tentative activity, the permanent activity takes precedent. This is not deemed a conflict, and both activities will be displayed in the calendar of activities.
If you create a permanent activity that has the same start and end dates/times as an already created permanent activity, the first created permanent activity will be converted to a tentative activity in order to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, both activities will be displayed in the calendar of activities.



Tentative Activity
You are not able to validate an activity if it is tentative.
If you create a tentative activity and it conflicts with an already created tentative activity relative having the same start and end dates/times, both activities will overlapped in date and time within the calendar of activities without being deemed a conflict.

If you create a tentative activity and it conflicts with an already created permanent activity relative to having same the start and end dates/times, t**he permanent activity takes precedent**, it is not reflected as a conflict, and both activities will be displayed in the calendar of activities.

How to Change Specific Time Entry Activity Status from “Draft” to “Not Billed”

Go to:

Activities & Billing sidebar menu > Activities tab > Draft sub-tab > Find the Time Entry activity > Actions menu > Update > on the Update Activity screen click the “Update” button > click “Save & Confirm” from the save confirmation message.

Noteworthy: You cannot change an activity from Draft to Not Billed if it is a tentative activity. You first have to make the activity permanent.

Changing an Activity “Status” from “Not Billed” to “Billed”

To change an activity status from Not Billed to Billed means you have generated an invoice for that activity. The status will not change to “Billed” unless you have generated an invoice. However, before you generate an invoice you have to validate the activity.

Specific Time Entry, Client, & Matter

When you are completing a Specific Time Entry, if a Matter is already created for the Client and you need to create a new Matter, the Specific Time Entry form easily allows you to do so. However, it is recommended that you create your matter ahead of time so you are not taken out of the flow of creating an activity.

You can create a new client as well, while in the process of creating an activity. Again, it is recommended that you create the client ahead of time so you are not derailed from the flow of creating an activity.

Specific Time Entry & Time Tracker

Specific Time Entry can also be created by using the “Time Tracker” feature. Click the “Start” button and to start the timer. When you are finished your time log, clicked “Stop” and the Specific Time Entry screen will display for you to complete.

Specific Time Entry & Calendar

Danalix makes it very easy for you to create Specific Time Entry in more than one location. Your Calendar is another fast easy way to create a Specific Time Entry.

To create a Specific Time Entry using the Calendar,

Go to:

Calendar sidebar menu > on the calendar screen displayed, click the “Create Calendar Event” button,

or

Double click in the calendar table cell relating to your desired date and time.

In both cases, the “Create Specific Time Entry” form will be displayed for completion.

Specific Time Entry & Quick Links

You can also create a Specific Time Entry using the Quick Links menu on the Dashboard.

How to Update Specific Time Entry

Go to:

Activities & Billing sidebar menu > Activities tab > All sub-tab > Find the Time Entry activity > Actions menu > Update.

How to Add Notes to Specific Time Entry

Go to:

Activities & Billing sidebar menu > Activities tab > All sub-tab > Find the Specific Time Entry activity > Actions menu > Add Notes.

How to Delete Specific Time Entry

Go to:

Activities & Billing sidebar menu > Activities tab > All sub-tab > Find the Time Entry activity > Actions menu > Delete.

How to Delete Specific Time Entry in Bulk

Bulk Action(s) allows you to delete multiple activities at once, as opposed to individually. You can only delete activities that have a “Not Billed” and “Draft” status.

Validating a Specific Time Entry Activity

Once an activity is created, you need to validate it. Validating an activity means you are verifying and approving that all information relative to the Activity is accurate. If an activity is not validated it will:

• Have a red exclamation sign located beside it under the “Not Validated” tab or the “All” tab and the validated column will read “No.”



You are not able to perform the following if an activity is not validated:

An Activity cannot be billed unless it is validated. Once you validate the entry, it then becomes billable.

You cannot generate an invoice for this Activity unless it is validated.

How to Validate a Specific Time Entry Activity

Option 1:

Go to:

Activities & Billings sidebar menu > Activities tab > Not Validated sub-tab > Find the Activity you want to validate > Actions menu > Validate.

If an Activity is not validated, it will be listed on the “Not Validated” or “All” tab on the Activity Summary screen.




Option 2:

You can validate an activity also at the time you are creating the activity.

Conflicting Specific Time Entry Activities

You cannot create a specific time entry if it has a conflict with another activity. Things that can cause conflict might include but not limited to: having the exact time and date fields for both activities.

When this happens, you might get the following message:

“We cannot create a specific time entry because you have conflicting activities at the same time. Would you like to see the activities in conflict so you can reschedule?”

You will first need to resolve the activities in conflict before it can be created.

About Expense Entry Activity

There are two types of expense entry activities:

Client Specific Expenses, which are associated with billable work specific to your client.

General expenses,which are your business or operating expenses associated with running your business. These might include overhead such as rent, or operating expenses such as furniture, travel, payroll, etc.

How to Create an Expense Entry Activity

Go to:

Activity & Billing > Select “Expense Entry,” from pop-up window you can create an expense as “Client Specific Expense” or “General” expense.

Client Specific Expense Activity

Expense Activity and Matter - When you are completing an Expense Activity, you can create a new Matter or use an existing Matter for the Client if it is a Client Specific Expense. If you create a new matter, you need to perform a conflict check and create a retainer agreement before proceeding.

Helpful Tips: If you choose to create a Matter, the information you already have input for the Expense Activity will not be saved. It is advisable that you create the Matter before attempting to create an expense for a client.

Validate Client Specific Expense Activity

Once an activity is created, you need to validate it. Validating an activity means you are verifying and approving that all information relative to the activity is accurate.

How do you know an activity is not validated: A warning will be displayed when you go to: Activities & billing > Activities > All or Not Billed sub-tabs > find the activity > a ‘No’ will be displayed within the cell of the Validated column or a red exclamation indicator under the actions menu.

An activity cannot be billed unless it is validated.

Once you validate the activity entry, it then becomes billable and the cell of the Validated column is changed to “Yes.”

Once this is completed, the next step is: to validate the entry. You want to validate the entry before it becomes billable.

How to Validate Client Specific Activity

Go to:

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs> Find the expense > click on the ‘No” in the cell within the Validate column > within the screen displayed, click validate button

or

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs> Find the expense > Actions menu > Validate within the screen displayed, click validate button.

Selecting “Validate” will move the Activity from draft mode to not billed.

When a Client Specific Activity is Validated, the status will change to “Yes”

Generate Invoice for Client Specific Activity

An Expense Activity set-up as a Client Specific invoice cannot be generated as a Trust Invoice; therefore, the application will not allow you to do so – it has to be generated as General Invoice.

Helpful Tips: the Duration and Rate/hr will not be populated in this case on the Activities Summary page. And the Status will be changed to “Billed”

The invoice amount is reflected in the “Total Billing” column field on the Client Summary screen.

General Expense Activity

General expenses are your business or operating expenses associated with running your legal business. These might include overhead such as rent, or operating expenses such as furniture, travel, payroll, etc.

When a general expense is first created, on the Activity Summary page the status will display as “Not Billed”

You have to validate the entry before it becomes billable.

How to Validate client specific activity

Go to:

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs > Find the expense > click on the ‘No” in the cell within the Validate column > within the screen displayed, click validate button

or

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs > Find the expense > Actions menu > Validate within the screen displayed, click validate button.

Selecting “Validate” will move the Activity from draft mode to not billed.

When a Client Specific Activity is Validated, the status will change to “Yes”

Dashboard & general expense – the validated general expense will get added as an incremental amount also on the Dashboard within the Total General Expense section

About Block Time Activity

When a block time activity is first created, on the Activity Summary screen the Status of this activity is displayed as “Draft.”

You have to validate the entry before it becomes billable.

How to Validate Block Time Activity

Go to:

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs > find the Block Time activity > click on ‘No” displayed in “Validate” column cell > on the pop-up screen displayed, click validate button

or

Go to:

Activities & Billings > Activities tab > Not Billed or All sub-tabs > find the Block Time activity > Actions menu > Validate within the screen displayed, click validate button.

Selecting “Validate” will moved the Activity Status from “Draft” “Not Billed.”

When a Block Time Activity is Validated, its Status will change to “Yes.”

Updated on: 28/08/2023