Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Custom Fields and Field Mapping in LeanLaw

How to create and use custom fields on matters and clients in LeanLaw — and how to map LeanLaw data to QuickBooks Online fields for consistent financial reporting.

Custom fields let your firm capture additional structured data on clients and matters beyond LeanLaw's default fields. Field mapping controls how LeanLaw data flows into QuickBooks Online — including class tracking and income account assignment.

Custom Fields Overview

LeanLaw supports custom fields on two objects:

Object Use Cases
Matters Case number, venue, opposing counsel, case phase, client source, internal reference codes
Clients Client tier, referral source, industry type, account manager, client since date

Custom fields are currently Text fields only. All custom field values are entered as free-form text.

Creating Custom Fields for Matters and Clients

  1. Click the gear icon ⚙️ and open Settings.
  2. Navigate to Firm Setup → Custom Fields (or the custom fields section).
  3. Click Add Custom Field.
  4. Select the object: Matter or Client.
  5. Enter the field name.
  6. Click Save. The field now appears in the matter/client form.
💡 Tip: Define fields before creating matters or clients to ensure consistent data capture from the start.

Using Custom Fields on Matters and Clients

  1. Open any matter or client.
  2. Scroll to the Custom Fields section in the details.
  3. Enter the values for your custom fields.
  4. Save the matter or client.

Custom Fields on Invoices

Matter custom fields can optionally be displayed on client invoices — useful for including client reference numbers, matter codes, or other identifiers that clients need on invoices.

  1. Go to Settings → Invoice Templates.
  2. Edit your invoice template.
  3. Enable the custom field(s) you want displayed on invoices.
  4. Save the template.
📋 Note: Custom fields must be populated on each matter for them to appear on that matter's invoices. A blank custom field will display as blank or be hidden depending on your template settings.

QuickBooks Online Field Mapping

LeanLaw maps to specific QuickBooks Online accounts and fields when syncing invoices and expenses. Key mapping settings:

LeanLaw Data Maps to in QuickBooks Online
Legal fee invoice lines Income Account selected during QuickBooks Online setup wizard (e.g., 'Legal Fees')
Soft cost expenses This is based on your Expenses settings when you integrate QuickBooks Online. Recommended: 'Billable Expense Income' product/service in QuickBooks Online.
Hard cost expenses This is based on your Expenses settings when you integrate QuickBooks Online. Recommended: 'Advanced Client Costs' asset account in QuickBooks Online
Trust deposits Trust / IOLTA bank account in QuickBooks Online
Trust liability 'Funds Held in Trust' liability account in QuickBooks Online (auto-created if missing)

Class Tracking

If your firm uses QuickBooks Online class tracking to allocate revenue by attorney, office, or department, LeanLaw supports assigning classes at the user level and passing them through to QuickBooks Online invoice lines.

  1. Ensure class tracking is enabled in your QuickBooks Online company settings.
  2. In LeanLaw, go to Settings → Users.
  3. Open each user's profile and set their Invoice Class in the Details tab.
  4. When invoices are synced to QuickBooks Online, the class is applied to each line item based on the timekeeper.
⚠️ QuickBooks Online plan requirement: Class tracking requires QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced. It is not available on the Essentials plan.