Customizing Your Invoice Layout in LeanLaw

LeanLaw invoice customization happens in two places: LeanLaw's template editor (for the PDF invoice structure, content, and branding) and QuickBooks Online's Custom Form Styles (for the visual design of QBO-generated invoices). This article covers both.

📋 Two systems, one invoice: LeanLaw generates a branded PDF invoice for client delivery. QuickBooks Online stores the financial records.

Part 1: Customizing in LeanLaw's Template Editor

Access the template editor from Settings → Invoice Email → open or create a template.

Firm Logo

Upload your firm's logo to display at the top of every invoice. The logo is stored in your Email settings and automatically pulled into all templates. To update:

Go to Settings → Firm Setup → Invoice Email → Email Settings.
Upload your logo file.
The logo appears on all invoice templates using the firm's branding.

Summary Sections

Toggles in the template editor control which summary blocks appear on invoices:

Summary Option	What It Shows
Account Summary	Balance Forward, Payments Received, New Charges, and Total Amount Due. Gives clients a full picture of their account status.
Retainer Summary	Starting and ending retainer balance, and minimum retainer balance. Display as 'Retainer' or 'Trust' depending on your firm's terminology.
Hour Summary	Total hours billed on the invoice by timekeeper. A high-level summary without line-item detail.

💡 Tip: The Account Summary is one of the most appreciated features for clients who have ongoing matters — they can see their full balance history without requesting a statement. Enable it on your default template.

Table Fields

The invoice line item table can be configured to show or hide specific columns:

Date of service
Description
Timekeeper name
Rate
Hours
Amount

Toggle each field on or off in the template editor. Changes apply to all invoices using this template.

Header Content

The invoice header can include:

Client name and address: Auto-populated from the client record.
Matter name: Display the matter name prominently above the line items.
Custom fields: Map LeanLaw matter fields (matter ID, reference number, etc.) to the header. See Article 5 in this collection.

Client Message Fields

Two free-text message areas are available on each template:

Top message: Appears above the invoice line items. Use for a greeting, billing period reference, or standard firm language.
Bottom message: Appears below the line items. Use for payment instructions, contact details, or a thank-you note.

Paid Stamp

Toggle the Paid Stamp option at the bottom of the template editor to automatically add a PAID watermark to invoices that have been fully paid. This is visible when clients re-open a previously paid invoice link.

Trust / Retainer Terminology

Choose whether to display client funds as 'Trust' or 'Retainer' on the invoice — select whichever term your firm uses in client agreements and communications.

Invoice Layout Examples

Common invoice layout configurations used by LeanLaw firms:

Layout Style	Best For
Standard itemized	Default — lists all time entries with rate, hours, and amount. Most common.
Combined same-day entries	Groups time entries from the same day into a single line with combined hours. Reduces invoice length for high-volume timekeepers.
Multi-matter combined	Combines all matters for a client onto one invoice with per-matter subtotals. Good for clients with multiple active matters.
Summary + Excel attachment	Shows a high-level summary (hours per attorney) on the invoice with full detail attached as a downloadable Excel file. Common for corporate clients.