LeanLaw Billing Workflow Overview: Draft → Review → Approved → Manage Invoices

LeanLaw's billing workflow controls how invoices move from unbilled time to your client's hands. Understanding your workflow options — and choosing the right one for your firm — is the foundation of efficient monthly billing.

The Billing Pipeline at a Glance

All billable time entries, expenses, and fixed fees start in the Ready to Bill queue. From there, your configured workflow determines the stages an invoice passes through before reaching QuickBooks Online and your client.

Stage	What Happens Here
Ready to Bill	Unbilled time entries, expenses, and fixed fees are waiting to be staged into an invoice. This is where billing begins.
Draft	An invoice has been created and can be edited, adjusted, and reviewed. Most workflow configurations include this stage.
Review	Optional stage. The invoice awaits sign-off from a designated reviewer before moving to Approved. Reviewers can edit at this stage.
Approved	The invoice is locked against further edits. Ready to be submitted to QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Online	The invoice has been synced to QuickBooks Online. From here, it can be emailed or printed for delivery to the client.

Configuring Your Billing Workflow

To set or change your firm's billing workflow:

Click the gear icon ⚙️ to open Settings.
In the left-hand menu, click Billing (Workflows/Fees).
Select the workflow option that fits your firm (see options below).
Save your changes.

📋 Permissions required: You must have Firm Setup access to change billing workflow settings. If you don't have this, ask a Principal or Firm Manager.

Workflow Options

Workflow	Best For
Direct to QuickBooks Online	Invoices go straight to QuickBooks Online without any editing stage. Best for: solo practitioners or firms with simple, consistent billing who don't need to review invoices before syncing.
Draft	Invoices enter a Draft stage where they can be edited and adjusted before being submitted to QuickBooks Online. Best for: firms that want to review and polish invoices before they reach the accounting system.
Draft and Approve	Invoices move through Draft (editing) and then Approved (locked) stages before QuickBooks Online. Best for: firms where one person creates invoices and another (e.g., a partner) must approve before billing.
Draft, Review, and Approve	Adds a Review step between Draft and Approved for additional oversight. Best for: larger firms with multi-step sign-off requirements, or firms that want an extra verification layer before finalizing.

💡 Recommendation: Keep your workflow as simple as possible. The most common configuration for small to mid-size firms is Draft and Approve — it gives partners visibility without adding unnecessary steps.

Additional Billing Settings

On the same Billing (Workflows/Fees) settings page, you can also configure:

Administrative Fees: Add a percentage-based service fee to invoices automatically (e.g., a 1.5% administrative surcharge).
Interest on Expenses: Apply interest to outstanding expenses for long-running matters with delayed client payments.

Assigning a Reviewer

If the Review stage is enabled, you can designate a specific person to review invoices before they are approved:

Open the Matter in LeanLaw.
Navigate to the Billing and Rates tab.
Select the checkbox under the Reviewer column.
Save Changes
On a draft invoice, the reviewer's initials will display on the invoice. Invoices can be filtered by reviewer to show pending reviews.
Under the Review stage, the Reviewer can check over the invoice before sending it to QuickBooks Online.

📋 Note: Assigning a reviewer is optional even if the Review stage is enabled. Invoices can move through Review without a specific reviewer assigned.

What Happens If You Change Workflows Mid-Cycle

If you change your billing workflow while invoices are already in progress, those invoices retain their current status. A previously Approved invoice that becomes locked after workflow changes can be unlocked by undoing it back to Draft or Ready to Bill status.

If an invoice is missing, verify that it is not in any other stage. You may need to reenable stages to free up invoices that are in those stages.