Settlement Calculator — Known Limitations and FAQ
Current limitations of the Settlement Calculator, Lien Management, and Overview Dashboard features.
Settlement Calculator Limitations
| Limitation | Details | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Firm Absorbs is Gross-only | The Firm Absorbs Expenses arrangement is not supported with the Net-of-Expenses fee method. | Use the Gross fee method if the firm absorbs expenses from its own fee, or choose a different expense arrangement if Net-of-Expenses is required. |
| Admin fee excluded from settlement invoices | Invoices created through the Settlement Wizard do not include the admin fee. | Add the admin fee manually outside the wizard if your firm needs it on a contingency invoice. |
| Interest report accuracy | The Contingency Statement report’s second-level breakdown estimates expense interest based on the report’s date range and may not match the interest finalized on a given settlement statement (which uses the Interest As-Of Date, not a report period). | Treat the Step 2 wizard breakdown as authoritative for a specific settlement; don’t reconcile against the Contingency Statement report. A dedicated expense-interest report is on the roadmap. |
| Sales tax appears only after finalizing, single line only | The correct tax amount doesn’t show on the settlement statement until the firm’s invoice is finalized, and only a single tax line is supported. | Finalize the invoice first — LeanLaw automatically regenerates the statement with the correct tax. Wait to download until after finalizing; a copy downloaded earlier won’t update on its own. Multi-line tax scenarios (e.g., stacked state + local tax) aren’t currently supported. |
| Co-counsel fees can’t be itemized for tax | Co-counsel and referring attorney fees cannot be broken out as a separate line for sales tax purposes. | None currently — factor this in when advising firms with co-counsel arrangements in tax-collecting states. |
| No email from the settlement page | You cannot email the settlement statement to the client directly from LeanLaw. | Download the PDF and email it using your normal email workflow. |
| Statement is frozen | The generated PDF is a point-in-time snapshot. It will not update if you later change expenses, liens, or other data. | Unlock & Reset and regenerate if corrections are needed — note this also deletes the existing fixed fee (see How to Unlock and Re-run a Settlement). |
Lien Management Limitations
| Limitation | Details | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| No government lien compliance automation | Medicare/Medicaid liens do not have automated deadline tracking or MSPA reporting. | Track government lien deadlines manually and consult compliance counsel. |
| No lien deadline alerts | No automated alerts for state-specific hospital lien filing deadlines. | Set calendar reminders outside LeanLaw for critical lien deadlines. |
| Lien types are fixed | You cannot add custom lien types. Available types: Medical Provider, Insurance Subrogation, Government/Medicare, Letter of Protection, Attorney Lien, Other. | Use “Other” for lien types that don’t fit the predefined categories. |
| Check memo isn’t editable from LeanLaw | Editing a lien’s description changes what prints on the check, but not what QuickBooks shows as the check’s Memo in its register. | Edit the Memo directly in QuickBooks before printing the check. |
Contingency Analytics Dashboard Limitations
| Limitation | Details | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Read-only | The dashboard is view-only. You cannot edit data, create invoices, or take actions from the dashboard. | Navigate to the relevant matter/invoice/fee to take action. |
| Fee Recovery % doesn’t reflect co-counsel | The Avg Fee Recovery % KPI is not adjusted for co-counsel or referring attorney fee deductions. | Treat this KPI as a firm-fee-before-co-counsel-split figure on matters with a fee split. |
| Practice area and marketing source must be populated manually | Charts grouped by practice area or marketing source only include cases where those fields are filled in. Unpopulated cases appear as “Unclassified” or “Unknown Source”. | Populate these fields on all contingency matters for complete analytics. Your CSM can assist with bulk data import. |
| Only shows contingency matters | The dashboard is filtered to BillingType = Contingency only. Hourly and flat fee matters do not appear. | Use existing LeanLaw reports for hourly/flat fee analytics. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use the Settlement Calculator without Trust Accounting enabled?
A: No. The Settlement tab requires trust accounting to be enabled at the firm level and connected for the specific matter. If trust accounting is not set up, you’ll see a prompt directing you to enable it in firm settings.
Q: What happens if I enter a 0% fee (pro bono case)?
A: This is allowed. The wizard will proceed normally with a $0 attorney fee. An informational message will confirm this is a pro bono case.
Q: Can multiple users work on the same settlement wizard?
A: Yes. Wizard progress is saved server-side. A second user can pick up where the first left off. However, only one user should be active in the wizard at a time — there is no real-time collaboration or conflict detection.
Q: Why is Step 5 (Map Payments) grayed out?
A: Step 5 only applies when the expense arrangement is “Client pays as they go.” If your matter uses “Firm advances” or “Firm absorbs,” Step 5 is automatically skipped but remains visible in the stepper for consistency.
Q: Can I edit the Settlement Statement after it’s generated?
A: No. The statement is a frozen PDF. To make corrections, use Unlock & Reset — see How to Unlock and Re-run a Settlement for what that resets.
Q: What permissions do I need to see the Settlement tab?
A: You need both (1) create/edit access on clients and matters, AND (2) billing tab access (ability to submit invoices to QBO). If either is missing, the Settlement tab is hidden entirely.
Q: Will the settlement invoice auto-sync to QuickBooks?
A: Yes, once you push it from the Settlement Disbursements table — see Settlement Disbursements: Paying Everyone from One Table.
Q: Can I push lien payments to QuickBooks directly from LeanLaw?
A: Yes, from the same Settlement Disbursements table used for the attorney fee and client net check — see Settlement Disbursements: Paying Everyone from One Table for the trust-balance and undo rules that apply.
Q: Is the Contingency Analytics dashboard available on all LeanLaw plans?
A: The Summary, Revenue Analytics, and Velocity tabs are visible to all plans as a preview of the advanced insights suite. Full access is part of the Elite plan. Contact your account manager for details.