Q: How should I set up the bills when I charge a flat fee for a matter?

A: We will assume that you want to produce bills showing each transaction and the hours spent, so the client can see the work that has been done.

1. Create a new rate table (Edit > Rates) and leave the rate as zero for all timekeepers. Give it an appropriate name, perhaps "Zero rates."
   
2. Create a new bill format (Setup > Bill Formats) and, in the Fees section of the bill, make sure the box next to Hours Billed is checked but the boxes next to Hourly Rate and Amount Billed are not checked. Save your changes to the bill format.
   
3. Edit the matter (click the Matters button) so that it uses this rate table and this bill format. Save your changes to the matter.
   
4. When you are ready to charge a fee, enter a new fee transaction (click the Fees button) and change the Type to Fixed Fee. Leave the Hours Reported as zero, since you have been entering the hours on each individual transaction. Just enter the dollar amount in the Amount Reported box and press Enter. The amount will be copied into the Amount To Bill box. Save the transaction.

Many variations are possible. For example, if you want to keep track of time spent but you do not want the hours shown on the bill, change the bill format so that Hours Billed is not checked. You may also want to remove the check next to Show Total Hours in the Fee Totals frame (part of the Fees section of the bill). The client will not see hours on the bill at all, but RTG Bills will track the time and display it on reports.