TIPS

ACCRUAL

Journal entries begin with the time or expense entries.
Unbilled Fees should balance with the Unbilled Fees account on the balance sheet (the G/L pointer is on the office).
Unbilled Expenses should balance with unbilled expense account on the balance sheet (the G/L pointer is on the office).
A/R fees should balance with the A/R fee account on the balance sheet (G/L pointer on the office).
A/R expenses should balance with the A/R expense account on the balance sheet (G/L pointer on the office).
Fees worked should balance with fee income accounts (G/L pointer on timekeeper, practice class or office).
Fees adjusted (credit memo or prebill edit) should balance with fee adjustment account (G/L pointer on timekeeper or practice class).
Expenses adjusted (credit memo or prebill edit) should balance with expense adjustment account (G/L pointer on expense code).

BILLED

Journal entries begin with the posting of bills.
A/R fees should balance with the a/r fees account (G/L pointer is on the office).
A/R expenses should balance with the a/r expense account (G/L pointer is on the office).
Fee income should balance with fees billed (G/L pointer on timekeeper, office, practice class).
Fees adjusted (credit memo) should balance with the fees adjustment account (G/L pointer on timekeeper, practice class).
Expenses adjusted (credit memo) should balance with the expense adjustment account (G/L pointer on expense code).

CASH

Journal entries begin with cash receipts.
Fee income should balance with fees received (G/L pointer on timekeeper, office, practice class).
Expense income should balance with expenses received (G/L pointer on office, expense code).
Expense Advanced account carried on the balance sheet should balance with unbilled and a/r expenses. (They must enter journal entries for prebill and credit memo write offs).

In some cases firms will combine accounts, for example, the fee income and fee adjustment accounts may be the same. If this is the case, for the accrual method, the firm would take fees worked less mark up/downs less credit memos to come up with the fee income. If the question is related to balancing the client accounting with the general ledger, it is a good idea to find out how they have Juris setup and what G/L accounts they are using.

Are they cash, accrual or billed method?
What G/L accounts are they using and where are they setup – Timekeepers, practice class, office, or expense codes?
Do you need combine transactions to get to the balance on the general ledger?

Questions to ask when the G/L does not balance to client accounting.

Timing difference – are they comparing a report the like the Timekeeper Analysis with a current unbilled fee balance to unbilled G/L account for the end of the prior month?
G/L pointers – are they all pointing to the correct account?
Non-cash expense codes follow the accounting method for fees – are they including non-cash expenses when they should only be looking at cash expense types?
Did they ever balance? When they entered the beginning balances for the G/L when starting up Juris did they balance to the beginning balances on the client side?
Have they entered journal entries, written checks or posted transactions to the accounts in question? Transactions that did not originate on the client.
If cash method for expenses with a balance sheet account for costs, are they entering journal entries for prebill edits and credit memos?

Roll forward balancing for Accrual and Billed method accounting.

FEES

Unbilled
Beginning G/L balance
Add fees worked
Subtract fees billed
Subtract fees mark up/down
Ending G/L balance
Accounts Receivable
Beginning G/L balance
Add fees billed
Subtract fees received
Subtract fees written off (credit memo)
Ending G/L balance

EXPENSES

Unbilled
Beginning G/L balance
Add expenses incurred
Subtract expenses billed
Subtract expenses mark up/down
Ending G/L balance
Accounts Receivable
Beginning G/L balance
Add expenses billed
Subtract expenses received
Subtract expenses written off (credit memo)
Ending G/L balance