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Collaborati: Budget Requests and Budgets - General

 

Informational article on Budget Requests and Budgets in Collaborati with helpful screenshots. See table of contents.

Please, ensure that your client’s settings allow for Budget Collaboration by checking the Settings.

Click “Clients” tab, select your client, click the “Settings” icon

 – if Budget Collaboration is “Off” then your client does not allow you to submit Budget Requests through Collaborati. Contact your client for more information. To find your client's contact information, click here.

– if Budget Collaboration is “On” then your client allows you to submit Budget Requests through Collaborati  

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Budget Requests and Matter Budgets

Budget requests are initiated by your client and sent to you for your cost estimates. A budget request pertains to a single matter. The Matter Budget is a snapshot of the most recent budget activity.

How to view the most recent budget (Matter Budget)

To view the most recent budget for a matter, please follow these steps:

Click “Matters” in the top menu bar, select Office from the dropdown 

and select the matter.

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OR

  1. Click “Clients” in the top menu bar                    
  2. Select Office from the dropdown.
  3. Click on the client’s name.
  4. Click the Sixth icon from the top on the left navigation menu (Matters)
  5. Select the matter

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The Matters page will show the most recent budget information.  The budget requests are listed at the bottom of the page.  If you don’t see a budget request, you will need to contact the client to request that it be submitted OR you may see the Rebudget button.

The information on the Matter Budget and the Budget Request will vary from client to client.  The rows on the Matter Budget usually correspond with Fees and Expenses by Period or by Category.  Your client may use a Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly period or even a Life of Matter period (over a span of many years).

Sample Matter Budget

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Submitting a Budget Request

Just like codes and matters, budgets are provided and set by your client.  To edit the information on how much your client has set and approved for your firm’s matters, please follow the steps below:
 

  1. Click on the "Budget Request"This will open a new page and display details within the budget request. (see below – Viewing the Budget Request)
  2. Contact your client, if you have any questions regarding the budgeting period or the categories.
  3. Notes and Attachments can be added to your Budget Request. (see below – Notes and Attachments)
  4. If you view the Starting Amounts and do not want to make any changes, you may leave the New Proposed blank and Submit the Starting amounts as your New Proposed. (see below – Accepting Starting Amount).
  5. Entering an amount in the New Proposed column will override any previous Starting Amount or Proposed amount. (see below – Entering New Proposed Amounts)
  6. Once you complete the Budget Request, click on the Save button (if you want to submit later) OR you can click on the Submit to Client button.  A pop-up window will appear.  You will also be asked “Are you sure you want to submit this budget request?” click YES.
  7. If your budget request is rejected, you can edit the amounts and resubmit.  (see below - How to resubmit your Rejected budget request)

After submission, the status will change to Pending Client Retrieval.

Once the Client has received the request, the status will update to Pending Client Approval.  Finally, once the client reviews the budget, your budget will show a status of Approved or Rejected.

Viewing the Budget Request

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Accepting the Starting Amount

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Entering New Proposed Amounts

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Notes and Attachments

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Email Notifications for Budget Requests

If you want to set up email notifications for Budget Requests:

  1. Click on “Notifications” on the top right corner.

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2. Choose the type of notifications that you would like to receive.

3. Save your notifications.

How to search for a Budget Request:

Just like task codes and matters, budgets are provided and initiated by your client.  To view the information on how much or which budgets your client has set and initiated for your firm, please follow the steps below:

  1. Click “Clients” in the top menu bar.   
  2. Select Office from the dropdown.  
  3. Click on the client’s name      
  4. Click the seventh icon from the top on the left navigation menu (Budgets)
  5. Search by Matter Name (in Matter) or Matter Number (in Budget Request)

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OR

  1. Hover over the “Budgets” tab in the top menu bar.
  2. Click “Budget Requests
  3. Select Office from the dropdown.
  4. Search by Matter Name (in Matter) or Matter Number (in Budget Request)

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If you do not see the information you are looking for, chances are that the client has not submitted your budget information in their system yet.  In this event, please contact your client and ask them to submit the budget request.

Rebudgeting

When viewing a matter budget, you can create a new budget request for the matter if the matter meets the following conditions:

1) There is no pending budget request for the matter (in the Matter display page, field Open Budget Requests has a value of “No”).

2) There are one or more current budgets (with a term ending in the future).

3) Your client allows Rebudgeting (check your client's billing guidelines).


This Matter Budget has “Yes” for Open Budget Requests and the term has not ended yet (it is in the future).  This Matter Budget has an unsubmitted budget that can be altered.

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Click on Budget Request name:

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This budget has “No” for the Open Budget Requests and the term has not yet ended.  So a new budget can be created.  The “Rebudget” button is showing.

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Clicking the “Rebudget” button here takes you to the Budget Request page where you can enter the numbers for the budget.

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How to resubmit your Rejected budget

If the client has rejected your budget request, you should be able to edit and resubmit it.

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Click on the Rejected Budget Request.  Your client may have provided a “Client Note” regarding the Rejection.  Enter new amounts to override the previous amounts in the New Proposed column.  You are also able to add your own note to the budget request in the Office Notes section.  Then click "Save" or "Submit to Client".

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Notes about Dates on the budget request and matter budget

The Request Date is the date that the client created the budget request.

The Due Date is the suggested date that the client would like for the budget request to be reviewed and submitted to the client.

The Last Updated date on the Matter Budget is the date of the most recent activity on the budget.

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