AbacusLaw 2015
Update Guide
Law Practice Control
Fast & Easy
Last Updated October 20, 2014
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Contents
1. AbacusLaw: New Features and Enhancements ........................................................................ 1
Special Note: Automatic Update of Data Files ......................................................................... 1
New Improved Calendar .......................................................................................................... 1
Broadcast Messages ................................................................................................................ 4
New All Day Check Box for Events .......................................................................................... 5
Intake Form Enhancements ..................................................................................................... 6
Adding Names from vCards or iCal Files ................................................................................. 8
Notes Recorded in Hours ......................................................................................................... 8
Updated Tip of the Day ............................................................................................................ 9
Scheduled Shutdown ............................................................................................................... 9
DLL Auto-Register .................................................................................................................... 9
Form Generation Error Handling .............................................................................................. 9
User Management Enhancements......................................................................................... 10
Word Macro Improvement...................................................................................................... 10
Fortress License Acknowledgment ........................................................................................ 10
Default Query Messages Improved........................................................................................ 11
User Interface Enhancements................................................................................................ 11
2. Abacus Accounting: New Features and Enhancements ........................................................ 12
Fee Sharing ............................................................................................................................ 12
Flat Fee with Payment Schedule Support .............................................................................. 15
Reconcile Credit Card Statements ......................................................................................... 16
Default Billing Destinations .................................................................................................... 16
Switching Matters for Unbilled Time Ticket ............................................................................ 17
Auto-Text when Billing from Emails ....................................................................................... 17
Trial Balance by Date Range ................................................................................................. 18
Email Linked Bills ................................................................................................................... 18
Modify Prebills on the Fly ....................................................................................................... 19
LEDES Billing Description Field Expanded ............................................................................ 19
User Interface Enhancements................................................................................................ 19
AP Check Issues Resolved .................................................................................................... 19
Bill Issues Resolved ............................................................................................................... 19
Trust Activity Error Corrected ................................................................................................. 19
3. Updating to a New Version ........................................................................................................ 20
Unified Installer....................................................................................................................... 20
Don’t Install Until You… ......................................................................................................... 20
Installing on a Network ........................................................................................................... 20
Installing the Update to a Single (No Network) Workstation .................................................. 27
Uninstalling Abacus ................................................................................................................ 27
Uninstalling Abacus Accounting ............................................................................................. 27
Resetting the Outlook Link ..................................................................................................... 28
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide i
1. AbacusLaw: New Features and
Enhancements
Special Note: Automatic Update of Data Files
When updating to Abacus 2015, your data01 database (which is the
main database) is automatically updated from the v22\data01 folder to
the Abacus\v23 folder.
However, if you use multiple databases, databases other than data01
are NOT automatically updated. To update databases other than
data01 manually, run Abacus 2015 using data01. Then, for each
database other than data01, select File/New database and create a
new folder under v23 and specify which v22 folder to use as the
source.
New Improved Calendar
Our new Calendar has all the functionality of the older version, but it is
much simpler. While the older version had separate windows for Daily,
Weekly and Monthly views, the new Calendar simply changes into
whatever you want to see at the click of a button.
Day View
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 1
Week View
Month View
2 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Also, now all functions are available on the Calendar window - no need
to hunt for actions in the menu.
Right-clicking events sill has all the great functions you have come to
expect.
Key features include:
• Drag and drop calendar entries
• A Date Selector, which can be displayed or hidden
• Daily, Weekly, or Monthly views with a click
• Quick access to calendar settings (regular and advanced) by
clicking the Settings (gear) button
• Calendar Action button for event tasks
• Contextual buttons for adding/deleting event information
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 3
Here are some other handy Calendar tasks you can try:
• Easy way to delete events: Tag multiple events by pressing and
holding the Ctrl key and clicking the events you want to select.
Pressing the Delete key will delete all of the tagged events.
• Easy way to add a note: Try the new Add Note menu available in
the Calendar from the Calendar Actions button or from the right-
click menu. NOTE: The event must have a name/matter assigned
to it to see this menu option.
Broadcast Messages
New broadcast messages allow Abacus to announce product
announcements or other alerts to all our users at once.
When you start Abacus within a day of an Abacus broadcast, the
broadcast message will appear in a window on your screen. Click
Done to close the window.
To dismiss a broadcast message so it will not appear again, check the
box at the bottom of the window before closing the window - otherwise,
the message will continue to display at each start of Abacus.
NOTE: Clicking hyperlinks in a message will open a separate tab in
your default web browser - not in the same window.
4 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
New All Day Check Box for Events
When adding an event, there is now an All Day check box that lets you
schedule an event for all day.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 5
Intake Form Enhancements
Memo Block Spell Check
Memo blocks on Intake Forms now have spell check buttons.
Most Recently Used List Added
The Matters/Intake Forms menu now has a Recent Intake Forms sub-
menu that lists the most recently used Intake Forms. When you click a
most recently used Intake Form, it opens.
Timer Available
The Timer is now available on Intake Forms when filling them out so
that you can easily bill for your time.
6 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Save Drafts
You can now save a draft of an Intake Form by clicking the Save Draft
button that now appears at the bottom of the Intake Form.
Clicking Save Draft lets you name the draft.
Then, when you are ready to return to the draft Intake Form, select
Matters/Intake Forms/Saved Drafts and click the draft. It reopens so
that you can edit it.
Field Label Expansion
Field text labels on Intake Forms have been expanded to 50
characters.
Save Button Visible
The Save button on Intake Forms is now always visible.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 7
Adding Names from vCards or iCal Files
You can now add names by copying the information from vCards in
Outlook or iCal files (.ics).
Right-click the vCard in Outlook or the iCal file and select Copy to copy
it to the clipboard. Then, in Abacus, select Names/Add from Clipboard
to create a name based on the copied information.
Notes Recorded in Hours
Notes for names and matters are now recorded in hours, not minutes.
8 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Updated Tip of the Day
For our Tip of the Day feature, we have included new tips on using our
latest enhancements. Also, we have improved the look of the Tip of the
Day window.
Scheduled Shutdown
• On installation, you will be asked if you want to implement a
scheduled shutdown that will log everyone out of AbacusLaw
nightly so backups and maintenance can be more easily
accomplished.
• MessageSlips and Abacus Accounting now fully support scheduled
shutdowns.
DLL Auto-Register
Abacus Forms will now detect unregistered program DLLs and
automatically register them.
Form Generation Error Handling
Previously, a Form Generation error might require a reboot to correct.
Now, AbacusLaw will recognize locked files and work around them.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 9
User Management Enhancements
Ability to Reactivate Users
In User Manager, the administrator can now reactivate users that were
disabled.
Ability to Manage Sync & Mobile Settings
When editing a user, the Sync & Mobile tab appears on the User
Preferences window if Abacus Sync and/or Abacus Mobile are enabled
for your Abacus installation. From the Sync & Mobile tab, the
administrator can use Abacus Sync and Abacus Mobile to synchronize
mobile devices to Abacus.
Word Macro Improvement
The Word macro has been improved in handling UNC type paths so
that documents generated from events using the Save & Log method
are now always assigned the correct path.
Fortress License Acknowledgment
The program now verifies that all purchased Fortress licenses are
installed.
10 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Default Query Messages Improved
Messages triggered when adding new events are now clearer and
more helpful.
User Interface Enhancements
• Browse columns are now "remembered" so that your custom
settings are honored.
• The Esc key functionality was corrected so that pressing the Esc
key always closes the current window as expected.
• The Conflict Checker is now resizable.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 11
2. Abacus Accounting: New
Features and Enhancements
Fee Sharing
Overview of Fee Sharing
With fee sharing, payments received for a matter are automatically
distributed between timekeepers based on the matter's fee sharing
percentage, rather than crediting the timekeeper for actual hours
worked.
Fee Sharing Procedure
The following describes the steps to take to implement fee sharing for a
matter.
1. Set up the fee sharing specifications for the matter.
a. Select Matters/Matters. The Matters Browse window
appears. Double-click the matter to which you want to add
fee sharing.
b. The Matters Maintenance window appears for the selected
matter. Select the Fee Sharing tab. Select the timekeepers
to be included in the fee sharing structure and then enter
the fee sharing percentage for all the selected
timekeepers. Ensure that the total percentage equals
100%. Click Done to save your changes and close the
window.
2. Run your billing as usual.
12 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
3. When the client payment is received, record the payment as usual.
Notice that bills with matters that have fee sharing have an asterisk
(*) in the Fee Sharing column of the Unpaid Invoices section.
4. When you look at the Fee Distribution tab, you will see that the
fee amounts are automatically distributed between timekeepers as
defined for the matter, regardless of how many hours the
timekeepers worked.
Note about Implementing Fee Sharing
Bill (invoices) that are created BEFORE fee sharing is added for a
matter will not reflect the fee sharing distribution. Instead, they will
reflect the usual hourly allocations.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 13
Note about Reports
If fee sharing has been added for a matter, the timekeepers involved in
the fee sharing will be denoted with an asterisk (*) on the following
Productivity reports:
• Billed/Paid Fees Report - Detail
• Billed/Paid Fees Report - Summary
• Referrals Report
• Timekeeper Cash Receipts Report
• Timekeeper Performance Summary Report
14 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Flat Fee with Payment Schedule Support
Matters now support flat fees with a payment schedule. To set up a
matter that supports flat fees with a payment schedule, follow these
steps:
1. Open the matter in the Matter Maintenance window and click the
Billing tab.
2. On the Billing tab:
• Delete the current Billing Format Code and enter FFS.
• For Billing Mode, select Flat Fee and enter the Flat Fee
amount.
• For Billing Frequency, select Payment Schedule.
3. Select the Pmt Schd tab and add monthly payments.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 15
Reconcile Credit Card Statements
Now, you can download and reconcile credit card statements.
Currently, Discover, American Express, Chase, and Citibank cards are
supported.
Note that to set up credit card downloads, you must first set up a
liability account in your chart of accounts and set up online log in
information.
Default Billing Destinations
With the new Bill Distribution Options, you can select how you want
to deliver bills (email, printed, LEDES file, etc.) for each matter.
16 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Switching Matters for Unbilled Time Ticket
You can now switch an unbilled time ticket from one matter to another.
Auto-Text when Billing from Emails
Now, when you bill from an email and create a time ticket, the text from
the email is added to the time ticket note.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 17
Trial Balance by Date Range
You can now select a date range for the Trial Balance report.
Email Linked Bills
From the Linked Bills window, you can now email a bill by highlighting it
and clicking Email Bill.
18 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Modify Prebills on the Fly
With a prebill preview, you can now drill down into time tickets and
costs & adjustments or you can add new ones directly from the report
screen.
LEDES Billing Description Field Expanded
The LEDES billing description field has been increased from 50 to 100
characters.
User Interface Enhancements
• Rubber band selection (mouse dragging over records) is supported
again.
• Speedbar date now populates the correct value automatically.
AP Check Issues Resolved
• Various issues with printing AP checks have been resolved.
• Very large AP checks no longer overwrite the date section with
numeric input.
Bill Issues Resolved
• Printing prebills/bills to file now uses the correct naming convention
and defaults to the correct folder.
• Bill frequency no longer allows "T", which could cause errors.
• LEDES bills now auto-generate a PDF on matters.
• Prebills were updated for contingency to reflect percentage.
Trust Activity Error Corrected
The null error in Trust Activity was corrected.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 19
3. Updating to a New Version
Unified Installer
The unified installer simplifies the installation of the Fortress server,
AbacusLaw, Abacus Accounting, Specialty Versions, Sample Data,
Licensing, and updates. The main installation happens entirely on
your server. (Do not install from a workstation.) Then, you run a setup
program at each workstation to configure your personal settings.
Don’t Install Until You…
1. If you use remote synchronization, synchronize all computers
before updating.
2. Make a complete backup of all Abacus files by copying the entire
Abacus folder and sub-folders to a backup folder.
3. After making a backup, run the old version and select
File/Utilities/Pack to rewrite the data files and indexes. This checks
your databases for any possible problems.
4. Know exactly where your prior Abacus data is located. If you are
unsure, ask your system administrator or IT staff for help.
5. [for Abacus Accounting users only] Reconcile all your bank
accounts. Reconciling the data before updating will be easier due
to some structure changes.
6. Exit all Abacus programs (including Abacus Accounting and
MessageSlips) and Outlook and make sure that no users are
running Abacus programs during the update process.
Installing on a Network
The Abacus installation for a network is a two-step process:
• Step I: Install Abacus on the server. This will create, among other
things, a data folder called v22\data01 under your selected Abacus
program folder.
• Step II: Run Abacus Station [Link] on each workstation.
Step I: Install Abacus on the Server
1. Close all applications, including virus protection software.
Download and run the Abacus installer
([Link]
20 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
2. The Abacus Data System window appears. Enter your customer ID
and firm name in the boxes provided and click At your Server,
install the Abacus Programs.
AbacusLaw connects over the Internet to the Abacus Update
servers to look up your customer information and initialize your
database for you.
3. If you have purchased Fortress and it is not yet installed, the
Installing Fortress window appears. Click Install Fortress to
install/update it. Click Skip to continue to install Abacus without
Fortress. Usually, you would only skip installing Fortress if this is a
test installation or if the installation is going to be on a synchronized
workstation.
4. The Welcome to AbacusLaw window appears. Click Next.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 21
5. Licensing information appears. Read the information on the screen
or you can click View in Notepad to view the information in
Notepad. Click Accept to accept the licensing agreement.
6. The Select Components window appears. Select the items you
want to install and click Next.
The following describes each Abacus component:
• AbacusLaw - The main application.
• Abacus MessageSlips - An inter-office instant messaging
system that integrates with Abacus.
• Abacus Mobile – Provides limited access to AbacusLaw on
your mobile devices.
• Time, Billing and Accounting Manager - If you purchased
Abacus Gold be sure to select this to install Abacus
Accounting.
• Copy Documentation to hard drive - Copies Abacus
documentation PDF files to your hard drive.
7. The Select Destination Directory window appears. Click Browse
and select the directory to which you want to install Abacus files.
On a network set the destination to C:\Abacus (or wherever you put
applications). You must select a local drive.
22 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Click Next.
8. The Start Installation window appears. Click Next.
9. After installing the main applications, the Document Search Setup
window appears for set up of the Full Text Search feature. By
default this setup will create a share named “Abacus” that will be
available for everyone on the network for the \\server\abacus\
folder. If that does not fit with your overall security for the network,
you will need to manually adjust the security options on the share.
Note: you can cancel the setup of the share and users will not have
Full Text Search available to them in the program. Setting up this
feature also starts up the Microsoft Indexing Search service that
allows AbacusLaw to do full text search of documents placed in
that directory.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 23
If you don’t keep your documents in the default \Abacus\docs folder
you can also add additional index locations by clicking the Add
button. Then input the folder name, for example
c:\share\documents, and the UNC alias by which all workstations
would view it, for example \\server\share\documents.
10. AbacusLaw starts and displays the User Log on window. Enter
your initials in the User ID box and enter a password (if desired) in
the Password box. Click OK.
11. The ONLY valid operator window appears with the following text:
“Until more are setup, “XXX” is the ONLY valid operator. Write it
down! Go to File/Setup/User Manager to add codes for all
operators. If you don’t, make sure other users know this code so
they can get into the program.” Click OK to close the window and
continue.
24 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
12. The Official Activation for your License window appears. If you are
sure you are using the server on which your license will be
activated, click Yes.
13. If you selected to install Time, Billing & Accounting, the New
Company Configuration window appears. Enter the information and
click Create.
14. The Abacus Accounting Login window appears. Enter your user ID
and click Login (note that the password here will be blank). Abacus
Accounting starts. Close Abacus Accounting to continue the
installation process.
15. If you selected to install Abacus Mobile and Apache is not already
installed, the Installing Apache window appears. Click OK to install
Apache.
16. When all the programs you selected have installed, the AbacusLaw
Installation Complete window appears, close all Abacus programs.
If you don’t want to download purchased Rules, Forms, or
Specialty Versions using Abacus Updater, uncheck the box. Click
Finish.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 25
17. The User Log on window appears. Enter your user ID and
password and click OK.
Step II: Upgrade Abacus Workstations
After the latest version has been installed on the server, at each
workstation users can double-click the AbacusLaw startup icon for the
old version, and they will be prompted to upgrade their workstation to
the new version.
Click Run Station to upgrade to the latest version.
26 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
Installing the Update to a Single (No Network)
Workstation
To install Abacus to a single computer, follow the same Step I
instructions for installing to a network (see Step I: Install Abacus on the
Server on page 20). You don’t need to upgrade the workstations.
Uninstalling Abacus
For Vista:
Click Start and then click Control Panel. In the Control Panel, under
Programs, click Uninstall a program. Then, highlight AbacusLaw in
the list and click Uninstall/Change.
For XP:
Click Start and then click Control Panel. Click Add/Remove
Programs. Right-click AbacusLaw and click Uninstall/Change.
For Windows 7:
Click Start and then click Control Panel. Click Programs and
Features. Right-click AbacusLaw and click Uninstall/Change.
For Windows 8:
1. Access the Start menu by pressing the Windows Key or by
hovering the cursor in the bottom left of the screen.
2. Right-click the Abacus application icon. A check mark will appear in
the right corner to indicate the application has been selected.
3. Click Uninstall on the toolbar that appears at the bottom of the
screen.
The Programs and Features window appears. Make sure Abacus is
highlighted and press Uninstall.
Uninstalling Abacus Accounting
Follow the instructions for uninstalling Abacus, but uninstall Abacus
Accounting Workstation.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 27
Resetting the Outlook Link
The Outlook link is reset for each user automatically during the update
process. However, when necessary, you can manually reset the
Outlook link by following these steps:
1. Ensure that Outlook is closed.
2. Select File/Setup/User Preferences and select the Printing/Email
Program tab.
3. Under Email, select MS Outlook and click Setup.
4. The Outlook Integration window appears. Click Outlook Add-in
Setup.
28 AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide
5. The Outlook Add-in Setup window appears. Ensure that your
operator code is entered. Then, select Always if you link most
emails to names/matters in Abacus or select Never if you rarely
link emails to Abacus names/matters.
Click Enable the Add-In to integrate Outlook with Abacus.
AbacusLaw 2015 Update Guide 29