The operating problem
Start with an approved matter-budget reporting refresh. A successful handoff produces a source-linked budget exception and client-communication task. Define the accountable owner before connecting systems. Budget estimates do not authorize fees or change the engagement agreement. A source event is a request to evaluate the current state; it is not permission to make an irreversible change.
Use your own working copy
The free workbook for this process opens in a browser and works offline after download. It includes editable checks and notes, a text export, and a print view. It is a planning resource: it does not send messages, read account data, or run actions in business systems. No vendor account is needed to use the workbook.
Map the process
1. Lock the approved budget
Record matter, phase, currency, agreed scope, and budget version.
2. Read current actuals
Use reviewed time and expense sources with clear handling of drafts and unbilled entries.
3. Calculate deterministic variance
Compare actual and committed amounts against the approved scenario, retaining missing values.
4. Route professional review
The responsible lawyer reviews causes, remaining work, client terms, and any required communication.
5. Publish the approved next step
Link commentary or a revised estimate to the budget version and preserve the client-response record.
Information to check
These reference fields describe the process. Use invented values while planning. Keep real records in an appropriate private system; the public website does not need them.
| Reference field | Working record | Check before progressing |
|---|---|---|
| matter_id | matter_id | Resolve the stable source reference in the correct client, entity, and engagement. |
| budget_version | budget_version | Bind approval to this exact source version; changes require review. |
| actuals_cutoff | actuals_cutoff | Validate the date, timezone, and approved reporting or review period. |
| reviewed_action_ref | reviewed_action_ref | Use the authorized owner or reviewed decision; unknown values stop the handoff. |
Acceptance checks
- Draft time is labeled distinctly from billed actuals.
- A revised scope requires a new budget review.
- A repeated source event creates only one current review task.
- A changed source version invalidates an earlier approval.
Walk through a successful example, a duplicate, a missing item, an incorrect match, and an interrupted handoff with synthetic records. Record the expected result, observed result, owner, and recovery action. Checklists record your work; checking a box does not establish that an external action happened.
Ownership and review
Name the person responsible for the process and the person who can resolve an exception. Define which decisions require qualified professional review. Use stable references, limit access to private records, and document when work must stop. Educational material does not establish legal, accounting, tax, security, or regulatory compliance.
Run a measured pilot
Choose a small, reversible sample. Measure handling time, waiting time, review, rework, and errors before changing the process. Include the effort of maintaining the new method. Expand only when the observed result meets your acceptance criteria; a longer checklist is not proof of improved performance.
Use the free workflow planner to define your next step, or compare the assumptions in the opportunity calculator.