Some clients require billing rates remain in effect for the duration of an engagement without increase.

A timekeeper's rate will be locked at the billing rate used on the first approved invoice on the matter. Once a timekeeper rate is locked on a matter, then any future invoice for the matter that includes fees for this timekeeper will check against the locked rate instead of the approved rate in BillingPoint. Future rate increases for the timekeeper do not apply to this matter, only to future matters.

On the Matter Rates tab of the Billing Authorization you will see the locked rate for each timekeeper under the Matter Rate column.

Example Senario:

Pre-conditions:

• In BillingPoint, the client fee arrangement for hourly or hourly capped are set to 'lock rate on matter'.
• TK Jim Anderson has client approved rate of $500 effective on 1/1/20123.

1. Invoice 01 submitted for Matter 01 on 1/15/2023 with billing start date of 1/1/2023. TK Jim bills for the first time on a matter 01 and effective rate on invoice is $450.
2. Upon invoice submission, BillingPoint checks if TK Jim already exists on the Billing Authorization. In this case, he does not so BillingPoint adds TK to Matter Billing Authorization.
3. BillingPoint checks if the TK Jim's effective rate ($450) exceeds client approved rate ($500). In this case, effective rate does not exceed approve rate.
4. Upon invoice approval BillingPoint locks the effective rate ($450) on the matter Billing Authorization for TK Jim Anderson.
5. No validation error is shown as this scenario meets all the rules.    

Post-condition:

• TK Jim Anderson has $450 rate locked on Matter 01, and client approved rate of $500 (effective on 1/1/2023).

1. Invoice 02 submitted for Matter 01 on 3/15/2023 with billing start date of 2/1/2023. TK Jim bills for the 2nd time on a matter 01 and effective rate on invoice is $500.
2. Upon invoice submission, BillingPoint checks if TK Jim already exists on the Billing Authorization. In this case, he does, so BillingPoint checks if the TK Jim's effective rate ($500) exceeds the rate locked on the matter ($450). In this case, effective rate does exceed the approve rate.
3. Validation error is shown to the end user and invoice fails submission, as this scenario does not pass all the rules.