Chambers

Bar-Stat is able to combine information from your fees system with entries from your accounting system to produce member bills simply and accurately.

It significantly simplifies the production of member bills and their subsequent accounting and reporting.

SECTIONS

Bar-Stat Invoicing

Bar-Stat solves the particular problems associated with preparing barrister bills.

It combines information from a number of sources, does calculations on it, and then produces monthly or quarterly statements for individual members.

It significantly reduces the time the billing process takes. It is readily configured to suit your needs.

Bar-Stat takes care of

  • Charging rent/rates/service charges to members - using floor space occupied or fixed desk rents.
  • Charging chambers expenses - as percentages of fee income, including automatic application of income caps.
  • Recharging any individual expenditure.
  • Making any necessary adjustments.
  • Emailing statements and csv files.
  • Posting invoice values back to your Chambers accounting system.

Bar-Stat Central Fees

It is becoming increasingly common for Member fee receipts to be paid into a central fees account controlled within Chambers. This is very beneficial for clients but can provide an administrative burden for Chambers. Bar-Stat Central Fees is designed to streamline the process.

Payment runs are typically done fortnightly, although some chambers do three payment runs a month, and two do it weekly. One Chambers does 2 runs a week, and 2 use the system daily.

It’s important to realise that the package is an ‘escalator’ that you can get off at any point. At the simplest level it can just be a Fees In/Fees Out process. At its most complex, contribution, recharges and outstanding balances with chambers can be deducted before payments are made.

Payments to Barristers are split into Fees and VAT, with an optional Tax provision. Bar-Stat Central Fees talks to all the major banks Lloyds (Lloydslink), HSBC (HSBCNet), NatWest (NatWest bankline), Metro Bank, Barclays, and AIB (AIB Online Banking).

All transactions can be posted to Sage 50 to enable the reconciliation of the Fees Account and the recording of any Member balances outstanding.