The Aged Client Creditors Report provides a breakdown of disbursements that have been incurred on behalf of clients but not yet paid. These may include filing fees, medical reports, search costs, or any other third-party expense recorded against a matter.
The report groups these unpaid disbursements by aging periods (e.g. 0–30 days, 31–60 days, 61–90 days, and 90+ days), giving you a clear view of how long each item has remained outstanding.
Why Use This Report?
-
Track unpaid disbursements: Easily identify expenses that your firm has recorded for clients but are still awaiting payment to the supplier.
-
Ensure there are sufficient trust funds: Review the report to confirm whether adequate trust funds exist to cover upcoming disbursements.
-
Prompt invoicing or trust requests: Use the report to determine if a client needs to be invoiced or additional trust funds should be requested before proceeding with payment.
-
Monitor your firm’s liability: Understand the total value of third-party costs the firm is liable for on behalf of clients.
-
Support financial accuracy and compliance: Maintain full visibility over incurred client expenses and ensure they are managed in a timely and transparent way.
Regular use of the Aged Client Creditors Report helps your firm stay financially accountable, ensures disbursements are managed appropriately, and supports compliance with both internal policies and client expectations.
Prior to generating the report you are able to customise the way the information is presented to you via the following options:
1. Date Range - This report is an 'As At' report. This means that technically it is not a date range, but more a Date To. It only shows transactions up until that day.
2. Select Owner - If you leave this as 'All' it will show all transaction regardless of who the Matter Owner is. However, if you choose a name from the dropdown, the report will only show you those outstanding expenses for matters where that person is the matter owner.
3. Select Primary FE - If you leave this as 'All' it will show all transaction regardless of who the Primary FE is. However, if you choose a name from the dropdown, the report will only show you those outstanding expenses for matters where that person is the Primary FE.
4. Select Sort Order - You are able to sort by:
a. Client (or Matter if selected below) - Choosing this option will sort by Client, however if you click on the checkbox called Use matter instead of client, choosing this option will sort by matter.
b. Client Surname
c. Total - This will appear in descending order.
d. Current - This will appear in descending order.
e. 31 to 60 - This will appear in descending order.
f. 61 to 90 - This will appear in descending order.
d. 90 plus - This will appear in descending order.
e. Owner - This will sort by Matter Owner.
f. Primary Fee Earner - This will sort by Primary Fee Earner.
5. Show Detail - If this tick box in not ticked the report will only provide you with totals. Whereas if it is on (see second image below) you will have additional details such as invoice #, date of invoice, matter details etc.
6. Don't Show Credits - The aged debtors report includes any credits the business owes to clients (e.g. if the client have overpaid or something similar). The report will then adjust the totals accordingly. If you tick this checkbox then you will only see unpaid invoices.
7. Use Matter instead of Client - by ticking this box, this change applies throughout the report. For example, the grouping of the data will be by Matter rather than Client regardless of the sort order you have selected. Also, this means point 2 above "Client” will change to “Matter” instead and the data in that column will be the Matter number and not the client.
8. Separate page for each fee earner - This is only relevant when you have chosen Primary Fe Earner or Owner as the select sort order.
Once the report is generated the information you get (assuming you have the show detail checkbox ticked) is:
1. As At - the Date you chose.
2. Client - this will show the client name the disbursements were incurred on behalf of.
3. Total - This shows the total for the client of all disbursements incurred.
4. Current - Any disbursements incurred 30 or less days ago.
5. 31 - 60 - Any disbursements incurred between 31 and 60 days ago.
6. 61 - 90 - Any disbursements incurred between 61 and 90 days ago.
7. 90+ - Any disbursements incurred more than 90 days ago.
9. Total - The row of bottom totals show a combined total of all outstanding amounts across all aged creditors that appear on that report.