Preferences & Settings

Access all program settings from the menu bar:

TimeNet Law → Preferences or use ⌘ + ,

The Preferences window has tabs for each major settings area:

• Firm ID - Your firm's identity and branding for invoices
• People & Fees - Timekeepers, billing rates, weekly goals, and positions
• Invoice Architect - Full control over invoice layout and design
• Billing - Currency, tax rules, automatic bookkeeper, late fees
• App Settings - Timer behavior, entry behavior, display options
• Shortcuts - Shortcut groups for rapid time entry
• QuickHelp - In-app help and guidance

The Control Center is a separate window (accessed via its own icon in the Preferences toolbar) for user permissions, auditing, lockout, and refresh.

Go to the People & Fees tab and click the + button to add a new timekeeper:

1. Enter the timekeeper's Name
2. Choose their Position from the dropdown
3. Set their Status (Active or Inactive)
4. Set an ID for quick identification
5. Enter a Weekly Goal (billable hours target)
6. Add one or more Billing Rates (for example, Standard $375/hr, Reduced $300/hr) and set one as the default

Assigning positions helps with reporting and rate management:

When rates change, TimeNet Law keeps history:

1. Select a timekeeper and click the edit button to open their details
2. Add or modify billing rates in the rate table (use +/- buttons)
3. Click Set Selected Rate as Default to choose which rate applies by default
4. Previous rates are preserved for historical time entries

For services you offer at fixed prices, create templates:

1. Go to Flat Fees tab
2. Click Add Template
3. Name the service (e.g., "Simple Will," "LLC Formation")
4. Set the standard price
5. Add a description (appears on invoices)

Bundle related services into packages:

• Estate Planning Package - Will + POA + Healthcare Directive
• Business Startup Package - Formation + Operating Agreement + EIN
• Real Estate Closing - Title search + Closing + Recording

When you apply a package, all items appear as line items with a total.

TimeNet Law automatically follows your macOS appearance setting. If you use Dark Mode on your Mac, TimeNet Law uses Dark Mode. No setting to configure, it just works. Every window, dialog, toolbar, and report respects your system preference.

TimeNet Law uses the Invoice Architect system for complete control over your invoice appearance. This goes far beyond basic settings. Logo placement, section ordering, column visibility, custom headers and footers, conditional formatting, and full template management.

See the dedicated Invoice Architect tutorial for the full walkthrough.

Control how time entries appear on invoices:

• Show Timekeeper - Display who did the work
• Show Date - Display when work was done
• Show Hours - Display time spent
• Show Rate - Display hourly rate
• Group by Timekeeper - Organize entries by person
• Group by Date - Chronological order

Set up your invoice numbering scheme:

• Sequential - Simple incrementing (1001, 1002, 1003...)
• Year-Based - Includes year (2025-001, 2025-002...)
• Client-Based - Includes client code (ABC-001, ABC-002...)

Set your starting number to continue from your previous system.

In the Trust Accounts tab:

1. Click Add Trust Account
2. Enter the bank name and account number (last 4 digits)
3. Set the account nickname (e.g., "Main IOLTA")
4. Enter your state bar's IOLTA requirements

TimeNet Law includes safeguards you can enable:

• Prevent Negative Balances - Block disbursements exceeding client funds
• Require Approval - Two-step disbursement process
• Balance Alerts - Warning when balance drops below threshold
• Monthly Reconciliation Reminder - Prompts to reconcile

In the Firm ID tab, set up your firm basics:

• Firm Name - As it appears on invoices and correspondence
• Address - Billing address
• Phone/Email - Contact information
• Tax ID - For payment reporting (optional)
• State Bar - Your jurisdiction
• Data History Cutoff - Control how far back TimeNet Law loads data. Blank loads everything. Set a number of years to speed up launch for firms with decades of history.

Set defaults that apply to new records:

• Default Timekeeper - Pre-selected when entering time
• Default Billing Increment - 6-minute (0.1) is standard
• Default Payment Terms - Applied to new clients
• Default Matter Status - Usually "Active"

Choose how time is rounded:

In the Advanced tab, configure backups:

• Backup Frequency - Daily recommended
• Backup Location - Choose a folder (preferably cloud-synced)
• Retention - How many backups to keep
• Backup on Quit - Creates backup when closing app

Your TimeNet Law database can be stored:

• Local - On your Mac (fastest, single-user)
• Network - Shared drive (multi-user access)
• Cloud - iCloud/Dropbox folder (access from multiple Macs)