In ContactsLaw, a billing scale is a set of rates (at most one rate per member) that are used to determine the charge associated with each billable journal. The rate for each member is a date-dependant setting, which makes it possible for new rates to come into effect at some point in the future.

 

The practice defines a globally default billing scale, while each workgroup can provide its own default. Ultimately, the selection is granular to the file level.

 

In the absence of a rate for the relevant billing scale, a member's time will be charged at their personal fall-back rate per hour (ex-GST).

Scales may also define the maximum rates for each member category. Changing the maximum rate does not change the rates for members within the category. 

Scales can dictate some behaviour on bills of costs, including the item number for disbursements (item numbers for products are set individually) and the amount of any applicable lodgement fee.