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AI agent for legal operations managers

Legal Spend Accrual Agent

A defensible month-end legal accrual with each matter explained

Budgets and moneyOperationsManagementLegal
See how it worksGet access
Legal Spend Accrual Agent: what goes in, what the agent does and what you get

What it does

Month-end accruals for legal work not yet billed are often guesses, and they swing the numbers. This agent pulls the matter budgets, timekeeper activity from the e-billing tool and open invoices. It estimates unbilled fees for each matter from the work done and the firm's past billing pattern. It compares the estimate with the budget and with past accruals. Matters with no update are chased with the firm for a figure. It rechecks the totals after each reply and builds the accrual file. The manager approves the accrual file. Edge case: a firm bills quarterly in arrears and has sent nothing, so the agent carries a three-month estimate and flags it.

How it works

Follow the arrows from top to bottom. The orange dashed arrow is the loop: when a check fails, the agent goes back and tries again.

Start and resultWhat it doesA check on its own workWaits for your OKGoes back and retries
Yes, continueYes, continueApprovedNoNo 1 STARTS WHEN Month-end accrual window opens 2 USES A TOOL Pull matter budgets, activity and open invoices 3 DOES Estimate unbilled fees per matter from activity andbilling lag 4 CHECKS THE RESULT Is each estimate within the range of past accrualsand the budget? If not: mark outliers and recalculate with a differentlag, then keep for follow-up. Back to step 3. 5 USES A TOOL List matters with no update and ask the firms forfigures 6 CHECKS THE RESULT Have the firms answered for all flagged matters? If not: send a reminder and use the estimate with a noteuntil the deadline. Back to step 5. 7 DOES Build the accrual file with notes 8 DOES Compare the total with last month and the budget 9 YOU APPROVE Manager approves the accrual file 10 RESULT Accrual posted to the finance team
Read the steps as a list
  1. Month-end accrual window opens
  2. Pull matter budgets, activity and open invoices
  3. Estimate unbilled fees per matter from activity and billing lag
  4. Is each estimate within the range of past accruals and the budget?If not: mark outliers and recalculate with a different lag, then keep for follow-up. Back to step 3.
  5. List matters with no update and ask the firms for figures
  6. Have the firms answered for all flagged matters?If not: send a reminder and use the estimate with a note until the deadline. Back to step 5.
  7. Build the accrual file with notes
  8. Compare the total with last month and the budget
  9. Manager approves the accrual fileThe agent waits here for your OK.
  10. Accrual posted to the finance team

How it decides

Unbilled fees are estimated from activity and the firm's lag between work and invoice. Estimates far from the past pattern are queried with the firm.

  • Use a three month estimate for quarterly billers with no invoice
  • Query matters where the estimate differs from the past pattern by over 25 percent
  • Reserve on budget if there is no activity data
  • Chase firms only once before the cut-off

Make it yours

Every agent is a starting point. You choose these settings for your own situation.

  • Outlier limit (default 25 percent)
  • Billing lag by firm
  • Cut-off day
  • Matters included

What keeps you in control

It always asks you first

  • The accrual file
  • Messages to firms

Hard limits

  • Never contact a firm without approval
  • Never post to the ledger

It stops when

  • Done: accrual file approved
  • Stop: e-billing data is missing

Set it up

We guide you through the set-up, step by step

Members get the full set-up guide for this agent. No technical skills needed: you copy, paste and upload.

10 minto set it up in your AI
5 AIsChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
  • One set of instructions to paste into your AI, with the clicks for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini and Grok
  • The agent then walks you through connecting your own data, one source at a time
  • A downloadable copy with the flow chart, the rules and the full guide
Get access to this agent

An example run

What happensFor matter 118 the agent estimated $42,000 unbilled from 140 hours at $300. The check failed since past accruals were $18,000. It asked the firm. They confirmed a trial prep spike, so the estimate stood with a note. Another firm gave no reply by the deadline, so the agent used last quarter's pattern and flagged it.

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