📌 Setting Up a Periodic Budget
1️⃣ Find & Access the Matter
Locate the relevant matter in Brightflag.
Click into the Matter Overview Page.
2️⃣ Navigate to the Budgets Tab
Go to the Budgets tab for that matter.
3️⃣ Add or Edit a Budget
If no budget exists, click Add a Budget.
If a budget already exists, click Edit Budgets to modify or delete it.
4️⃣ Select the Budget Type
Choose one of the following budget styles:
✔ Monthly Budget
✔ Fiscal Quarter Budget (FQ)
✔ Fiscal Year Budget (FY)
5️⃣ Set the Budget Duration
Select a Start Month and End Month.
6️⃣ Enter Budget Details
Set a budget total (optional: leave blank to build the budget manually).
Ensure the matter currency is correct. If not, update it on the Matter Details Page before proceeding.
7️⃣ Set an Unassigned Budget (Optional)
This acts as an internal buffer (not visible to vendors).
If not needed, set it to $0 or 0%.
8️⃣ Review & Confirm
Click Next to proceed.
The non-unassigned portion of your budget will be evenly split across vendors.
Adjust vendor totals by clicking a cell, entering a new amount, and clicking the ✔ (tick) button.
To distribute different amounts per month, click Breakdown to expand the view and edit the cells.
If you need to reset changes, click Reset Changes at the bottom of the grid.
9️⃣ Adjust Budget Periods (Optional)
Click Add FY, FQ, or Month to extend the budget duration.
Note: You cannot add a period to the start of the budget—to do this, you must delete and recreate the budget.
Click Remove FY, FQ, or Month to delete the latest period.
If a specific period will have no spend, enter $0 instead of removing it.
🔹 Save & Finalize the Budget
Click Save in the top right corner.
Enter an internal comment (logged in the Budget Changes Table, visible internally only).
Click Confirm Changes.
📢 Note: Vendors will not be notified when you set or modify the budget. They will only see their allocated portion.
✏️ Editing a Periodic Budget
1️⃣ Access the Budget
Navigate to the Budgets tab of the matter.
Click Edit Budgets.
2️⃣ Modify Budget Details
Adjust vendor allocations, monthly totals, or other budget elements as needed.
3️⃣ Delete a Budget (If Necessary)
A budget can be entirely deleted if required.
Deleted budgets will still be logged in the Budget Changes Grid for reference.
❓ FAQs
Q: Should I update my budget regularly?
Yes! As a matter progresses, we recommend adjusting the budget to reflect new information. Over time, reduce the unassigned budget to $0 as risks and unknowns decrease. This ensures that budgets remain accurate and do not continually increase as the matter develops.
Q: Which date types are used for budget charts?
Pending and approved figures in budget charts can be based on:
✔ Invoice Dates (when the invoice was issued).
✔ Billing Period Dates (the period during which the work was performed).