Perfect Practice® Data
Conversion Information Sheet
What Gets ConvertedYour existing data can be automatically converted to PCLawPro/PCLawJr to make the transition between systems much easier. The client names and addresses, the accounts receivable balances, detailed work in process, and trust funds will all be converted into PCLaw without any data entry on your part.
Client Information:
• All Client names, addresses etc. will be converted.
• Matter and Client numbers will be maintained from your current system.
• Matters with an * at the beginning of the Adverse/Des field will be converted as closed. • The Client Producer will be put into the Originating Attorney field in PCLaw.
• The Matter Responsible Producer will be put into the Responsible and Assigned Attorney fields in PCLaw.
Accounts Receivable
• All outstanding invoices will be converted using the correct date and invoice number. • A breakdown of the fees and disbursements billed will be converted, the category “Other
Billed” will be included with disbursements.
• A breakdown of fee splits will be included, based on the information provided by the Custom Report Generator. *
• Producer 1 will be considered to be the billing responsible attorney. If Producer 1 is blank (eg. disbursement only bills) then the Inactive Timekeeper will be made the billing responsible lawyer for the invoice.
* If the Custom Report Generator in your version of Perfect Practice does not have the ability to provide this level of detail, it will be necessary to adjust the conversion appropriately. If this is the case we will notify you as soon as we are aware of the problem.
Work in Progress
• All unbilled time and disbursement entries will be converted based on the prebill reports. • Any disbursement that are entered into your existing system after the PCLaw system startup
date will be posted to the suspense account in the general ledger, this will require you to make a journal entry at your first month end in PCLaw.
• If you cut off all data entry at the end of a month (which we strongly recommend) this will not be an issue.
Trust
• All trust entries for active matters will be converted. • Trust activity will be pulled from the Trust Detail report.
GENERAL INFORMATION Timekeepers
All timekeepers from your existing system must be included in the conversion because inactive timekeepers may still have unbilled time, or may be the responsible lawyer for a file. Inactive timekeepers can be brought over in detail, they can be lumped together as one timekeeper called inactive, or any time or files can be reassigned to an active timekeeper. Please make sure that the Data Conversion Requirements sheet lists all timekeepers, whether active or not, and clearly shows how you want inactive timekeepers to be handled
General Ledger
General Ledger Information is not converted. You will be provided with the PCLaw standard chart of accounts. The balances of your general ledger accounts can be entered into PCLaw as a single entry.
Action Required After Conversion: To enter these balances you simply go into the PCLaw data entry option called G/L Opening Balances and input each G/L account and it’s corresponding balance from the Trial Balance report on your current system.
Timing
The best time to do your conversion is at the end of a month. PCLaw must start your general ledger as of the first day of a month. The best scenario for doing the conversion is for you to enter ALL data for the current month into your old system, and not enter any information for the next month. Send the data to our Data Conversion Department as soon as possible after the month-end. Most conversions take between five and seven business days (plus shipping time). Action Required After Conversion: From the time you backup your data to send to us for conversion, any data entry you make in your old system, will need to be manually entered in PCLaw once the system is installed.
Please make arrangements with a member of our Conversion Department as soon as you know when you would like to have the conversion done, and confirm one week in advance what day the data will arrive at our office.
If you choose not to perform the conversion at the end of a month, any client disbursements you have entered for the next month will be posted to suspense in the general ledger. This will require a journal entry at month end to reallocate these expenses and you will have to make adjustments for non-client related accounting done during the current month, which will not be converted. What we need from you
To do the data conversion we require a full backup of your existing system, including program and data files. We can support backups on several types of media including floppy disks, Iomega® Zip™ (100 MB and 250 MB) and Jaz™ (1GB only) disks, Imation
SuperDisk™/LS-120 disks and many tape formats. If you are planning on sending your data on a tape please contact a member of our conversion department to discuss compatibility issues.
Where to send your data
Data conversions are done in our Toronto office: Alumni Computer Group
Data Conversion Department 505 Consumers Road
Suite #600
Willowdale, Ontario M2J 4V8
*Any items sent to our Buffalo office will result in a delay while the package is forwarded to the appropriate department.
When to get your PCLaw software
You should make arrangements with our Sales Department to get the appropriate software for your firm. It is important that you order a version of PCLawPro/PCLawJr that will accommodate all the active timekeepers you have in your existing system. We recommend that you obtain the software at least one month in advance of the scheduled conversion date, to allow your staff to go through the tutorial and learn how to use PCLaw so that you will be ready to go when you
receive your converted data. DO NOT enter any real data into PCLaw during this period. When you receive the converted data, it will be a complete PCLaw data set, and any existing data will be overwritten.
Payment
Our Conversion Department will provide you with a firm price prior to the conversion date. Payment for the conversion, by cheque (payable to Alumni Computer Group) or major credit card, must accompany the data when it is sent in for conversion, unless other arrangements have been made with a member of our Sales Department, or one of our authorized dealers, in advance. Please note that although Alumni Computer Group offers a 30-day money back guarantee on the PCLaw software, this does not apply to data conversions. All payments for data conversions are non-refundable, as a member of our staff will already have performed the work.
Questions
If you have any questions about anything in this document, or any aspect of converting your data, please contact our Conversion Department at (800) 387-9785. If you have questions relating to the version or configuration of PCLawPro/PCLawJr that you require please contact our Sales Department at the same telephone number.
Please fill out this form and return it along with your data. Please include a piece of your firm’s letterhead for correct Firm Name, address, etc.
Firm Name: _____________________________________________________________ Contact Person at your firm: ____________________________ Tel: ________________ System Startup Date (must be the first day of a month): __________________________
NOTE: No data can be entered into PCLaw prior to this date and no data should be entered into your existing system after this date.
Type of Firm: ¨ Sole Practitioner ¨ Partnership ¨ Corporation
Type of Accounting: ¨ Cash ¨ Modified Cash ¨ Accrual
Convert Closed Matters: ¨ No ¨ Yes (as closed) ¨ Yes (as active)
Convert A/R using: ¨ Option 1 ¨ Option 2
Number of Timekeepers in: Existing system: ________ PCLaw system: _________
Please list all timekeepers that are in your current system, whether they are active or not, if a timekeeper is not to be brought over to PCLaw put the word “INACTIVE” in the New ID column, or assign them to another timekeeper who is active.
Timekeeper ID in existing system
Timekeeper Name Timekeeper ID in PCLaw
Partner (üü)
I hereby authorize you to perform the conversion of our data, and acknowledge that payment for this data conversion is not covered by Alumni Computer Group’s 30-day money back policy, and is 100% non-refundable.
_______________________________________ ____________________________________
