Month-end sign-off

What must be true first

• The month's statement has been imported and the month has ended.
• The previous month is signed off. Months are signed off in order.
• Nothing is left to review.
• For trust: the difference is R 0.00 and no matter is in debit.

Until then the sign-off button explains what's still outstanding.

Signing off

1. Open the month and go to Summary & sign-off.
2. Read the three-way check.
3. Tick the box confirming you reviewed the reconciliation, add a note if you want one, and sign off.

Caseo records who signed, their role, the date and time and your note, together with a frozen snapshot of the figures. The month then shows "Signed off [date] by [name] (Administrator). Trust transactions dated in [month] are locked."

What locking means

• No entry dated in that month can be captured, reversed or deleted.
• Unallocated money from a locked month can still be allocated; Caseo posts an allocation journal in the current month instead of editing the locked entry.
• Corrections go in the current month, as reversals.

Reopening a month

An Administrator can reopen the most recently signed-off month, with a reason. Reopening, like every import, match and sign-off, is logged. Sign it off again once the correction is made.

The business account

The business account is reconciled the same way. Because firm expenses and salaries are kept apart from the business ledger, a business month can be signed off with a difference as long as you add a note explaining it.

A month-end routine

1. Allocate any unallocated deposits.
2. Transfer earned fees to business (Rule 54.11 expects this at least monthly).
3. Import the trust statement, clear everything to review, and sign off.
4. Print the Month-end pack report: trust balances, transfers, fees owed, matter activity and overdue diary for the month.
5. Do the same for the business account.