> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.presolve.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Follow a litigation cost from invoice to recovery > Understand who reviews a cost, how it is paid, when QuickBooks is involved, and how settlement recovery is recorded. A litigation cost moves through **intake → review → ready to pay → payment → settlement recovery**. QuickBooks handling is a choice within the payment process. A cost can be recorded and paid locally without being sent to QuickBooks. ## Who does what? | Work | Legal or paralegal staff | Accounting | | - | - | - | | Record the obligation | Enter the case, vendor, invoice, description, amount, dates, and supporting document. | Check and correct the accounting details. | | Prepare for payment | Respond to questions and complete assigned review tasks. | Review funding, payment method, account, and vendor mapping. | | Record payment | Follow the firm's handoff process. | Record payment facts and choose local or QuickBooks handling. | | Prepare a settlement | Enter settlement terms and fee/referral details in a Draft resolution. | Select deposit routing and activate the resolution when financially ready. | | Recover a cost | Supply supporting information. | Allocate received settlement funds and review the amount recovered. | Your available controls depend on your permissions. An assigned task does not itself grant permission to process payments. Your administrator can configure an unpaid-invoice workflow and assign its tasks to the appropriate accounting user. ## 1. Record the invoice or expense once For a vendor invoice, open **Accounting → Payables** and [create the invoice with its expense lines](/docs/help/accounting/invoice-review). For a cost without an invoice, [record a standalone case expense](/docs/help/accounting/expenses). Check the case, vendor, description, invoice reference, amount, and source document. If the expense already exists, link it to the invoice instead of entering the same charge again. The invoice total and its linked expenses represent the same obligation. **Paid By** may remain **Not decided** until accounting reviews the cost. Legal users may not see funding or payment controls. ## 2. Review and stage for payment Approval is required only when your firm has configured it. The reviewer checks the invoice and any unpaid expense lines, resolves discrepancies, and stages eligible costs for payment. | Expense queue | What it means | | - | - | | Needs Review | The cost is unpaid and its funding choice remains undecided. | | Ready to Pay | Funding has been selected, but payment has not been recorded. | | Paid | Payment has been recorded locally. Check the payment details and any QuickBooks result separately. | Funding suggestions use **Cash** after a resolution is activated, or when the case is closed; other cases suggest **LOC**. A Draft resolution alone does not trigger the resolution-based Cash suggestion. Accounting can override the suggestion, including choosing Debit where appropriate. Staging prepares a cost for payment. It does not pay the vendor or prove that a check has been printed. ## 3. Choose the payment handling When accounting records payment, review **Paid By**, the payment method and reference, and **QuickBooks handling**. The current payment action records today's payment date. | QuickBooks handling | Result to verify | | - | - | | Record locally only | Records payment in Presolve without requesting a QuickBooks payment. | | Create payment/check directly (skip Bills) | Requests a direct QuickBooks payment/check for eligible costs. | | Create Bill, then payment | Uses a QuickBooks Bill and its payment. An already-exported Bill must be handled through its Bill payment path to avoid duplicating the payable. | QuickBooks choices depend on the connection and firm account setup. Before sending costs, confirm the vendor match, expense/category mapping, and payment account. For HQ accounting, select the appropriate firm and its permitted accounts. Recording payment, creating a QuickBooks transaction, printing a check, and clearing the bank are separate events. A Paid row in Presolve does not by itself establish all four. See [QuickBooks handling and exports](/docs/help/integrations/quickbooks) for the distinction between Online synchronization, CSV reports, and Desktop exports. ## 4. Check payment evidence and exports After payment, inspect the expense's payment date, method, reference, and linked invoice. For a QuickBooks check, accounting completes printing in QuickBooks. Check-number updates can return to Presolve through the connected integration; investigate a missing reference or failed sync before issuing a replacement. **Export Current Page** and **Export Selected** have different scopes. **Export & Mark Paid** records payment as well as producing a CSV, so use it only when recording payment is intended. The downloaded rows use the server-confirmed payment results. The expense CSV includes expense, case, and invoice identifiers; vendor and description; amount; payment facts; and a separate recovered date. If payment succeeds but downloading fails, export again from Paid costs instead of recording a second payment. A general CSV is not automatically a QuickBooks or Transaction Pro import file. Verify the target format and reconcile any import separately. ## 5. Record recovery from settlement Accounting [activates the resolution](/docs/help/accounting/resolutions), records incoming settlement funds, and [allocates the check to its destinations](/docs/help/accounting/checks). An allocation toward a case expense records coverage or recovery of that cost. Compare the expense amount, allocated amount, and remaining balance. Partial coverage can leave a balance outstanding. The recovered date identifies allocation activity; it is separate from the date the vendor was paid and does not establish bank clearance. For example, a fictional \$125.00 records expense can be paid using LOC while the matter is open, then covered by \$125.00 from a later settlement receipt. Keep the original expense and both sets of evidence. Do not create another expense when the settlement reimburses the cost. Next: [Prepare a resolution and hand it to accounting](/docs/help/accounting/resolutions), then [review disbursements](/docs/help/accounting/disbursements).