Invoice texts – Legalsense

Invoices in Legalsense can include text in two areas: the header and the footer. You manage the default texts for both via Settings → Billing → Invoice texts.

In this article

01Set a default text
02Link a text to a type of invoice
03Amend texts directly on an invoice
04Available merge codes
05Extra text

Set a default text

When you start using Legalsense, only the Default Footer and Default Header invoice texts are active. Click the pencil icon to amend a text; edit boxes appear for all active languages.

Click New to add a new text, for example a specific invoice text for a specific situation.

Invoice texts settings page, showing the list of texts and the edit and New options.

Invoice texts settings page, showing the list of texts and the edit and New options.

Link a text to a type of invoice

You can link an invoice text to specific invoice types by selecting the applicable checkboxes; you can select multiple types for one text. The letters mean:

Letter	Meaning
D	Default
C	Credit invoice
A	Advance
S	Settlement
R (optional)	Pro forma invoice Legal Aid
CC (optional)	Personal contribution Legal Aid

If you want to use a different text for, say, a credit invoice, add a new text and select the checkbox under C. From then on, Legalsense shows this text by default whenever you create a credit invoice. This is useful, for example, for an empty footer on credit invoices, so you don't show a payment deadline or bank account number.

Legalsense applies the correct default text based on the choices you make when you create the draft invoice. If you later change the invoice type, for example from a debit invoice to a credit invoice, you need to select the applicable invoice text manually.

Amend texts directly on an invoice

When you edit a draft invoice, you can edit the header and footer texts manually, or select a different default text from the list in the upper-right corner. Click Apply to effectuate the change.

Draft invoice in edit mode, showing the header text fields and the Apply button.

Draft invoice in edit mode, showing the header text fields and the Apply button.

Important: Existing draft invoices don't change automatically when you amend a default invoice text. To apply the change, open the invoice, select the text, and click Apply.

Available merge codes

You can add codes to your texts, and Legalsense fills in the corresponding values automatically. A value only appears once the corresponding field in Legalsense is filled in; for example, the invoice number code only shows a value once the invoice is finalized.

Write each code between double curly brackets with a space, for example {{ invoice_number }}.

Code	Description
`{{ payment_deadline }}`	Payment deadline, shown as a number. Use it to indicate that payment is due within a set number of days.
`{{ payment_deadline_date_jFY }}`	Payment date, in full, e.g. 27 January 2022.
`{{ payment_deadline_date_jmY }}`	Payment date, in short, e.g. 27-01-2022.
`{{ salutation }}`	The salutation entered for the debtor's contact person, so you can personalize the greeting. If nothing is filled in, Legalsense shows the default value (e.g. Dear Sir or Madam).
`{{ total_amount_inc_tax }}`	Total amount of the invoice, including VAT.
`{{ total_amount_ex_tax }}`	Total amount of the invoice, excluding VAT.
`{{ your_part_inc_tax }}`	The part of the invoice, including tax, that applies to this debtor (also used for split invoices with multiple debtors).
`{{ your_outstanding_part_inc_tax }}`	The outstanding part of the invoice, including tax, that applies to this debtor (also used for split invoices with multiple debtors).
`{{ your_paid_part_inc_tax }}`	The paid part of the invoice, including tax, that applies to this debtor (also used for split invoices with multiple debtors).
`{{ your_part_ex_tax }}`	The part of the invoice, excluding tax, that applies to this debtor (also used for split invoices with multiple debtors).
`{{ invoice_number }}`	Invoice number.
`{{ invoice_date }}`	Invoice date, in the date format of the invoice language, e.g. 27-01-2025 for English invoices and 27.01.2025 for German invoices.
`{{ invoice_date_jFY }}`	Invoice date, in full, e.g. 27 January 2025.
`{{ invoice_date_dmY }}`	Invoice date, short version, e.g. 27-01-2025.
`{{ invoice_date_long }}`	Invoice date, in full with a dot, e.g. 27. January 2025.
`{{ invoice_period }}`	The value shown in the Invoice period field.
`{{ credited_invoice_number }}`	The number of the credited invoice.
`{{ credited_invoice_date_jmY }}`	The date of the credited invoice, in short, e.g. 27-01-2022.
`{{ credited_invoice_date_jFY }}`	The date of the credited invoice, in full, e.g. 27 January 2022.
`{{ unsettled_advances_amount }}`	The open amount of unsettled advances.
`{{ matter }}`	Matter name (of the first matter).
`{{ matter_number }}`	Matter number (of the first matter).
`{{ matter_supervisor }}`	Full name of the matter supervisor.
`{{ matter_supervisor_initials }}`	Name with initials of the matter supervisor.
`{{ matter_supervisor_initials_with_title }}`	Name with initials of the matter supervisor, preceded by their title.
`{{ matter_supervisor_with_title }}`	Full name of the matter supervisor, preceded by their title.
`{{ billing_supervisor }}`	Full name of the billing supervisor.
`{{ billing_supervisor_initials }}`	Name with initials of the billing supervisor.
`{{ billing_supervisor_initials_with_title }}`	Name with initials of the billing supervisor, preceded by their title.
`{{ billing_supervisor_with_title }}`	Full name of the billing supervisor, preceded by their title.
`{{ debtor_number }}`	The debtor number of the debtor on this invoice.
`{{ debtor_name }}`	The name of the debtor on this invoice.
`{{ bank_account }}`	[optional] The bank account number linked to the matter supervisor.
`{{ bank_account_city }}`	[optional] The city (where the bank is located) linked to the matter supervisor.
`{{ bank_account_name }}`	[optional] The bank name linked to the matter supervisor.
`{{ vat_number }}`	[optional] The VAT number of the matter supervisor.
`{{ organization_number }}`	[optional] The Chamber of Commerce number of the matter supervisor.
`{{ firm }}`	The name of the firm the invoice belongs to.
`{{ matter_supervisor_function }}`	The function of the matter supervisor.
`{{ billing_supervisor_function }}`	The function of the billing supervisor.
`{{ client_name }}`	The name of the client linked to the matter the invoice is associated with.

Note: Some of these fields apply to a single matter. Legalsense can also show multiple matters on one invoice, for instance through billing groups, in which case Legalsense generally shows only the information for the first matter.

Extra text

The extra text field lets you add a third block of text to an invoice, next to the header and footer, for example for a textual specification or an explanation of the work. Legalsense prints this text on the second page of the invoice.

The field is only available on invoices that use an invoice template with the extra text option switched on. To start using it, ask Legalsense support to switch on the option for one or more of your invoice templates.

Add extra text to an invoice

Open a draft invoice and click Edit.
If your firm has more than one invoice template, select a template with the extra text option in the Invoice template dropdown, in the Invoice details block at the top of the page. The Extra text field appears or disappears as soon as you pick a different template. If your firm has only one invoice template, Legalsense doesn't show the dropdown.
Type your text in the Extra text field, between the Header and Footer fields. To use a saved text instead, select it in the dropdown next to the field and click Apply.

Note: If you use the extra text on most of your invoices, make a template with this option the default for new invoices under Settings → Billing → Default invoice template. You can also set a default invoice template per client, in the client's pricing settings.

Set a default extra text

The Extra text field is empty by default. You can save default texts for it under Settings → Billing → Invoice texts, in the same way as for header and footer texts. The Extra section on that page only appears once at least one of your invoice templates has the extra text option. See Set a default text and Link a text to a type of invoice above for how to add a text and link it to specific invoice types.

The Extra text input field that appears on draft invoices once the setting is enabled.

The Extra text input field that appears on draft invoices once the setting is enabled.