Welcome to Settlement Streams

Settlement Streams is designed specifically for Law Firms to manage Settlement Distributions and Complex Attorney Commission Structures in an easy-to-use application, accessible from anywhere there's an internet connection.

With Settlement Streams you can:

  1. Configure, calculate, and manage complex Attorney Commission Structures.
  2. Track the status of settled cases throughout the entire process, from settlement or judgment to payment disbursement.
  3. Generate Attorney Commission Reports for Payroll processing.
  4. Sort and filter settlement statistics by client, case type, referral source, office location, attorney, settlement status, and more.
  5. Track and share individual Office and Attorney performance statistics.
  6. Track overall firm revenue, receivables, and commissions payable.

Access your Account

Settlement Streams is a web-based application, so there is no installation necessary.

To access your Settlement Streams account, navigate to your assigned web address and login.

If you have issues accessing the site or logging in, please contact your application Administrator or send an email to support@settlementstreams.com.

To Login:
  1. Navigate to your Settlement Streams URL
  2. Enter your MS 365 Single Sign On (SSO) credentials
  3. Complete any verification processes required by your Organization
  4. Upon login you’ll be directed to your Settlement Streams Account Dashboard

Warning

Settlement Streams uses Microsoft 365 single sign-on authentication (SSO) for access.

If you have issues logging into your Settlement Streams Account, please contact your Application Administrator.

Getting Started

Getting started with your Settlement Streams Application is simple!

Just follow the steps below to set up your Profile, Offices, Users, and Commission Structures.

Then you're ready to load in your Settlement Details to begin calculating and tracking your settled cases in one simple easy to use application.

To Get Started:

  1. Complete setup of your Organizational Profile & Settings.
  2. Add your Offices & Case Types
  3. Setup your Users & Attorneys
  4. Add your Lien Holders & Referrers
  5. Enter your Attorney Commission Structures
  6. Add your Settlement Details
  7. Start Calculating and Tracking your Settlement Distributions

Tools & Features

Settlement Streams includes many tools and features to allow Firms to easily track and manage their settled cases.

The Boards let you track Settlements and Performance.

Settlement Streams includes 4 standard Boards:

  1. The User Dashboard
  2. The Settlement Board
  3. The Attorney Board
  4. The Leader Board

Additionally, Settlement Streams includes an Office Summary Report and Payroll Report feature that tracks and calculates Attorney Commission Earnings by pay period for inclusion on Firm Payroll.

To learn more about the Payroll Reporting Features please see:Commission Payments

Support

Settlement Streams Support is there to help you when needed.

To contact support please email support@settlementstreams.com.

Organization & Users

Settlement Streams allows you to configure the application to meet your specific needs.

In this section you'll learn how to:

  1. Create your Organizational Profile & Configure your Organizational Settings
  2. Set up your Offices, Teams & Case Types
  3. Add your Users, Attorneys, Lien Holders & Referrers
  4. Create Status Alert rulesets for cases that need attention
  5. Configure Dashboard Widgets and Leaderboard access by Role

Organizational Profile

The first step in setting up your account is to create your Organizational Profile.

To set up your Organizational Profile:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Organization Settings
  3. Enter Organization Information
  4. Save the Form

Organizational Settings

Settlement Streams is designed to allow Firms to configure their Attorney Fee Calculation method, Commission Payment schedule, and implement settings to automatically calculate Settlement Check due dates as well as set default Check Types by Payee category.

Attorney Fee Calculation

Settlement Streams provides the flexibility of choosing from three distinct calculation methods to determine Attorney Fees on a case-by-case basis, with the option to set a default method for new Settlements.

Available Calculation Methods:

  1. Standard: Attorney Fees are calculated last after amounts are entered for Client Recovery, Costs, Lien Holders, and Additional Payees. The amounts entered are deducted from the Total Settlement Amount and Attorney Fees equal the remainder.
  2. Percentage Fee: Attorney Fees are calculated first, based on a percentage of the Total Settlement Amount. Attorney Fees, Costs, Lien Holders, and Additional Payee amounts are then deducted from the Total Settlement Amount to calculate the "Client Recovery" which can then be allocated to the client(s) on a fixed or shared basis.
  3. Flat Fee: Attorney’s Fees are set to a fixed amount on a per settlement basis. Attorney Fees, Costs, Lien Holders, and Additional Payee amounts are then deducted from the Total Settlement Amount to calculate the "Client Recovery" which can then be allocated to the client(s) on a fixed or shared basis.

Configure your default calculation method:

  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Organization Settings
  3. Scroll to Attorney Fee Calculations
  4. Select the appropriate option from the dropdown
  5. Save the Form

Tip

When the calculation method is set to Percentage Fee or Flat Fee and the Client Recovery needs to be distributed among multiple clients at different rates, you can use the "Fixed Amount" or "Share of Settlement" feature to accurately determine payments. Assigning a share of 1 to each client results in an equal split, while assigning different share values allows for unequal distributions. For example, in a $10,000 Client Recovery case with 4 clients, you might allocate $5,000 as a fixed amount to Client A, then distribute the remaining $5,000 with Client B receiving 2 shares and Clients C and D receiving 1 share each, resulting in payments of $2,500, $1,250, and $1,250 respectively. If a 5th client is added but Client B's should still get half of the remaining amount, their share would increase to 3 and the remaining clients each retain a share of 1, splitting the remaining $2,500 evenly. This method ensures that Client Recovery amounts dynamically adjust as the number of payees change.

Payroll Schedule

Configuring your Payroll Schedule allows the application to determine when Attorney Commission Earnings should be included on the Payroll Report for inclusion in Firm Payroll.

Available Payroll Schedules:
  1. Weekly with option to choose weekday
  2. Bi-Weekly with option to choose weekday
  3. Semi-Monthly with option to choose pay dates
  4. Monthly with option to choose pay date

Note

Monthly & Semi-Monthly Payroll Schedules will automatically adjust for weekends and holidays.

For Monthly Pay Dates on the last day of the month, choosing the last date of the selected month will translate for all months regardless of the number of days.

Configure your Payroll Schedule:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Organization Settings
  3. Scroll down to Payroll Schedule
  4. Select the appropriate schedule option for your Firm
  5. Enter the first pay date you want Commission Earnings to be payable
  6. Save the Form

Note

For Weekly & Bi-Weekly schedules, the first payment date entered will determine the weekday for all Pay Dates.

Warning

It's very important that you properly select the date of your first payroll—this will determine the schedule of all future Pay Dates.

Check Settings

Settlement Streams allows you to set default check settings for all your Payee Types for faster Settlement processing.

Configure your Check Settings:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Organization Settings
  3. Scroll down to Check Settings
  4. Select the appropriate status and timing for calculating your “Checks Due Date”
  5. Configure your desired default check types for Settlement distributions to Clients, Lien Holders and Additional Payees. Use the dropdown selection in the Payee Field to automatically set the check type to:
    • No Selection (requires manual check type selection each time a Payee is added)
    • Client Check
    • Firm Check
    • Separate Check
  6. Save the Form

Offices & Case Types

Once you have your Profile complete and have set up your Organizational Settings it’s time to set up your Offices and add your custom Case Types.

Offices

Settlement Streams allows you to set up your organization using Offices so you can easily track performance of different teams.

To add Offices:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Offices
  3. Click the button for + Office
  4. Complete the Form
  5. Choose your default Office using the toggle feature on the Office List View
  6. Save the Form

Tip

Every Attorney must be affiliated with an Office and can be organized in any way you prefer. However, a User record can only be connected to one Office, and Settlements are credited to the current Office for the Attorney User listed first on the "To" side of the Settlement's Generation Type. Therefore, exercise caution when altering User Office assignments since Settlements are linked to the User and are not fixed to the Office at the time of Settlement.

If you wish to change a User’s Office association without affecting historical performance records, please contact support@settlementstreams.com

Warning

Offices can be edited but CANNOT be deleted. If you need to remove an Office from your Settlement Streams application, please contact support@settlementstreams.com

To decommission an Office, reassign or deactivate associated Users—noting that Settlement figures are attributed to Offices based on what User is listed first on the “To” side of the Generation Type at time of application.

Each Organization is required to have a default Office for Settlements to which no Attorney is associated (Firm to Firm transactions). If you're uncertain about which Office to associate with these Settlements, you can track them independently by adding an Office with no Attorney Users assigned and setting it as your default Office.

Case Types

With Settlement Streams you can create custom Case Types to fit your firm and even create User accounts for Case Types to set custom commission rates or track performance of specific Case Types.

To add Case Types:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Case Types
  3. Click the button for + Settlement Type
  4. Complete the Form
  5. Enable those which you want available for New Settlements
  6. Save the Form

Tip

You can create Commission Structures by Case Type by making an Attorney User for that case type and including them in the Generation Type. For example, if you wanted to set specific commission rates for Pre-Suit cases, you could make a Pre-Suit Attorney User and set it as the Rainmaker in the desired Commission Structures, so Firm and Pre-Suit to Attorney structures will have different rates than traditional Firm to Attorney cases.

Additionally, if you wanted to track all Pre-Suit cases separately you could create a Pre-Suit Office, assign the Pre-Suit Attorney User to that Office, and use them as the Rainmaker and first Attorney in the structures—the application will report performance on the Office Board, but more on that later...

Users & Role Management

Settlement Streams allows for a variety of User Types with various permissions.

All Attorneys must be set up as active Users for the application to calculate commission types for any of the Commission Structures in which they are included to be available for selection.

To set up your Users including all Attorneys:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Users
  3. Click the + User icon on the toolbar
  4. Add User details
  5. Assign the User unique initials that will be the basis for Settlement Generation Types
  6. Assign User Role
  7. Save form

Use the toggles on the User Dashboard to activate and control the User's login access.

Tip

Attorneys must have a unique "initial" shortcut which is used for identifying Attorney Commission Structures and Generation Types. This entry in the User's Profile can be any combination of letters or numbers, or even a nickname!

User Roles:

Permissions for application access by User Type is as follows:

Administrator Can access all Boards and Settings to Add Users, Create and Edit Commission Structures, and Add Settlement Details.
Firm Controller Can access all Boards and CAN VIEW Settlement Details, Attorney Commission Earnings, and run Payroll Reports but CANNOT VIEW Settings or Attorney Commission Structures.
Case Manager Can access the Leader Board, Attorney Board, and add case notes, but CANNOT VIEW the Settlement Board, Settlement Details, Attorney Commission Earnings or Structures.
Attorney Roles Can access the Attorney Board and Leader Board, and CAN VIEW their Commission Earnings, but CANNOT VIEW Settlement Details or other Attorney Commission Earnings.

Lien Holders & Referrers

Often times, Settlement Distributions include a payment to a Public Adjuster or Referrer.

In order to track distributions to these Payees they must first be added to the system in Settings.

To add Public Adjusters & Referrers:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Public Adjusters or Referrers; this will open a listing of entries
  3. Click the + Adjuster/Referrer Icon on the toolbar
  4. Add Payee Name & Notes
  5. Save Form

The page will now display all your saved Public Adjusters & Referrers, who will also be available for selection via the drop downs in Settlement Detail.

Tip

To Deactivate an Adjuster or Referrer, use the toggle feature on the table or click the gear icon to edit or delete. You can also add Referrers & Public Adjusters to cases directly from the Settlement Detail page by selecting the + sign to the right of the name field.

Warning

Public Adjusters & Referrers that are set to inactive or are not included on this list will not be available for payee selection in the Settlement Detail.

Organizational Settings

Settlement Streams is designed to allow Firms to configure their Payroll Schedules and timing in which Checks are Due from Opposing Counsel.

Configuring your Payroll Schedule allows the application to determine when Attorney Commission Earnings should be included on the Payroll Report for inclusion in Firm Payroll.

Available Payroll Schedules:
  1. Weekly with option to choose weekday
  2. Bi-Weekly with option to choose weekday
  3. Semi-Monthly with option to choose pay dates
  4. Monthly with option to choose pay date

Note

Monthly & Semi-Monthly Payroll Schedules will automatically adjust for weekends and holidays.

For Monthly Pay Dates on the last day of the month, choosing the last date of the selected month will translate for all months regardless of the number of days.

Configure your Payroll Schedule:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Organization
  3. Scroll down to Payroll Schedule
  4. Select the appropriate schedule option for your Firm
  5. Enter the first pay date you want Commission Earnings to be payable
  6. Save Form

Note

For Weekly & Bi-Weekly schedules, the first payment date entered will determine the weekday for all Pay Dates.

Warning

It's very important that you properly select the date of your first payroll as this will determine the schedule of all future Pay Dates.

Alerts & Statuses

Settlement Streams allows for custom Alerts to be set based on each case Status Type. To see cases in Alert Status, go to the Settlement Board and select the Alert icon on the top. A modal will display listing all cases in Alert status with links to each.

Configure your Alerts:
  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select Alerts
  3. Select Statuses to Include in Alerts
  4. Set Duration for Alert Trigger
Configure your Checks Due Date:
  1. From the Alerts Page:
    1. Locate the Alert you want to use to identify when checks are due
    2. Check the box next to that alert to set it as the Checks Due Date
    3. This will control the date displayed in the Settlement Detail for when Checks are due to the Firm

Settlement Statuses Configurable for Alerts:

Waiting on Release

This status indicates that the Firm is waiting on the release and settlement agreement to be provided by the other side.

An Alert on this status acts as a reminder to follow-up on Settlements with the "Waiting on Release" settlement status.
Release in Review

This status indicates that the Release Agreement has been received and is currently under review.

An Alert on this status represents the time allowed for Release Review.
Release to Client

This status indicates that the Settlement Agreement has been sent to the Client for execution.

An Alert on this status determines when the Firm should expect to receive the executed release back from the Client.
Release to Opposing Counsel

This status indicates that the signed Settlement Agreement has been sent to the other side.

An Alert on this status determines when the Settlement check should be expected.
Checks Due

This status is used to identify Settlements wherein payment is due.

An Alert on this status allows you to track late payments that may accrue interest or fees.
Checks Received

This status indicates that the settlement payment has been received by the Firm.

An Alert on this status sets the time allowed for processing and distributions.
Waiting on Other

This status is used for cases that are stalled for a variety of reasons.

An Alert on this status provides a reminder to follow-up on the outstanding item(s).

Settlement Statuses not Configurable for Alerts:

Dismissible This status indicates that the case is ready to be Dismissed.
Closed This status indicates that the case is Closed.
Archived This status is for cases that you don't want to appear on the default view of the Settlement Board. Archived cases can be viewed on the Settlement Board by using the Settlement Status filter.

Note

Alerts are displayed on the Settlement Board and are triggered when a case exceeds the defined days in status.

To view, click Alerts at the top of the Settlement Board and a modal will display a hyperlink-enabled list of cases with active alerts.

Warning

Alerts are reset each time a status is updated and saved. If you mistakenly change a status, save your changes, and then correct, the Alert counter will reset.

Please note that updates to an Alert Trigger will be applied retroactively to all cases in the specified status. Exercise caution when modifying these settings.

Commissions

Settlement Streams enable firms to customize commission structures for Rainmakers and Attorneys according to their specific requirements. Commission rates are determined as a percentage of the total attorney fees generated by each case. Fees not attributed to a Rainmaker or Attorney default to the Firm. Thus, the total of all rates may not equal 100%. Each commission type created has a unique Generation Type, which is selected when adding settlements to the system.

The Generation Type refers to how the case is retained and assigned. For instance, if a case is brought in by the firm and handled by a specific attorney, the generation type is "Firm to Attorney." Conversely, if a case is generated and directly handled by that attorney, the generation type is "Attorney to Attorney." "Firm" is used as the default Rainmaker for all structures without a specified Rainmaker.

Generation Types

Commission Generation Types can involve multiple Rainmakers and Attorneys on each side, with the option to set Threshold levels for Attorneys as desired. Thresholds represent targets for total attorney fees generated annually to start earning commissions at a stated rate. Attorneys are attributed credit toward their Threshold Progress for every case where they are included in the Generation Type, even if the commission rate is 0%.

Commission Structures can be modified at any time by a system administrator in Commission Settings, or through modifications to the User’s Profile. It’s important to note that Commission rates for Settlements are set according to the Generation Type at time of creation, so changes to existing Generation Types will not affect cases already entered into the system and will only be applied to future cases.

Warning

Generation Types are the basis for all Attorney Commission calculations, so it's imperative that the correct Generation Type is selected for each Settlement.

Generation Types that include Attorneys from various Offices will be credited in full to the Office assigned to the Attorney listed first on the “To” side of the Generation Type.

If your Firm frequently uses cross-office generation types, it might be beneficial to create special User Accounts dedicated to performance tracking. For instance, establishing an Office and User labeled as "Multi-Office" and assigning it as the primary Attorney with a 0% rate enables independent tracking of those Settlements.

Commission Thresholds

Attorneys can have multiple Threshold levels per Generation Type, whereas Rainmakers can only have a single rate. Threshold Progress resets annually on the Hire Date indicated in their User Profile, allowing Firms to set yearly goals for Attorneys to meet in order to qualify for these rates.

For example, if an Attorney has a Commission Structure of 0% up to $50,000 with a 5% rate to a $150,000 Threshold, they will receive no commissions until the Firm has generated $50,000 in Attorney’s Fees for cases in which they have participated—and then they will earn 5% of the Total Attorney Fees in Commission for cases assigned thereafter until they reach the $150,000 Threshold Progress mark and advance to the next level.

Settlements can be excluded from the Attorney’s Threshold by using the Generation Type Override Feature (lightning bolt icon to the right of the Generation Type selection field) and selecting the checkbox for “Exclude from Threshold.” When selected, it will Exclude the Total Attorney Fees from the Threshold Progress calculation for all Rainmakers and Attorneys included in the Generation Type. If you have a situation where you want to exclude only from selected Attorney’s Commission Threshold Progress, it’s advised to exclude from all and use the Threshold Adjustment Feature in Commission Settings to adjust for the Users that should not have been excluded.

Tip

Threshold Progress credits can be applied to Attorneys at any time by a System Administrator using the Threshold Adjustment Feature located on the Commission Structure screen, but this DOES NOT allow for Threshold Progress to be decreased. To lower an Attorney’s Threshold Progress please use the Generation Type Override “Exclude from Threshold” feature detailed above.

Attorneys can monitor their Threshold Progress on the Dashboard, or by filtering the dates on the Attorney Board to match YTD Settlements from month and day of the stated Threshold Reset Date as shown on their Commission Structure Summary.

Commission Structures

Commission Structures can be added via the Attorney’s User Profile page or within Commissions Settings.

To add or edit Commission Structures:
  1. Navigate to Settings.
  2. Select Users or Commissions.
  3. Locate the Attorney User for update.
  4. Click Edit at the bottom left of the summary view or Click + Commission.
  5. This will open the Commission Structure Modal.
  6. Select the Commission Button.
  7. Enter the % rate of Total Attorney Fees the Rainmaker & Attorney(s) will earn for the Structure being created.
    • Attorney Commission Rates can vary based on the "Threshold Level" which is the sum of the Total Attorney Fees generated annually by said Attorney.
    • The Hire Date field in the Attorney User's Profile is their Threshold Reset Date.
    • Rainmakers are not subject to Threshold Levels and can only have a single Commission Rate per Generation Type.
  8. Save the Commission Structure and note the Generation Type for use.

Tip

Commission Rates are recalculated each time a Settlement is added to the system until marked as paid, so entering Settlements into the system out of chronological order will not result in calculation errors. If you need to make an adjustment to an Attorney’s Commission Payment, use the Adjust Feature in the Payroll Report upon processing.

Warning

Threshold progress resets to $0 annually on the month and day of the Attorney's Hire Date per their User Profile.

If you do not want Thresholds to recur year over year, structures will need to be manually adjusted to remove the Threshold levels prior to the User’s reset date.

Cases & Settlements

Now that you have your account configured and all your Users and Commission Structures established, you're ready to start entering Settlements into the system.

Settlement Details

Settlement Streams can calculate settlement disbursements for the most complex of cases and track payments and determine commission amounts for Attorney Payroll, so your Attorneys always know exactly what to expect when payroll is processed.

To add a Settlement
  1. Navigate to the Settlement Board.
  2. Select + Settlement to open the Settlement Detail screen.
  3. Choose a color from the drop-down on the top left for the display on the Settlement Board if wanted.
  4. Enter the Case Name.
  5. Choose the Case Type from the drop-down.
  6. Enter the Settlement Date if available.
  7. Select the Settlement Status from the drop-down.
  8. Enter the Status Change Date. This will calculate the Release Period which represents the number of days the case has been in that status.

Note

Notes are automatically created in the system when a case is created and each time a status updates. They are displayed in descending order based on the time stamp.

Notes can be pinned to the top using the pinning feature identified by the pushpin icon to the right of the note. When notes are unpinned, they will revert to their descending order based on time created.

Tip

Once saved, case notes can be pinned, edited or deleted—with the exception of the system-generated Settlement Creation Notice, which identifies the date and time the User added the record to the system.

Settlement Financials

Now that you're ready to begin entering Settlements into the system, it's important to properly configure the Settlement Details to ensure proper calculations.

Settlement Streams calculates financials by "Backing Into" the Total Attorney Fees for the case at hand. Ultimately, the Attorney Fees for each Settlement are determined using this basic formula:

Total Attorney Fees = Settlement Amount - (Costs + Total Sum of Distributions to Payees/Clients)

Configure Settlement Details with applicable Commission Structure:

  1. Select the Commission Structure Generation Type from the dropdown that you want applied to the case.
    • To review the Generation Type Formula being applied, select the lightning-bolt icon on the right-hand side of the Generation Type field.
    • From this Modal, you can adjust Commission Rates for the Settlement for all included Rainmakers and Attorneys, and/or Exclude this Settlement from all included Rainmakers’ and Attorneys’ Threshold Calculations.
  2. If applicable, assign the Case Referrer from the dropdown menu or through use of the “+” icon on the right-hand side of the field: enter the Referrer Name into the field and Save.
    • To change or remove the assigned Referrer, click the dropdown again and select a new Referrer or choose the blank row to remove.
    • See the Adding Lien Holders & Referrers section for more information.
  3. Enter the Settlement Amount.
  4. Enter the Costs associated with the case.
  5. Add the Client Recovery details, select the + Payee Button in the Client Recovery section, add the Payee Name, Recovery Amount and select the Check Type for either Firm Check or Client Check, and Save.
    • If wanted, you can identify the disbursement method of the Client Recovery here to either: Send to Client, Send to LH or Send to Other.
    • Settlements with Firm Check disbursements will trigger the “Trust Deposit Required” selection in the Accounting section.
  6. Add any applicable Lien Holder Payee details, select the + Payee Button in the Lien Holer Payee section, select the Lien Holder from the dropdown list or use of the “+” icon on the right-hand side of the field to add a New Lien Holder with Type to the system, add the Lien Holder Payee Amount, select the Check Type as either Firm Check, Client Check or Separate Check, and Save.
    • To change the assigned Lien Holder Payee details, click the selection to reopen the form, select a new Lien Holder from the dropdown, update Lien Holder Amount and or Check Type if needed, and Save.
    • To remove the Lien Holder Payee record, select the trashcan icon.
    • See the Adding Lien Holders & Referrers section for more information.
  7. Add any applicable Additional Payee details, select the + Payee Button in the Additional Payees section, add the Payee Name and Amount to the form field, select the Check Type as either Firm Check, Client Check or Separate Check, and Save.
    • To change the Additional Payee details, click the selection to reopen the form, update the Payee Name, Amount and Check Type if needed, and Save.
    • To remove the Additional Payee record, select the trashcan icon.

Settlements that include a Payee Distribution identified as Firm Check will automatically trigger the “Trust Deposit Required” selection in the Accounting section.

In order to disable Trust Deposit, all Check Types must be identified as either Client Check or Separate Check.

Based on the information entered, the Checkspectations will calculate and display in the Accounting Section below.

Note

If the Client Recovery, Lien Holder Fees, and/or Additional Payees will be included on the Firm's Check, Trust Deposit and Transfer will automatically be selected and required.

Warning

Always verify the Generation Type for each case as this determines the Attorneys assigned and their Commission Rates.

Settlement Accounting & Payments

Once Settlements are received and disbursements are calculated, it's time to issue payments. Settlement Streams is designed to allow for all Attorney Commissions to be tracked for easy Payroll processing.

Manage your Accounting:
  1. In the Accounting section, identify if the Firm’s portion of the settlement funds will be paid via a check deposited into the Firm’s operating account, or a transfer from the Firm’s trust account.
  2. If Trust Deposit is Required, upon receipt enter the date of the Trust Deposit into the Trust Deposit Date Field. This field will be grayed out if the checkbox for “Trust Deposit Required” is NOT selected.
  3. Enter the Operating Deposit Date into the Operating Deposit Date field. If Trust Deposit was required, the Operating Deposit Date must follow the Trust Deposit Date by at least 3 banking days.
    • This action will automatically mark the Attorney Commissions as Payable and update the Scheduled Payment Date field to the next Payroll Date per the schedule entered into your Organizational Settings.
    • If the Settlement resulted in no Firm Payment, this field will be grayed out with an N/A displayed and will not report to the Settlement Dashboard as “Uncollected”.
  4. In the Payments section, select the status of the Client Recovery, and enter Mail Date if applicable.
  5. To Add Client Check Notes, click on the ellipsis icon, select “+ New”, Add Note, and Save. To Edit or Delete Check Notes, they must first be saved to the Settlement Record by pressing “Save and Continue” on the bottom toolbar.
    • To Edit a Check Note, select Note (selection will highlight), click on the ellipsis icon, select “Edit”, Update Note, and Save.
    • To Delete a Check Note, select the Note (selections will highlight), click on the ellipsis icon, then select “Delete”.
  6. In the Attorney Commissions Section, you'll see the calculated commission for the case based on the Generation Type selected.
  7. Selecting the Payable box in this section will make the payment appear on the Payroll Report and automatically assign the next payroll payment date based on your selected Payroll Schedule.

The Boards

The Settlement Streams app has 4 main Boards: The User Dashboard, The Settlement Board, The Attorney Board, and The Leader Board.

To access available boards, select the Boards tab on the top toolbar.

The Dashboard

The Settlement Streams Dashboard provides a snapshot of all the pertinent information needed to keep Users on top of what matters most. From Total Settlement stats to what’s outstanding and needs immediate attention—as well as a look at overall performance for both Attorneys and Offices—the Dashboard can be customized to provide Users with up-to-date information allowing them to focus on what matters most.

Dashboard Features:

The Dashboard includes the following widgets that are filterable by date. Information included in User Widgets is limited as follows based on the User Role.

Total Settlements Calculated based on Date Range Filter. Admins & Firm Controllers:
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter
  • Figures displayed: Firm Revenue, Firm Gross, Firm Net
Attorney Roles:
  • Settlements included: only those in which User is included in the Generation Type
  • Figures displayed: Total Settlement Dollars, Total Attorney Fees, Total Commissions Earned
Case Manager & Staff Roles:
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter
  • Figures displayed: Total Settlement Dollars, Total Client Recovery, Total Attorney Fees
Settlements Outstanding Includes ONLY the Settlements WITHOUT an Operating Deposit Date. Admins & Firm Controllers:
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter
  • Figures displayed: Firm Revenue, Firm Gross, Firm Net
Attorney Roles:
  • Settlements included: only those in which the User is included in the Generation Type
  • Figures displayed: Total Settlement Dollars, Total Attorney Fees, Total Commissions Earned
Case Manager & Staff Roles:
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter
  • Figures displayed: Total Settlement Dollars, Total Client Recovery, Total Attorney Fees
Top Performers Calculated based on Date Range Filter.
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter
    • Displays ranking of Attorneys based on Total Attorney Fees Generated for Settlements in which the Attorney is included in the Generation Type
  • Figures displayed: Rank, Attorney Name, Count of Settlements Included, Total Attorney Fees of Settlements Included
Uncollected Settlements by Attorney Displays ranking of Attorneys with the most Outstanding Settlements.
  • Settlements included: all Settlements without an Operating Deposit Date where the Attorney is listed on the Attorney Side of the Generation Type used.
  • Figures displayed: Rank, Attorney Name, Count of Settlements Included, Total Settlement Dollars Outstanding
Performance by Office Calculated based on Date Range Filter.
  • Settlements included: all within the specified Date Range Filter attributed to the Office assigned to the Attorney in the first position of the Settlement’s Generation Type
  • Figures displayed: Rank, Office Name, Count of Attorneys with active Settlements, Count of Settlements, Total Attorney Fees, Adjusted Performance Figures for Settlements per Attorney and Fees per Attorney
Settlement A/R Listing of Outstanding Settlements filterable by Attorney.
  • Settlements included: all Settlements WITHOUT an Operating Deposit Date (Attorney Users ONLY see Settlements in which they are an assigned Attorney)
  • Figures displayed: Case Name, Date Settled, and Current Status
    • For Roles with Access to Settlement Edit, the Case Name is a direct link to the Settlement Detail View.
Attorney Commission Structure Available only to Attorney Roles.
  • Provides a snapshot of the Attorney Users active Commission Structures with Generation Type.

Tip

Dashboard widgets will recall the date filtering of your last visit. To be sure the Dashboard widgets include the most current information, be sure to reset your filters to include all to-date information.

Settlement Board

The Settlement Board is the Master View of all your Settlements and allows you to easily view the details and statuses of your cases.

Settlement Board Features:

Sorting: sort results by column in ascending or descending order using the arrows at the top.

Filtering: filter results using the icon on the toolbar, selecting your parameters, and clicking Apply.

Expanding & Collapsing: to see expanded details and Checkspecations for a case, use the arrow next to the case name.

Searching: use the Search Box to search settlements by case name.

Warning

Archived Settlements will not show in the default view of the Settlement Board but are included in the Total Settlements Chart on the Dashboard.

Archived Settlements can be added to the Settlement Board view by adding a Settlement Status filter and selecting All.

Summary View Displays:
  1. Case Name
  2. Case Type
  3. Generation Type Abbreviation
  4. Case Status
  5. Trust Deposit Status
  6. Operating Deposit Status
  7. Client Check Status with Notes Shortcut
  8. Attorney Payment Status with Paid Indicator

Note

Only System Admins & Firm Controllers can access The Settlement Board.

Attorneys, Case Managers & Non-Attorney Staff Roles CANNOT access the Settlement Board.

Expanded View Displays:
  1. Referrer Name
  2. Total Settlement Amount
  3. Client Recovery Amount
  4. Lien Holder Fee
  5. Total Additional Payee Amounts
  6. Total Attorney Fees
  7. Transfer Amount
  8. Firm Gross Earnings
  9. Total Commissions Earned

Tip

To view or edit Settlement Details directly from the Settlement Board, click the icon on the right to be directed to the Case Detail view—or right click to open in a new window or tab.

Attorney Board

The Attorney Board is a summary view of Attorney commission earnings by case and displays the status of commission payments.

Attorney Board Features:

Sorting: sort results using the arrows at the top of the column to flip between ascending and descending order.

Filtering: filter the board display by applying filters as available via the icon on the top left and clicking the Apply icon on the right-hand side.

Attorney Board Displays:
  1. Case Name
  2. Generation Type
  3. Referrer
  4. Settlement Date
  5. Settlement Amount
  6. Client Recovery Amount
  7. Costs
  8. Lien Holder Fee
  9. Additional Payee Amounts
  10. Total Attorney Fees
  11. Commission Amount (Only visible to Admins & Firm Controllers)
  12. Payment Date
Attorney Summary Displays:
  1. Case Count
  2. Total Settlement Amounts
  3. Total Client Recovery Amounts
  4. Total Costs
  5. Total Lien Holder Fees
  6. Total Additional Payee Amounts
  7. Total Attorney Fees
  8. Total Commissions

Note

A summary detailing the stats for each Attorney's cases is displayed on the Attorney Board and is broken out by Collected, Uncollected, & Totals.

Only System Administrators & Firm Controllers can view all Attorneys, as Attorneys only have access to their own personal information.

Leader Board

The Leader Board shows a snapshot of all Attorney stats with exception of Commission earnings. The information on the Leader Board can be used to drive competition amongst your staff and allows for filtering so you can run incentive programs if desired.

Leader Board Displays:
  1. Case Count
  2. Total Attorney Fees
  3. Settlement Total
  4. Client Recovery Total
  5. Total PA Fees
  6. Additional Payee Totals
  7. Total Costs

Reports & Payroll Processing

Settlement Streams has built-in reports for Office Performance and Payroll Processing. These Reports are only available to Admin and Firm Controller Users and can be accessed via the Reports tab at the top navigation.

Office Summary Report

The Office Summary Report shows a summary of stats by Office and is available to Admins and Firm Controllers via the Reports Tab.

Office Report Displays
  1. Case Count
  2. Settlement Total
  3. Client Recovery Total
  4. Total Costs
  5. Total PA Fees
  6. Additional Payee Totals
  7. Total Attorney Commissions
  8. Firm Revenue
  9. Firm Gross
  10. Firm Net
  11. Profitability Percentage

Payroll Report

Settlement Streams includes a feature for calculating all Attorney Commission earnings by pay period for Payroll purposes.

To configure your Payroll Schedule, please refer to Organizational Settings.

Commission Payments to Attorneys should be handled as part of your Firms normal Payroll process. Settlement Streams includes a Payroll Report feature that tracks and calculates Commission Earnings by Attorney for ease of inclusion.

Commission Earnings are automatically included in the Payroll Report for the next scheduled pay date, based on your configured Payroll Schedule, when marked "Payable" in the Attorney Commissions area of the Payments section within the Settlement Detail.

To view the Payroll Report:
  1. Navigate to the Reports tab on the top toolbar.
  2. Select Payroll Report.
  3. On the toolbar at the top of the page, open the calendar.
  4. Select the Pay Date for the report you want to see payable commissions for.
  5. Click the Apply button on the right.
  6. The table will now display all the Commission Earnings that are payable by Attorney.
  7. To print the report, right click on the page, select print, and update orientation to landscape.
Payroll Report Features:

The Payroll Report opens in the Expanded View by default and is grouped by Attorney in alphabetical order.

To view only the Commission Payment Totals by Attorney, collapse the sections by clicking on each Attorney's Name.

Actions: to complete Actions, click each case row you'd like to apply the action to, then select the Action from the menu.

Filtering: filter the Payroll Report by Date or Attorney Type using the filter icon and selecting Apply

Expanding & Collapsing: click the Attorney's name to expand and collapse the report detail.

Expanded View Displays:
  1. Case Name
  2. Generation Type
  3. Referral Source
  4. Trust Deposit Status
  5. Operating Deposit
  6. Scheduled Payment Date
  7. Paid Date
  8. Payment Status
  9. Commission Earned Amount by Settlement with a Payment Summary
Report Actions:
  1. Select All
  2. Mark as Paid
  3. Mark as Unpaid
  4. Hide Paid
  5. Close Pay Period
Tip

If you need to adjust an Attorney's Commission Payment, use the Adjustment feature at the bottom of each Attorney's Expanded Summary.

Adjustments can be entered as credits or debits and will not affect Attorney Commission stats on the Attorney Board.

Processing Payroll

Commission amounts to be paid to Attorneys are included on the Payroll Report. If the Pay Date you want to use is not available for selection on the Calendar filter at the top of the screen, go to Organizational Settings to update your Payroll Schedule configuration.

To Process a Payroll:
  1. Navigate to Reports.
  2. Select Payroll Report.
  3. Select your Pay Date from the available calendar options.
  4. Review Attorney Commission Earnings by Settlement you wish to include on your Payroll.
  5. Make any needed Adjustments to each.
  6. Select the rows you want included in the Payroll.
  7. Navigate to Actions.
  8. Select Mark As Paid.
  9. Record Commission Payment Amounts and add to your Payroll System.
  10. To Print the Payroll Report, right click or use Ctrl + P to access the browser's print function, update the page orientation to landscape, and print.

Once processed and recorded, you're ready to Close the Pay Period.

Note

The Case Name, Generation Type, and Referral Source for each settlement and commission payment are displayed on the Payroll Report to allow for a final quality control check before payroll processing.

Tip

Close Payroll Periods prior to running the next Payroll Report to ensure all Unpaid Commission Earnings are included and moved to the proper Scheduled Pay Date.

Warning

Commission Earnings listed that are NOT Marked as Paid (Unpaid) will remain on the selected dates Payroll Report until the Payroll is Closed.

Unpaid Commissions will automatically roll forward to the next available Pay Date when the Payroll is Closed.

Closing Payroll

Once the Payroll is processed, you're ready to close your Payroll Period.

Once a Payroll is closed, all items marked as Unpaid items will automatically roll forward to the next available pay date based on your Payroll Schedule.

To Close a Payroll:
  1. Confirm all payments are properly marked as Paid or Unpaid.
  2. Select the rows you want to update.
  3. Click Actions.
  4. Update Paid Status.
  5. Review Attorney Adjustments (Attorneys with Unpaid Settlements cannot have Adjustments).
  6. Click Actions.
  7. Select Close Pay Period.
    • If all items are Paid, you will see a confirmation message.
    • If there are Unpaid items, you will see a message detailing the number of Settlements rolling forward to the next Pay Date.

Warning

If you Open a Closed Pay Period, any Unpaid Settlements that rolled forward and are still marked as Unpaid will roll back for payment processing.

Formulas & Figures

Please see below to learn more about how Settlement Streams calculates distributions.

Commission Formulas

Commission Structures determine the Commission Earnings for Attorneys and Rainmakers.

Attorney $ Rates Percentage of Total Attorney's Fees will be considered Attorney Commission Earnings
Rainmaker $ Rates Percentage of Total Attorney's Fees will be considered Rainmaker Commission Earnings.
Firm $ Rates When the Rainmaker is not set or set to Firm, the Firm receives the remaining Total Attorney's Fee's not attributed to other Payees.
Thresholds Thresholds represent the Total Attorney Fees for assigned cases an Attorney needs to generate for the Firm in order to receive the associated Commission Rate.
Progress The Total Attorney Fees incurred by the associated Attorney, which is applied to Thresholds.

Warning

Threshold Adjustments are not represented in the Attorney's Progress Figure.

Settlement Formulas

The following Figures & Formulas are used in calculating Distributions.

Settlement Amount Total amount of the Settlement.
Costs Total amount of direct Costs.
Client Recovery Agreed upon portion of the Total Settlement to be distributed to the Client(s).
Lien Holder Fee Fee to be paid to the Lien Holder if applicable.
Additional Payees Agreed upon amounts to be distributed to any third parties.
Total Attorney Fees Settlement Amount less Costs and all amounts being distributed to Client(s), Lien Holder(s) and/or Additional Payees.
Firm Revenue Settlement Amount less all amounts being distributed to Client(s), Lien Holder(s) and/or Additional Payees.
Firm Gross Settlement Amount less Commissions and all amounts being distributed to Client(s), Lien Holder(s) and/or Additional Payees.
Firm Net Settlement Amount less Commissions, Costs, and all amounts being distributed to Client(s), Lien Holder(s) and/or Additional Payees.
Total Commissions Sum of all Attorney Commissions, including all Attorney Rainmakers.
Checkspectations Calculate based upon the check type, Firm, Client, or Separate entered for all Payees. When there are Payees included on the Firm Check, Trust Deposit is automatically required.
Checkspectations Transfer Settlement Amount less the total Client(s) Recovery and all amounts being distributed to 3rd parties via a Firm Check (i.e. the expected amount of the transfer of funds from the Firm’s Trust Account to the Firm’s Operating Account).
Threshold Progress Total sum of Attorney Fees for cases in which the Attorney is included in the Generation Type. Figure resets annually on the month/day of hire as entered into the Attorney’s User Profile.

Warning

Commission calculations will adjust if changes are made to Client or 3rd party Payee totals, so be sure to account for all Payees prior to communicating Commission Earnings to Attorneys.

Office Summary Report Formulas

The following Figures & Formulas are used in the Office Summary Report Calculations.

Case Count Total number of cases that fall within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Client Recovery Sum of the Client Recovery dollars attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Costs Sum of the Costs attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Public Adjuster Fee Sum of the PA Fees attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Additional Payees Sum of the payments to Additional Payees attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Attorney Fees Sum of the Attorney Fees attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Attorney Commissions Sum of the Attorney Commission Earnings attributed to cases within the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Firm Revenue Firm Revenue totals by Office for the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Firm Gross Firm Gross Earning totals by Office for the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Firm Net Firm Net totals by Office for the selected Settlement Date filter range.
Profit % Firm Net divided by Total Attorney Fees.

FAQs

Have a question? Please see below to see if we have an answer. If not, email us at support@settlementstreams.com and a representative will be in contact.

Application FAQs

Can a User have multiple accounts in Settlement Streams?

Application Users must all have unique email addresses and initials. In order to set a user up with multiple accounts they would need to have an alternate email account and initial shortcut for system identification.

Can I view Settlement Streams from my phone?

Settlement Streams is a dynamic web-based application that can be accessed on any device. However, due to application layout and design we do not recommend use on tablets or phones.

Commission & Settlement FAQs

I’m setting up an Attorney who's already incurred Attorney Fees this year. How do I make sure his commission rates are correct?

Threshold earnings can be adjusted for the current year by using the Threshold Adjustment Feature in Attorney Commissions. To have a Threshold amount adjusted, navigate to Settings > Commission, select the Attorney you wish to adjust the Threshold for and click edit. At the bottom of the screen, you will see an area for Threshold Adjustment. Click the +Threshold button and enter the date and amount of the adjustment.

I have an Attorney asking me how close they are to meeting their Threshold obligation. How do I find this?

Attorneys can monitor and track their Threshold Progress directly from their Settlement Streams Dashboard. If their Dashboard doesn’t include the Commissions widget, please contact your system Administrator to request they enable it via the Dashboard Settings page. If your organization has opted not to enable this feature, you’ll need to contact your System Administrator and request they reference the Commissions Settings page where they can see each Attorney’s current Threshold Progress.

I have a case where a different commission rate was negotiated for a specific Generation Type. How do I handle this in the system?

Commission Structures can be overridden on a case-by-case basis by using the Generation Type Override Feature in Settlement Details. To override the rate, navigate to Settlement Details and click the lightning bolt icon on the right-hand side of the Generation Type field. This will pop up a modal where you can adjust Commission rates and or exclude the case from the Threshold on a case-by-case basis.

I had to make an adjustment to a Settlement where the Commission has already been paid. How do I handle this?

You can make adjustments to Commission Payments for any Attorney at any time using the Adjustment Feature on the Payroll Report. To make an adjustment navigate to the total row for the Attorney you need to adjust and click the Adjustment Icon. This will display a modal where you can make credit or debit adjustments.