Disbursement Management
Disbursements are costs you incur on a client's behalf as part of their matter: court fees, land registry fees, search fees, expert witness fees, barrister's fees, and similar third-party expenses. They are separate from your legal fees and must be handled transparently under SRA (and equivalent) rules.
eSolicitors provides a full disbursement management system within every active order.
What Counts as a Disbursement
Disbursements are expenses paid (or to be paid) to third parties on behalf of your client. Common examples:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Court fees | Claim fees, application fees, hearing fees |
| Land Registry | Registration fees, search fees, OS1 priority searches |
| Searches | Local authority, drainage, environmental, chancel |
| Counsel fees | Barrister instruction for advocacy or opinion |
| Expert witness | Medical expert, surveyor, forensic accountant |
| Notarisation | Document certification and apostille fees |
| Overseas fees | Foreign registry or filing fees |
Your own time is not a disbursement. Professional fees are charged via milestones, not through the disbursements system.
Adding a Disbursement
- Go to Lawyer Portal > Orders and open the relevant order
- Select the Disbursements tab
- Click Add Disbursement
- Complete the form:
- Category (select from the pre-approved list)
- Description (specific details)
- Amount (GBP or applicable currency)
- Status (estimated or confirmed)
- Payee name (the third party being paid)
Disbursements can be added at any stage of the matter, including before the funds are needed. You can add estimated disbursements early and update the amount once confirmed.
Tier Limits
The number of disbursements you can add per matter depends on your subscription:
| Plan | Items per Matter | Per-Matter Cap | Monthly Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 | Lower | Lower |
| Pro | 20 | Mid | Mid |
| Elite | Unlimited | Higher | Higher |
Exact limits are shown in your dashboard under Subscription. See Subscription Plans for detail.
Collecting Payment from the Client
Once a disbursement is added, you can request payment from the client:
- From the Disbursements tab, click Collect Payment next to the disbursement
- The client is notified and sees a payment request in their portal
- The client reviews and approves the disbursement
- Payment is collected via Stripe directly on your Connected Account (not held in platform escrow)
- Funds go directly to your Stripe balance for you to pass on to the third party
This is a direct charge arrangement: client funds for disbursements pass through your Stripe Connected Account and are your responsibility to pass to the payee. They are not intermediated by eSolicitors.
The SRA Three-Line Principle
Under SRA rules, client money and office money must be kept separate. The disbursement system is built around this requirement:
- Client-funded disbursements are collected directly to your Connected Account (client money)
- You are responsible for passing those funds to the correct payee
- The receipt you upload provides the audit trail
This structure means eSolicitors never holds client money for disbursements. You remain the regulated party responsible for proper handling.
If you are a US attorney or international lawyer, equivalent bar rules in your jurisdiction apply.
Uploading Receipts
After paying a third party, upload the receipt to close the disbursement loop:
- Open the disbursement entry
- Click Upload Receipt
- Upload the invoice or receipt (PDF, JPG, or PNG, max 10MB)
The receipt is stored securely in the order record and is accessible to:
- You (for your audit trail)
- The client (for their transparency)
- Platform admin (for compliance checks)
If the uploaded receipt amount differs from the collected amount by more than 10%, the disbursement is flagged for admin review.
Reconciliation
Once the receipt is uploaded and the amounts match, click Reconcile to mark the disbursement as complete. This:
- Updates the disbursement status to Reconciled
- Adds the event to the order audit log
- Removes the item from your outstanding disbursements list
Unreconciled disbursements with receipts outstanding for more than 7 days will trigger reminder notifications, escalating at 14, 21, and 30 days.
Disputed Disbursements
If a client disputes a disbursement:
- The disbursement status changes to Disputed
- You receive a notification with the client's reason
- You can respond through the order messaging system
- If unresolved, the matter can be escalated to the platform's dispute process
For guidance on disputes generally, see Orders and Milestones.
Disbursement Transparency on the Final Bill
When a matter completes, the platform generates a final bill summary that includes:
- All milestones with amounts and approval dates
- All disbursements with categories, amounts, and receipts
- Total client expenditure
This summary is available as a downloadable PDF for both you and the client. It supports the SRA requirement to provide clients with a clear account of all costs incurred.
Compliance Note
Under SRA Code of Conduct Rule 8 and SRA Accounts Rules, you must:
- Give clients sufficient information about anticipated disbursements before incurring them
- Not collect more money than is reasonably needed for an anticipated disbursement
- Account to clients promptly for any disbursement funds not used
The eSolicitors disbursement system records all this activity automatically, giving you a full audit trail. However, you remain personally responsible for compliance with your regulatory obligations.
Related: Orders and Milestones -- how milestones and disbursements combine in a complete matter workflow