RTG Bills includes a report called Verify Matter Balance. (Prior to Version 2.05, this report was included in RTG Reports.) The report checks that the balance due for each matter is correct by comparing it to the transactions for the matter (payments, adjustments, retainers used, and bills). It reports any inconsistencies as bad matters.

A bad matter can be caused in two ways:

1. A transaction was marked as "billed" but the matter balance was not updated to reflect it. This can occur if the computer crashes while you are printing a bill.
   
   If the transaction is a bill, the transaction balance will be greater than the matter balance. If the transaction is a payment, the transaction balance will be less than the matter balance.
   
   
2. A transaction is missing from the database. This is very rare. It could be caused by hardware or software problems (outside of RTG Bills) that corrupt the data on the disk.

First, you must figure out which problem you have. On the Verify Matter Balance report, calculate the difference between the two balances. Then look at a Matter Ledger report to see if this difference corresponds to the amount of any bill or other transaction for this matter.

You should also check the printed bills for the matter. Your goal is to compare the printed bills to the Matter Ledger to determine whether the transaction balance (shown on the Matter Ledger) is correct. The total due on each bill should correspond to the previous balance on the next bill. If the printed bills and the Matter Ledger are consistent, then you have Problem 1 above, not Problem 2.

In short:
You have Problem 1 if the balance shown on the Matter Ledger is correct.

If the transaction balance is wrong (Problem 2), or if you are not certain, contact RTG for assistance. Send a copy of the Verify Matter Balance report and the Matter Ledger for the bad matter to RTG. Use Print To File and save the reports in RTG Review format. Send them as e-mail attachments.

If you have Problem 1, we have a simple procedure that will fix it. Directions follow.

The program offered here is only designed to work with RTG Bills and RTG Timer Version 2.17 and above. If you have a lower-numbered version, please contact RTG.

1. Back up your data. We recommend using File > Backup in RTG Bills. If anything goes wrong, you can restore your data using File > Restore From Backup.
   
   
2. Start RTG Bills and choose:

   File > Upgrade > Yes > Check The Internet For Upgrades

3. Ignore the list of upgrades. Click the Other button.
   
   If you don't see a button labeled Other, then you need a newer version of RTG Upgrade: RTG Backup, RTG Restore, and RTG Upgrade.
   
   
4. You should see a window entitled Enter An Upgrade Number. In the box, type the number 238. Click OK.
   
   
5. You should now see that Upgrade number 238 has been added to the list of upgrades. It should have a checkmark next to it. Click Install to install this upgrade.
   
   
6. If the upgrade is successful, the program will tell you that one upgrade was applied. Click OK, Close, and Close again.
   
   
7. Start RTG Bills again if it does not start automatically. Choose File > Tools from the menu. You should see Fix Matter Balance in the list of tools. Select it and click OK.
   
   
8. The program should appear, with the title RTG Bills - Fix Matter Balance. Enter a matter number and click the Fix It button. The program will change the matter balance so it matches the transaction balance. Repeat for other matters as required.
   
   
9. Choose File > Exit to leave the program.

At this point, the matters you fixed should no longer appear as bad matters on the Verify Matter Balance report.

The program creates a log file as it works. The log file is the file Fixbal.log, inside the RTG Bills data folder. If you have any problems with the program, send the log file to RTG as an e-mail attachment.

Questions about this procedure should be directed to RTG Support.