Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

By Author: Easy Soft
Total Articles: 277
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Businesses print their own checks because it's quick, easy and cheap. Financial applications such as Easy Soft's legal billing and accounting software have the capability built in so you don't have to mess with formats and spacing trying to set it up yourself. Although we try to make the process as painless as possible, there are a few ways you can make it even easier--and safer.

First of all we recommend you use Easy Soft checks. Yeah, everyone says "use only our proprietary stuff" but in this case it actually makes a difference. Low quality checks not only make your business look bad but can expose you to fraud and embezzlement. You can order the checks right from us with just a click and they are guaranteed to work with Easy TimeBill, our lawyer billing software. However, if you prefer to use another vender then be sure to look for these features.

Get the right check format. Our attorney time and billing software supports standard checks, which have three checks to a page, and voucher checks, which have a check and two stubs on each page. Standard checks are faster to print while voucher checks provide a better ...
... paper trail. Be very careful because some vendors sell checks for specific accounting packages that have a proprietary format, such as voucher checks with the check in the middle of the page instead of at the top of the page, and our software can't print those correctly.

Insist on the best security features, especially when paying from trust accounts. Modern checks are very hard to forge as long as they have these features. Chemically reactive paper makes it nearly impossible to alter the check. The Padlock icon is a symbol of the Check Payment Systems Association and confirms the check incorporates at least three features to defend against alteration. Finally look for anti-photocopy features such as an Original Document security screen that won't show up on a duplicate.

Regardless of the checks you use, we recommend you print the checks using magnetic ink. Although optical character recognition is common, many banking system still use MICR systems. The experts say MICR is dying out, but they've been saying that for years. For now, continue to use magnetic ink for faster and more accurate check processing.

Combine Easy Soft's high-quality commercial check stock with our first-class attorney practice management software and you have a winning combination that speeds up your financial tasks and protects your practice from fraud.