An Onit e-billing vendor is a law firm or other legal service provider that submits invoices to a client through Counsel Exchange, Onit’s vendor portal, where they are validated and routed for approval. Setting a firm up as a vendor covers the portal it uses, who at the firm has access, how it submits invoices, and whether its timekeeper rates need approval first. This guide walks through each part of Onit e-billing vendor setup and the checks to run before a firm bills.
What is an Onit e-billing vendor?
An Onit e-billing vendor is a participating legal vendor that submits invoices through Onit’s vendor portal. Onit ended BillingPoint and CounselGO access on September 17, 2025, making Counsel Exchange the single vendor portal. Firms are getting faster at billing through these portals, since billing data from about 400 law firms shows average payment times fell from 62 to 50 days in 2025. Since September 17, 2025 that portal is Counsel Exchange for every Onit product, and firms may still use the older names, so it helps to know all three.
- Counsel Exchange. Onit’s current vendor portal for OnitX, SimpleLegal, and Unity customers, where firms submit invoices, manage timekeeper rates, and respond to invoice adjustments.
- CounselGO. The former SimpleLegal portal, retired on September 17, 2025. Firms log in to Counsel Exchange with their existing CounselGO username.
- BillingPoint. The former OnitX portal, retired on the same date and replaced by Counsel Exchange.
Use one name, Counsel Exchange, in every communication to firms, and update onboarding packs that still mention the old portals. Firms working for 10 or more corporate clients juggle many portals, and a vague instruction costs a support call. For the details of the switch, see what Counsel Exchange changed for firms and legal departments.
Which submission route should each firm use?
Each firm should use the LEDES route whenever it can produce LEDES files, with the manual route reserved for firms that cannot. The choice affects validation, review effort, and reporting quality, so decide it during onboarding and record it against the firm.
Under the LEDES route, the firm uploads a LEDES file and a PDF copy of the invoice through the portal. This is the default for most firms and gives the richest data for validation and reporting. Firms that cannot produce LEDES files use manual entry on the portal’s invoice entry screens, which suits small firms, local counsel, and occasional vendors.
In most departments, the top 20 firms by spend can all produce LEDES, while manual entry covers a long tail of smaller vendors billing a few invoices a year. Tell firms which LEDES format your department accepts for electronic billing before they submit anything.
How do law firms get access to the Onit vendor portal?
Law firms get access to the Onit vendor portal when the client adds a portal administrator for the firm, who can then submit invoices on referred matters and upload timekeeper rates where the client requires it. Access is the first practical step of vendor setup.
- Collect the right contacts. Ask each firm for a billing administrator and a backup, with names and email addresses, before go-live.
- Grant the administrator role. Add the contact as the firm’s portal administrator, so they can manage the firm’s submissions.
- Leave time for firm-side setup. Firms need time to add their own users, review the matters referred to them, and submit timekeepers before the first invoice date.
Allow two to four weeks between sending access and the first invoicing deadline. Firms that receive access three days before month end tend to submit late or on paper.
How are LEDES invoices submitted through Counsel Exchange?
LEDES invoices are submitted through Counsel Exchange by uploading the LEDES file, usually with a PDF copy of the invoice, and the client’s platform then validates it against its billing rules. The portal checks each LEDES file as it is uploaded and flags any critical error, so the firm can fix and re-upload the file before submitting.
Upload discipline matters at month end, when a large firm may submit invoices on 30 to 100 matters in a few days. Make sure firms know that the LEDES file is the data the system checks, and the PDF is the human-readable copy for reviewers. If the two disagree, the LEDES file drives validation, so firms should generate both from the same billing run. Ask firms to check the matter number on every file before upload, since a wrong matter number is one of the most common reasons an invoice fails on arrival.
How should non-LEDES firms submit invoices in Onit?
Non-LEDES firms submit invoices in Onit by entering invoice information manually on the invoice entry screens, with flat-fee charges and hourly timekeeper charges recorded as separate line items. Clear instructions keep manual invoices as reviewable as LEDES ones.
Keep flat-fee items and hourly timekeeper charges on separate lines, so reviewers and reports can tell them apart. Manual invoices follow the same guidelines on narratives, expenses, and rates as LEDES invoices.
Review the manual vendor list once a year. A firm that has grown to submit several invoices a month is usually ready to move to LEDES, which saves both sides time.
How does timekeeper rate validation work for Onit vendors?
Timekeeper rate validation for Onit vendors works by having the firm submit timekeepers and rates through Counsel Exchange, and client administrators approve or reject each submission before invoices at that rate are accepted. The feature can require rate approval before a vendor submits any invoice.
- New timekeepers. Profiles and rates for lawyers or paralegals who have not billed the client before.
- New standard rates. Updated standard rates for existing timekeepers, usually in an annual increase window.
- Matter-specific rates. Rates that apply to one matter only, such as a negotiated rate for a large piece of work.
Firms can submit rates one at a time through the New Rate form or in bulk by upload. Each timekeeper must carry a unique ID, so later updates link to the right profile. Approvers open the timekeeper profile, review the submitted rate and details, and approve or reject it.
Should rate validation apply to every Onit e-billing vendor?
Rate validation does not have to apply to every Onit e-billing vendor, because the requirement can be switched on or off for individual firms through the vendor record settings. Most departments apply it to firms where rates carry real spend.
Switch it on for firms with high spend, many timekeepers, or regular rate increases, since they benefit most from approval before billing. A local counsel firm billing two small invoices a year rarely justifies the admin effort on either side.
Write the criteria down, such as annual spend above a set amount or more than five active timekeepers, so the decision is consistent and easy to explain to firms.
What should be checked before a vendor’s first invoice in Onit?
Before a vendor’s first invoice in Onit, the department should confirm that access, submission route, rates, and a test invoice are all in place. With these checks done, the first billing cycle confirms the setup works.
- Access and matters. The firm’s portal administrator can log in and see every matter referred to the firm.
- Submission route. The firm is recorded as LEDES or manual, and has the format and PDF requirements in writing.
- Timekeepers and rates. Every timekeeper expected to bill has a unique ID and, where validation is on, an approved rate.
- Test invoice. A representative invoice passes validation for matter, rates, narratives, UTBMS codes, expenses, and PDF attachment.
Monitor the first production invoice from each of your top firms closely, and record every rejected line with its cause and fix.
How should Onit vendor setup be managed after go-live?
Onit vendor setup should be managed after go-live as an ongoing process with an owner, because firms change contacts, add timekeepers, and grow into LEDES over time. The setup that worked at launch drifts within a year if nobody maintains it.
Assign one person or team to own vendor records, portal access, and rate validation settings, with three recurring tasks.
- Quarterly access review. Check portal administrators every quarter, since billing staff at firms change often and a departed contact can block a month of invoices.
- Rate validation review. Revisit which firms have rate validation on.
- LEDES migration. Move manual vendors that now submit several invoices a month onto LEDES.
Conclusion
Onit e-billing vendor setup decides how smoothly invoices arrive, from the first billing cycle onward. Brief every firm on Counsel Exchange, pick LEDES or manual entry for each firm, and grant portal access well before the first deadline. Use timekeeper rate validation where rates carry real spend, with firm-level settings for everyone else. Check access, rates, and a test invoice before each firm bills, then keep vendor records current with a named owner. Done this way, firms know exactly how to bill you, and reviewers spend their time on substance.
How Basla can help
Basla provides delivery teams for Onit implementation, covering legal technology consulting, business analysis, vendor and rate configuration, billing rule setup, law firm onboarding support, testing, documentation, and post-go-live support. For vendor setup, that means building the firm inventory, configuring portal access and rate validation, testing representative invoices from each major firm, and supporting the first billing cycles.
Basla has delivered matter management and eBilling across 10+ global jurisdictions and has doubled delivery team size to meet compressed implementation timelines.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Onit e-billing vendor?
An Onit e-billing vendor is a law firm or legal service provider that submits invoices to a client through Counsel Exchange, Onit’s vendor portal. Counsel Exchange replaced BillingPoint and CounselGO in September 2025, so it now applies to every Onit product.
How do law firms submit invoices through Counsel Exchange?
Law firms submit invoices through Counsel Exchange by uploading a LEDES file, usually with a PDF copy of the invoice. The portal checks each LEDES file on upload and flags critical errors before the invoice is submitted.
Can law firms without LEDES bill through Onit?
Law firms that cannot produce LEDES files can enter invoice information manually on the portal’s invoice entry screens. Flat-fee and hourly timekeeper charges are entered as separate line items.
How do law firms submit timekeeper rates in Onit?
Law firms submit timekeeper rates through Counsel Exchange, one at a time with the New Rate form or in bulk by upload. Each timekeeper needs a unique ID, and client administrators approve or reject each submission.
Can timekeeper rate validation be turned on for some firms only?
Timekeeper rate validation can be enabled or disabled for individual firms through the vendor record settings. Many departments switch it on for high-spend firms and leave it off for occasional vendors.
Who at a law firm gets access to the Onit vendor portal?
The client adds a portal administrator for each firm, who can submit invoices on referred matters and upload timekeeper rates where required. The firm’s administrator can then add other users.
*This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Basla Solutions provides legal technology implementation and support services and does not practice law.*