The organizer and e-organizer use the prior year information to base the current year data on. Therefore, the organizer and e-organizer can only be found in the prior year Lacerte program until the final release of the current year program.
For example, to send your clients organizers for TY20 based on the TY19 data, you'd need to access and print organizers or send e-organizers from 2019 Lacerte. The organizer for 2020 Lacerte will be on the final release of the 2019 program (Proforma/Organizer release).
The client or engagement letter can include up to three pages of text to be printed with the organizer. You can create and customize up to 99 client letters.
The default letters are Single Window Default and Double Window Default.
Use the Client Letter for the following:
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As a reminder to clients about their next appointment
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As an instruction page, or
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As a summary of organizer contents
To modify the organizer client or engagement letter:
Lacerte highly recommends editing organizer client or engagement letters directly within Organizer. Edits and updates can also be done in Notepad and then copied and pasted into the organizer letter. We don't recommend editing the letters in Word. This recommendation is based on the rich text formatting Word uses, which isn't supported by Lacerte. Editing letters in Word and copy/pasting into Organizer can cause hidden text or spaces to appear when the letters are printed.
- Select the Clients tab (to view the list of your clients).
- Select Tools.
- Select Organizer.
- If you are editing the Client Letter:
- Select the + next to Client Letter.
- Select the applicable Letter to edit:
- Single Window Default
- Double Window Default
- Custom Client Letter (if you have one you created), or
- Create a New Client letter
- If you are editing the Engagement Letter:
- Select the + next to the Engagement Letter.
- Select the applicable Letter to edit:
- Single Window Default
- Double Window Default
- Custom Engagement Letter (if you have one you created), or
- Create a New Engagement Letter
- If Create New Client/Engagement Letter is selected, Lacerte will ask if the new letter should start out as a copy of an existing letter, or if it should be blank. Select the appropriate option, and the desired letter to copy if applicable. Lacerte will require that a name be entered if a new letter is created.
- Make the necessary changes to the letter. The following options are available for modification:
- Adding or removing text
- Style and size of font
- Alignment
- Text features (italics, bold and underline)
- Select File
- Select Save (or select the Save button on the lower right corner of the window.)
If you use the Single Window Default for the client letter and choose to use the firm's stationary, you must make a copy of this letter and remove the Firm Information keywords. The paragraph marks ( ¶ ) should be left in place. Use this copy when processing organizers.
Using keywords:
Keywords are placeholders in your letter for specific information about a client. Using keywords, you can compose generic title pages, letters, and questionnaires, and use them for multiple clients without having to enter each client's information separately. Lacerte reads keywords in your letter and replaces them with information from each client's data file. For example, if the keyword [CLIENTNAME] appears in your letter, Lacerte will insert the client's full name in place of the keyword when it prints the letter. You can use as many keywords as needed in each letter.
- Open the letter you want to edit.
- Place the cursor where you want the keyword to be.
- Select Tools.
- Select Keywords.
- Select the Keyword Category under the Categories section:
- <All Keywords>
- Firm Information
- Client Information
- Miscellaneous
- Appointment Information
- Select the Keyword under the Keyword Names section.
- Select Insert.
To change the letter settings:
- Select the letter you want to change the settings for.
- Select Tools.
- Select Letter Settings.
- Make the necessary changes.
- Select OK when finished.
To modify the margins:
- Select the letter you want to modify.
- Select Tools.
- Select Letter Settings.
- Edit the margins under the Page Setup section.
- Select OK.
- Select File.
- Select Save.
