Abstract: A method for tracking and approving legal expenses incurred by a business entity using a legal budgeting computer system is provided. The method includes creating a legal matter reflecting legal work to be performed by an outside counsel, creating a purchase order for the legal matter including a budgeted amount which is expected to be paid to the outside counsel for performing the legal work, receiving from the outside counsel an invoice, and prompting an account manager to designate a method of reimbursement for the invoice including at least one of paid at close, charge to good faith, charge to loan, customer to wire money, and a non-reimbursable charge to cost center. The method also includes submitting the invoice to an approval process, validating the approved invoice amount, paying the approved invoice amount, and automatically reconciling the approved invoice amount.

Abstract: A method for tracking and approving legal expenses incurred by a business entity using a legal budgeting system is provided. The business entity is engaged in the business of providing financial services to a plurality of customers. The method includes creating within the legal budgeting system a legal matter reflecting legal work to be performed by an outside counsel, creating a purchase order for the legal matter including a budgeted amount which is expected to be paid to the outside counsel for performing the legal work, receiving at the legal budgeting system from the outside counsel an invoice including invoice data and an invoice amount for at least a portion of the legal work performed on the legal matter, and prompting an account manager to designate a method of reimbursement for the invoice including at least one of paid at close, charge to good faith, charge to loan, customer to wire money, and a non-reimbursable charge to cost center.

Abstract: A method for supporting, streamlining and standardizing a deal-making process using a deal managing and processing system includes the steps of creating a new deal profile, creating a deal prospect user interface, updating a status of prospects based upon a prospects response and using system based tool to guide a deal team through the deal-making process. In one embodiment, personal portals are configured for prospective customers to access deal information. In another embodiment, personalized web pages are configured to attract prospects for business.