Who this is for: anyone at a firm that has Disbursements available and has not sent a payout yet.
The walkthrough
About a minute. It covers drafting a payout, the approval step, and what your client sees on their phone.
The short version
Someone on your team drafts the payout inside Hona, from the case or from the Disbursements tab. An approver reviews the amount and the recipient, then approves it.
Your client gets a secure link by text from your firm's own number, the same thread they have been using all case long. They verify their identity, then choose how to get paid: free direct deposit, which takes 4 to 6 business days, or instantly to a debit card.
Funds move from your firm's trust account through Confido Legal, our payments partner. Hona never touches the money.
Nothing is mailed, and nobody fields the "where is my check" call two weeks later.
What it costs
Your firm pays $3 per disbursement. It is charged only when your client accepts, and debited from your operating account on the 1st and the 15th. It is per payout, not per case, so five payouts on one case is $15.
Your client pays nothing for direct deposit. If they choose instant to a debit card, they pay 1% capped at $95. It is their choice, made on the link.
Before you can send your first one
Disbursements needs one setup step: a short application with Confido to connect your firm's bank accounts.
Because that application asks for trust account details, it has to be completed by whoever handles your firm's banking. Usually that is your finance lead, your bookkeeper, or whoever reconciles the trust account.
If that is not you, that is fine and it is the common case. Here is how the handoff works.
Step 1: a firm admin designates the Disbursements Admin
A Hona admin at your firm chooses who will own Disbursements. That person becomes your Disbursements Admin, and they are the only one who can run the enrollment.
The Disbursements Admin does not need to be a Hona admin. A regular user is fine, which matters because finance staff often are not Hona admins.
Pick deliberately, but do not agonize over it. A current Disbursements Admin can add another one and remove the original later, so this is changeable.
Step 2: the Disbursements Admin completes the Confido application
Two things speed this up more than anything else. Have them ready before starting:
Your firm's exact legal business name, matching what appears on your bank statement, character for character.
A bank verification document for each account, a statement, a voided check, or an online banking screenshot, showing that same legal name.
Firms that have those on hand move through review quickly. Firms that do not usually lose a week or two going back and forth.
Confido reviews the application and contacts your firm directly if anything needs fixing. Full detail is in Getting Started: Enrolling Your Firm in Disbursements.
Step 3: grant Drafter and Approver
Once you are approved, your Disbursements Admin grants the people who will actually use it. Drafting requires the Drafter, Approver, or Disbursements Admin permission, and a Hona role on its own is never enough.
FAQs
Do we need the rest of Hona to use Disbursements?
Do we need the rest of Hona to use Disbursements?
No. Firms run Disbursements on its own, without the client portal or case updates. The people using it are usually the accounting team rather than case managers.
Can our client still get a paper check?
Can our client still get a paper check?
Not through Disbursements. There is no check option on the payment page. If a client would rather have one, they can text your firm back and you use your existing check process. Some firms add a line inviting exactly that to their payment message.
We already use Confido. Do we start over?
We already use Confido. Do we start over?
No. Your Disbursements Admin connects your existing Confido account with OAuth. No re-underwriting and no double billing.
How long does setup take?
How long does setup take?
The application itself is short. Confido's review is the longer part, and it typically runs several business days. Having your legal business name and bank verification documents ready up front is what keeps it at the short end.
Questions
Chat with our support team or email [email protected] and we will help you get your first payout out the door.