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FAQs: cja

  • IS A SPECIFIC EXCEL PROGRAM NEEDED TO USE THE CJA 20 HOURLY SPREADSHEET?

    The Excel spreadsheet is compatible with many versions of Microsoft Excel. It is recommended that you use a version that is newer than version 5. The Open Office software provided by Sun Systems will not be supported by U.S. District Court.

  • WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOCUMENT, I RECEIVE A MESSAGE THAT MY SECURITY SETTINGS ARE TOO HIGH. WHY?

    Please download the CJA 20 Hourly Spreadsheet Setup and Instruction Guide and follow the steps for changing your security settings. The CJA-20 Hourly Spreadsheet has embedded macros that assist with print settings (i.e., it prevents the printing of empty lines and ensures that any line that has data will be included in the printed document) and sorting entries by date. (Note: Macros do not apply to MAC users, but security settings should be set to accept them, to enable the checkboxes on the Voucher tab). The instructions will provide step-by-step directions to ensure settings are correct on the PC being used for voucher preparation.

  • ENTRIES WERE ADDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORKSHEET AND ARE OUT OF SEQUENCE. CAN I SORT THE WORKSHEET SO THAT ALL THE ENTRIES ARE IN DATE ORDER?

    Yes. Data sorting is possible with the CJA 20 Hourly Spreadsheet. There is a gray button ON the spreadsheet around cell A1that reads Sort by Date. When this button is clicked, both the Services and Expenses entries will be sorted by date in ascending order (the Sort by Date button does not apply to MAC users).

  • TIME ENTERED ON THE SERVICES TAB IS NOT CALCULATING PROPERLY ON THE SUMMARY SHEET. WHY?

    Because this is a DATE driven spreadsheet, entries for time spent on tasks must be input on the same line as the date. This problem commonly occurs when several lines are used to describe work performed. The date ends up on the first line and the time claimed ends up on the last line. Excel formulates dollar amounts based on the rate in effect on the date entered. Please check your work, and be sure the dates and times claimed are accurate and that every line has a date.

  • CAN ROWS BE DELETED FROM EITHER THE SERVICES OR THE EXPENSES WORKSHEETS?

    No. Deleting rows is a locked function. Information can be removed only by highlighting and clearing the contents of cells in a particular row to get rid of the information or it can be pasted into another range of cells within the worksheet. However, if you inserted an empty row by mistake and would like to delete it, you can UNDO the action as an option of deleting the inserted row.

  • IS TEXT WRAP SET FOR EVERY FIELD?

    No. Text wrapping is set only for the description field on both the Services and the Expenses worksheets.

  • WHY IS SPELLING GRAYED OUT (UNDER THE TOOLS MENU) WHEN I TRY TO SPELL CHECK MY WORK?

    In order to protect the worksheet formulas, it was necessary to lock the CJA 20 Hourly Spreadsheet. Therefore, spell check is no longer an available option.

  • SINCE THE WORKSHEETS ARE AUTOMATED, IS IT STILL NECESSARY TO SUBMIT A CJA-20 VOUCHER?

    Yes. All worksheets must accompany a completed CJA-20 voucher. The CJA 20 Hourly Spreadsheet has an included tab that is the ACTUAL CJA-20 voucher form and the information entered on the Services, Expenses and VoucherRet2 tabs automatically transfers to the CJA-20 Voucher tab. The second tab (VoucherRet2) is used only for the older pay rates. The Print /PDF Setup macro then prepares each worksheet for print preview and printing (the Print / PDF Setup button does not apply to MAC users).

  • I AM TRYING TO CHECK THE BOXES ON THE VOUCHER, BUT NO MATTER HOW I CLICK, I CAN'T GET A CHECKMARK. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

    Most likely, you have neglected to click on Enable Macros when launching the spreadsheet.  Close the spreadsheet and re-open to get the message again and choose Enable Macros. If you do not get this message, refer to the CJA-20 Hourly Spreadsheet Setup and Instruction Guide. If you have Excel 2007, refer to the CJA-20 Hourly Spreadsheet Setup and Instruction Guide, Addendum (page 12).

  • HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM USING THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF THE SPREADSHEET?

    We encourage Panel Attorneys and staff to periodically visit the Court's website and retrieve the most current version of the automated spreadsheet. New versions are posted and named with the current date of their posting. The current version is CJA-20 Hourly Spreadsheet 10-17-2008.  There is also a MAC version CJA-20 Hourly Spreadsheet 10-17-2008 - MAC. This version date is also found in the spreadsheet on the footer of the Services and Expenses tabs.

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