Choose the tools you need
- Basic
- Start with one monthly amount, a payment term, and a discount rate. Download a one-page calculation.
- Pro
- Use changing payment phases, compare scenarios, explore sensitivity, and prepare a detailed report.
- Expert
- Adjust individual installments, manage multiple matters, evaluate buyout offers, use reverse calculations, and add your firm’s branding to reports.
All three modes and report downloads are free during this preview. Checkout is not enabled. Compare capabilities and planned pricing.
Enter and check your assumptions
In Basic, enter the monthly support, payment term, and annual discount rate. Use Try an example if you want to explore the controls before entering your own assumptions.
In Pro and Expert, enter the monthly amount, duration, and rate for each payment phase. Use Add a payment phase for a later change in payments. Open the timing, rate convention, and tax settings when your calculation needs them.
For a simple practice calculation, enter $5,000 a month for 5 years at 4.5%. Use a nominal annual rate with monthly compounding and the first payment in one month. Those illustrative inputs are also used on the Sample reports page.
The amount, duration, and rate are your assumptions. The practice figures demonstrate the software and are not a recommended buyout or discount rate. Use the preparation checklist to organize what you need.
Adjust an exceptional installment
Open Cash flow → Every payment and choose Edit on the installment. Enter its replacement amount, explain the change, and optionally cite a source. Zero is a real replacement. Leaving the amount blank restores the calculated payment. A balloon replaces the regular payment for that installment.
The replacement stays fixed if the phase amount or annual adjustment changes. Rate changes still affect its present value. If a date moves or a payment falls outside a shortened schedule, review the affected adjustment in Cash flow. You can keep it on the new date, reassign it explicitly, or restore the calculated amount. Backups retain unfinished work.
With an offer entered, the same editor can replace retained support for an installment. Retained support cannot exceed the modeled payment. Resolve that conflict explicitly, including entering zero retained support for a zero modeled installment when necessary.
Use Adjusted payments only to find exceptions. Restore calculated amount removes one replacement; Undo adjustment edit restores the previous adjustments. Reports automatically include the adjustment reconciliation even when monthly detail is turned off. Read payment adjustment FAQs or see an adjusted Expert sample.
Read the result in context
Total future payments is the sum before discounting. Present value discounts each payment to the valuation date. The time-value discount is the difference.
In Pro and Expert, open Results on a narrow screen to see the analysis. Use Overview for value and sensitivity, and Cash flow for the schedule. On a wider screen, inputs and results appear side by side.
The calculation assumes the entered payments are made for the full term. Read Methodology & sources for the model’s scope and limits.
Compare an alternative
Open the three-dot scenario menu and choose Duplicate scenario to keep the current assumptions as a starting point. Rename the alternative from its tab or with Rename scenario in that menu.
Change one assumption first, such as the rate or duration, then open Compare. This makes it easier to see what caused the difference. The + beside the scenario tabs starts a new scenario.
Expert’s Expert tools also let you enter a full or partial buyout offer and explore implied rates and durations. These outputs describe your selected assumptions; they do not recommend an agreement.
Prepare the report
Basic offers a PDF download beneath the result. In Pro and Expert, select Report, add the preparer and matter details, and choose Executive summary or Full analysis & workpapers.
Record the basis for your inputs in Rate sources & matter notes and the Source register. Select the exhibits, schedules, and available comparison scenarios you want to include. Reports support up to three complete alternatives alongside the active scenario.
In Expert, open Firm branding to add your firm name, contact details, color, and logo. Use Report templates to save reusable firm settings, report selections, and supplemental language. Matter inputs, source entries, references, and commentary remain specific to the matter.
Check the report options and choose Create PDF report. Expert also offers Create Word, Excel & PDF package, with an editable Word companion, formula-based Excel workpapers, the fixed PDF, and an input backup. Under Created versions, download the exact saved files or compare a previous Expert report with another version or the current draft.
“Reviewed by preparer” records your own selection. Creating a report does not include independent professional review. See sample reports before choosing a format.
Keep a backup outside your browser
Basic and Pro keep work in this browser. Expert can also save it to an individual account. A PDF preserves the report; a backup preserves editable work.
- Basic
- Download the calculation PDF. Use Continue in Pro to carry a completed calculation into the scenario workspace.
- Pro
- Open the three-dot scenario menu and choose Download backup to save all open scenarios. Use Import saved work to restore them or move them to another device.
- Expert
- Open Manage matters and choose Download this matter or Download all matters. Use Import matter backup to restore a downloaded file. For account storage, select Account, sign in with ChatGPT, then choose Open account storage and Save to account. Opening a saved account workspace leaves your separate browser-only workspace intact.
Account saves are explicit. Save after editing, and before moving to another device. Each save is available under Recover an earlier save. If another device saved newer work, download your draft, open the latest account version, and import the backup as additional matters. New reports created while account storage is open are saved there with their inputs and files. Download individual PDFs or report packages as well. Keep backups before clearing browser data, using private browsing, or changing devices. Treat downloaded files as part of your matter records.