The invoice lifecycle

Every invoice moves through a predictable set of stages from creation to being paid, so you always know where it stands and what's still outstanding.

Draft — the invoice has been created (from a milestone, time logged, a retainer cycle, or manually) but hasn't gone to the client yet. You can still edit it.
Sent — you've sent the invoice to the client. From this point, its details and any attached deliverable assets are locked in.
Viewed — the client has opened their payment page.
Overdue — the invoice has passed its due date without being paid in full. Handl highlights these on your dashboard and in reminders.
Partially paid — some, but not all, of the invoice has been paid.
Paid — the invoice has been paid in full, whether through Handl or recorded manually.
Voided — the invoice has been cancelled and no longer needs paying.

There are also two statuses for invoices paid outside Handl entirely — for example through your accounting software — externally paid and partially paid externally, so your records stay accurate even when payment happens elsewhere.

Good to know

You can void an invoice at any point before it's fully paid — if it's already fully paid, issue a credit note instead of voiding it.
Voiding an invoice releases any time entries it included back to unbilled, and unlocks any deliverable assets that were held against it.
You can log a manual payment (bank transfer, cheque, cash) against any invoice — Handl works out whether that makes it partially paid or fully paid based on the amount recorded.

FAQs

Can I edit an invoice after I've sent it?
No — sending locks in the details, so make any corrections before sending, or void and reissue if something needs to change.

What's the difference between voiding and marking paid externally?
Void an invoice that shouldn't be paid at all. Mark it externally paid when the client has genuinely paid you, just not through Handl.

Does a partially paid invoice show what's still owing?
Yes — the outstanding balance is tracked and shown until the invoice is paid in full.