Stripe Connect Express

We want to automate our invoice & payment process and believe Stripe Connect Express is the solution. (Though if you have other ideas, please do share!) Stripe uses API, webhooks and a bunch of other terms that we don't understand. That's where you come in. You MUST be familiar with Stripe Connect & how to set up this type of thing. Here's the other rub. I believe that Stripe Connect requires some things (database, log in pages?) on our website. IF this is something you also can guide us on .... or do....that would be perfect. If you are not able to do the onsite part of it, we just need you to let us know what has to be done and we'll find another freelancer to do that bit. The goal in automating our process, is to: Allow our subcontractors to issue invoices to the customer they completed work for. Contractors should be able to view only the invoices they issued, as well as the status of those invoices (paid, funds availability, ect). The payment processor (we only found Stripe Connect that does this) would then pay the subcontractor their % and deposit the company/admin %. This would eliminate having someone that does nothing but enter invoices, track payment status, issue payments to contractors, etc. And since most payment processors make deposits in batches, that person has to dig in to see what that deposited amount is to be attributed to, so she can subsequently pay the appropriate contractor. Nightmare job! And a waste of resources if this can be automated! Note - our services are not a flat fee or store "product". Our service fees vary with the project completed for each customer. So there is no way to determine what the final bill will be until the project is completed. Customers know this and sign a contract, blah blah legal jargon here. We'd like to require a deposit/retainer/escrow (pick a term) from the customer at the onset of the relationship. I say relationship, because projects are 1 week in duration and 99.9% of the customers retain us for the next week. We'd prefer the "deposit" remain unused until the 'final' invoice, when the customer terminates our services. However, if this is not possible and the deposits must be used to offset each weekly invoice, then we're going to have to require a new deposit each week. (Not the best situation, but we're not sure what Stripe will allow us to do) Average invoices each week to each customer are about $350. We'd like a deposit on file for $150. Booya! Can you do this? We're ready to rock and roll on this ASAP.