When the demands of a busy law practice are at full throttle midway from the year-end push, billing clients can present as a colossal challenge to many attorneys. However, good billing practices serve as the backbone to running a successful firm.
Consistent and timely billing practices combined with diligent dispute resolution that more quickly anticipates, and then ameliorates, client concerns, are both crucial in avoiding client misunderstandings or sticker shock. Allotting regular timeframes to review timekeeping entries, outstanding invoices, and overdue accounts help to streamline firm billing, demonstrate communication, trust, and consistency to clients, and anticipate concerns before they develop. When they do arise, giving billing issues the attention they deserve allows firms to avoid leaving earned fees on the table and identify concerns which, if not corrected, may develop into other problems with the representation.