The #1 Billing Mistake Attorneys Make
As an attorney, you meet with clients, deliver the work as promised, and, eventually, you send out a bill. We understand that dealing with bills is not why you became an attorney, but in order to get paid and continue to practice law, you sometimes need to focus on billing just as much as practicing your passion.
The number one billing mistake attorneys make is tardy invoicing. Sending invoices to clients in an ad hoc fashion creates a cycle of problems. Here are just a few of the major pain points that late invoicing creates and how to fix them by creating a timely billing policy.
Brings up unnecessary questions
Don’t put yourself in a position where your clients forget what you were able to accomplish. Something that was clear to your client, like extra fees, might easily have been forgotten. You may often find yourself re-explaining a fee, or worse, offering a discount because the client wants to argue about why something was done. Sending an invoice right when they agree to your fee, or immediately after you resolve an issue, aligns their thought process with your payment.
Leaves money on the table
As we just mentioned, memory plays a factor in billing – for your client and for you. Do you remember every phone call, email, extra half hour at the courthouse, or late nights at the office?
Even the most seasoned professional cannot remember everything. The longer you wait to enter your time and send out invoices, the more likely details will get lost in the process…and by details, we mean money. A lack of timely billing practices leaves money on the table. So unless you can afford pro bono work to your billable clients, don’t let your well-earned money slip through the cracks.
Suggests that late payments are okay
Clients need you start working on their case or project right away, don’t they? Being late with your bill implies you are not concerned with when you get paid, or even worse, makes you look unorganized, which in turn could make the client less likely to refer you to other potential clients.
Creates more work for later
It may seem like you’re saving time by waiting until the end of the week or month to enter your time, but in reality, you’re actually creating more work. Time spent racking your brain trying to remember who and what to bill, combined with chasing clients for money, adds up. These end up being hours that you, unfortunately, cannot bill for.
This content is an abridged version of The #1 Billing Mistake Attorneys Makeby Tabs3 Software. To download the original white paper and learn how to create a proactive billing policy, visit Tabs3.com/LTBM.
By Guest Blogger: Tabs3 Software
