You’ve done the work. Your client is happy. Two weeks later, they get your bill. It sits on their dining table for a night, then a week, and is then buried under countless other pieces of mail. If you’re lucky, they’ll find it a month later and pay. But for many firms, accounts receivable are ultimately not received.
Getting paid for your work is essential for your firm’s ability to continue serving clients, and yet it often seems that getting paid is harder than the actual work. If you are getting fed up with this cycle, see how these four tips can help simplify your law firm’s collections to benefit your practice.
Tip #1: Start by setting expectations for the billing experience
As a practice management and legal billing software provider, we lean heavily on technology. However, no matter how much we like to think software can solve every issue, the truth is that people are what matter most in the legal sector.
Therefore, before we talk about collections, remember that every interaction you have with a client will influence the impression they have of you. Considering how vital referrals can be in the legal sector, it’s critical that your firm’s billing experience doesn’t alienate a client who could send business your way in the future. And while collections isn’t any client’s favorite topic, it is an opportunity to establish a strong relationship with them. So, take the time to set expectations upfront. Be sure to explain:
- How your rates are calculated
- How and when the client’s invoice(s) will be delivered
- What your client’s payment options are
Naturally, how this is communicated matters. Your clients could be going through an incredibly painful period in their lives. Communicate your billing practices clearly and concisely, and let your clients know how they can reach you if they have questions about your billing.
Finally, give them an opportunity to ask questions about your billing process. If a client is concerned about whether they’ll be able to pay, having that discussion can help them understand what they should do before starting. Building this foundation of clarity, transparency, and trust early can improve both your collections as well as your ability to work with the client.
Tip #2: Review your collection policies, procedures, and reporting practices
Consistency makes billing and collections easier, both for clients and your firm’s internal team. For example, when is a bill sent? When is a follow-up reminder sent? When is a client’s balance written off, and how is that squared in your books? Having a consistent approach to these situations makes it easier to automate, increasing your firm’s ability to collect and eliminating opportunities for client frustration.
Many firms don’t have these collections policies in place, and those that do often implement them inconsistently. This leads to two common outcomes:
- Clients are billed, followed up with, or written down or off, but this isn’t clearly communicated internally. When this happens regularly, it can leave your accounts receivable in a confused state, putting your firm’s cash flow at risk.
- Clients don’t know what to expect and, therefore, have a poor experience when they finally do receive your invoice. This can leave clients on a sour note, impacting their likelihood of being promoters of your firm.
Take the time to review your collections policies, procedures, and reporting practices. Doing so can improve your internal and external communications, make your teams more efficient, leave clients happier, and remove ambiguity from the billing process.
Tip #3: Provide clear and timely statements
We started by saying that one of the most important parts of billing is setting expectations, and we stand by that. Clients are more likely to pay when their service is recent and they know what’s coming. Alternatively, if your clients are surprised by a bill or there’s been a lapse between their service and your invoice, it’s almost always harder for your firm to collect. That means more time spent following up and less time on what drives your firm forward. Providing clients with easily-understood invoices promptly after their service is crucial to maintaining a predictable revenue cycle.
How can you do it? Dozens of ways. If you use a customer relationship management platform, you can enter notes and reminders there and add notifications letting you know when to bill. Then, you can execute those tasks in your accounting platform. You can then set a reminder for when to follow up. You can repeat this process until you’re able to collect.
Tabs3 can help you quickly manage billing, follow-ups, and the rest of your firm’s collection needs. From sending invoices by email immediately after service to writing off client balances, Tabs3 helps your firm administrators accurately and efficiently enter billable hours, leaving them with more time for the work that drives your law firm forward.
Tip #4: Make it easy for clients to pay
The use of checks and cash is declining, and with so many forms of cashless payment available, each client may have different preferences for how they pay. Therefore, we recommend you avoid forcing a single payment method on your clients. For example, some clients may not have a PayPal account set up, so having your default payment method as PayPal may create enough friction to delay or prevent your collection.
Instead, offer as many payment options as you can. That way, clients can pick whatever they’re most comfortable with. Done manually, offering multiple payment options can be tedious, but it doesn’t need to be. Tabs3Pay allows you to share a single payment link in your emailed bills, letting clients pay securely as soon as they get your message.
Increase your connections to increase your collections
There are dozens of reasons a client might not pay their bill on time. They may have forgotten it, ignored it, or not understood it. No matter what the reason is, it can be prevented with quality communication upfront and a prompt, user-friendly billing process after.
While you focus on setting expectations, lean on Tabs3 to simplify your billing process so your firm’s administrators can manage their time, not collections.
To learn more about how Tabs3 can help you bill better, schedule a demo today!
