Top Billing Tips For Lawyers

Short post as a result of frustration again at reading comments on lawyers' billing that are overly simplistic.

There is no single correct way for lawyers to bill...


Smart lawyers will bill with sophistication, in a variety of ways, to suit their clients, the types of services being delivered, their own particular circumstances etc.

Billing by time alone is not always smart...can often very effectively shoot your own foot off so to speak!

"Value billing"...means many things to many people...but at a minimum learn to convey value in what you do for clients and they will pay substantially more for it usually...I hear this from lawyers at all levels of experience every day, and know it to be true from my own experience.

The NSW Law Society recently issued "Time Billing-A Reminder To The Profession"...while it is intended to offer some assistance to lawyers who do use Time Billing the final paragraph says, "Finally, apart from time billing, the availability of alternative fee charging methods should be discussed with responsive clients when appropriate.

Hopefully the ongoing work by the Law Society Cost Committee will come up with a lot more sophisticated help on "alternative fee charging methods" for those member lawyers who are not across the issue.

Finally for today...remember that if you want to dramatically improve profit you only need to increase revenue moderately on a job...

So, for example, if your profit was to be 15% on revenue of $1000, just $150, you can increase your profit 100% by getting the client to see value in a fee of just $1150.

You don't have to be particularly visionary to calculate what a profit improvement of 100% would be worth to you in a year, even if you only achieved it on half your work.