Attorneys will run into a lot of problems when it comes to attorney billing. Attorneys will typically charge very high rates which can often discourage their clients from keeping up with their payments or paying their attorney billing fees on time or at all. Below, we have several tips that you can use as an attorney to ensure that your costs are reasonable, fair and most importantly, ethical.
Make Sure That Your Fee Is Reasonable
One of the main reasons why people choose to not pay their attorney fees is that they feel that they are being overcharged. Compare your attorney billing rates with the rates of your competitors to ensure that you are charging a fair rate. If you find that you are charging a significantly higher amount than your peers, you may be inviting people to skip out on their bills because they are too high.
Discuss Your Fees before You Begin Your Work
Before you start any work, talk to your client about your rates. Make sure that they understand what they will be charged for and what they should expect to pay you by the end of your arrangement. By doing this, you will avoid a potential situation where the client is unable to pay the amount that they are charged. Discussing the fee beforehand will allow the client to make the choice to hire you only if they will be able to afford you.
Do Not Exploit Nonrefundable Arrangements
Many attorneys negotiate non-refundable arrangements with their clients. There’s a difference between this and expecting to be paid for nothing. Although you may be able to get away with this based off of technicalities, it clearly violates many ethical boundaries. If you negotiate a retainer fee and the case is unexpectedly settled with little to no work on your end, it may be worth it in the long run to waive some of that no-refund policy. Doing so will help keep your reputation in good standing which will help you in the long run.
The Final Word
In order to stick to a good code of ethics, you should practice the tips that we have discussed above. Along with these tips, there are many other ways that you can remain fair to your clients.
Attorney billing is an area that is often exploited. As an attorney, it may be in your best interest to remain ethical and fair to your clients. By choosing Omneity Billing for your attorney billing you save your practice the time and money that was once devoted to following up with clients and attempting to collect on past due accounts.
