This webinar focuses on ways to capture more revenue by eliminating clients’ excuses for non-payment, late payment, reduced payment, or complaints about fees. Clients expect invoices to arrive in a timely manner and to contain sufficient information to describe the services provided, written in a way they can understand. When written from the client’s point of view, invoices can show progress vis-a-vis the expectations set in the engagement letter. We will discuss the ethics related to setting and collecting fees, referencing both the ABA and New York State Rules of Professional Responsibility as well as relevant ethics opinions and articles.
You will learn:
• How to meet the pricing and billing expectations of 21st century clients
• How to discuss billing and pricing with clients
• Procedures you should have in place to set and meet client expectations
• Adding payment plans and other options to meet clients halfway when they are struggling financially
• Modern payment alternatives
ABA Model Rules of Professional Responsibility, New York Rules of Professional Conduct, and ethics opinions governing billing and payments, including:
• Communication with clients about billing
• Reasonableness of fees and scope of work
• Changing fees during representation
• Retainer fees
• Acceptability of alternative payment methods
• Trust accounts and fiduciary duties
• Engagement agreements
Carol Schiro Greenwald, Ph.D. is a marketing and management strategist, trainer and marketing coach. She works with professionals and professional service firms to structure and implement growth programs that are targeted, strategic and practical. Her clients become more efficient, effective and successful at bringing in value-based, client-focused business that fuels firm profitability. Her book, Strategic Networking for Introverts, Extroverts and Everyone In-between (Law Practice Division, American Bar Association, January 2019) provides a training and coaching guide for linking personal business development activities with both personal and firm goals.
Before starting her own consulting firm, MarketingPartners, in 2001, Carol worked at four major accounting and consulting firms [Richard A Eisner, LLP (now Eisner Amper), KPMG Peat Marwick, BDO Seidman, and Grant Thornton] and was in-house Marketing Director at Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan LLP [now Winston & Strawn] and Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens [now Holland & Knight].
Carol also worked at Hamilton HMC, the health care consulting division of Kurt Salmon Associates, and was a consultant with the MarketForce division of Hildebrandt International. In her own consulting practice, she worked initially as a “rent-a-director” for many small and mid-size firms, and then moved into a consultant role providing strategic planning, coaching and training.
Carol is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management [COLPM]. She is a well-known speaker and frequent contributor to legal periodicals. She was, for many years, a contributor to and editor of Strategies, the Legal Marketing Association’s national publication. She is Past-President of the Legal Marketing Association, Metropolitan New York Chapter, and was a lecturer on the faculty of the New York University Marketing and Management Institute.
Allison C. Shields Johs, Esq., President of Legal Ease Consulting, Inc., provides marketing, social media, business development, productivity and practice management coaching and consulting services for lawyers and law firms.
After leaving her position as Administrative Partner at one of Long Island’s premier law firms in 2005, Allison started Legal Ease Consulting, Inc. to help lawyers build better law practices. A former practicing lawyer and law firm manager, Allison understands the law firm environment and the daily pressures faced by lawyers trying to manage and build their business while practicing law and successfully serving clients.
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