Billing Ethics: Get Paid Faster While Meeting Clients’ Expectations

This webinar focuses on ways to capture more revenue by reducing or eliminating 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 clients’ pricing and billing expectations

• How to discuss billing and pricing with clients 

• Procedures for setting and meeting clients’ expectations

• How to use payment plans and other options

• Modern payment alternatives

 

The program will include discussion of various 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

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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 their clients. 
 
Allison helps her clients create efficient, effective systems and operations to maximize productivity and enhance client experience. Her clients learn how to identify and attract their ideal clients, improve their client intake and selection, increase client loyalty, develop client-friendly fee structures, and increase profits. With the rise of the internet and social media, Allison recognizes that lawyers must capture attention and demonstrate their expertise online. She provides online marketing and social media services and training for lawyers to help them maximize these important opportunities. 
 
The College of Law Practice Management inducted Allison as a Fellow in October 2018. In 2016, Allison was one of the first to receive the Outstanding Women in Law Award from Hofstra University Center for Children, Families and the Law and Long Island Business News. She was recognized by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division in October 2018 with the Wilkins Award for Overall Achievement in Division Publishing, and received the award for Best Column in 2019 for her Simple Steps column in Law Practice magazine. Allison currently serves as Chair of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center, has served as the Chair of the Division’s Book Publishing Board, on the Division’s Council, Education Board, Nominating Committee, and on the editorial boards of both Law Practice Magazine and Law Practice Today. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Division’s Legal Technology Resource Center. 
 
Also active in her local bar associations, Allison is the former Executive Director of the Suffolk Academy of Law, the educational arm of the Suffolk County Bar Association, served as Associate Dean of the Academy of Law, and is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Bar Association and past Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Committee. She has served as a member of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Nominating Committee, Chair of the Membership Committee and on the editorial board of The Nassau Lawyer. 
 
Allison writes and lectures on marketing, social media, business development, productivity and practice management for bar associations, law schools and other legal associations, and has been a presenter at the ABA TECHSHOW, the leading legal technology conference and expo. She is the co-author, with Daniel J. Siegel, of How to Do More In Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, and with Dennis Kennedy, of
LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers, and Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, all published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division. Her most recent book, Make LinkedIn Work for You, A Practical Handbook for Lawyers and Other Legal Professionals, co-authored again with Dennis Kennedy, was released in October of 2019. 
 
Allison is the author of the Legal Ease Blog at www.LegalEaseConsulting.com. Her website, Lawyer Meltdown, provides resources and information for lawyers about managing and building their practices.