Law Practice Management and Technology
The Bottom Line Volume 35, No. 3 June 2014
Content
- Creative Lawyer Is Not an Oxymoron or Why Johnny Esq. Can't Innovate
- MCLE Self-Study Article California’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration Act Benefits Attorneys by Providing an Efficient Mechanism to Resolve Legal Fee Disputes
- Message From the Chair: “To Cloud or Not To Cloud, That Is the Question”
- Message From the Editors
- Some Confessions & a Bit of Wisdom from a Fee Arbitrator
- You Want Us to Do What? One Firm's Successful Brand Development Story through Social Media Success
- Coach's Corner: Billing Conundrums and How to Solve Them
Coach’s Corner: Billing Conundrums and How to Solve Them
By Ed Poll, Esq.
Principal, LawBiz® Management
Billing is not as straightforward as it may seem at first. In fact, billing involves more conundrums than the Sunday crossword puzzle.
People in general are paying more attention than ever before to the workings of government and businesses, and they are demanding financial accountability. Clients are no different in terms of what they expect from their lawyers when it comes to billing. This greater client sophistication about billing practices, along with keen competition for legal services and a heightened press awareness and curiosity, has made it critical for lawyers to continually examine their billing procedures to make sure that they are fair, ethical, and practical.
As court cases and Formal Opinion 93-379 of the American Bar Association (ABA) have shown, billing is a confusing and controversial subject. The following paragraphs highlight just a few of the numerous situations that could lead you into the murky waters of âunethicalâ billing, with specific tips for their avoidance.