MCLE Self-Study Article Getting Paid: 20 Ways to Avoid Fee Disputes With Your Client

By Neil Pedersen, Esq.

Introduction

There may be several reasons you decided to become an attorney: a desire to help, a competitive spirit, a yearning to continue learning throughout your career, or maybe just the promise of a decent paycheck. For whatever reason you are in this business of law, you need the business to financially survive and even thrive in order to achieve your goals. Cash flow is critical to running any business, and cash flow in this business is directly related to motivating your clients to pay you.

Many young attorneys, and non-attorneys as well, are surprised to hear that attorneys have trouble getting paid. Their natural question is "are clients really so thick that they fail to pay a professional who is in the business of suing?" But, any attorney who has been in practice for a fair number of years can tell you that it is a regular battle to get paid. Big firms and small, the challenge is there.