Lawyers are in the business of helping people and organizations solve their legal problems. But they also have to run a business, which means they must keep track of time spent on each case and bill clients accordingly. E-billing software can help lawyers do just that. It can help lawyers:
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1. Increase Client Satisfaction
Your clients will appreciate being able to pay their bills online, especially if they don’t have to take time out of their schedule to pay your bills. They can also log into their accounts at any time and see all past-due invoices in front of them and any payment history they may want to review before making a payment on an outstanding invoice. This gives clients peace of mind knowing that you’re getting paid on time while they stay on top of what they owe you to avoid late fees or other penalties from your company for not paying on time.
2. Organize Their Time and Data
There are clear benefits to purchasing and using legal billing software, which is why it has become such a staple within the legal industry. At its core is the idea of saving time. When you’re a lawyer, there are plenty of things to keep track of. You’ve got to remember the details of the cases you’re working on, know where your files are at all times, and keep up with what’s going on in the rest of your firm. This is even more complicated if you work for yourself, as you might be juggling a lot more than one client at once (and still trying to remember where you put that file). Luckily, some companies have started making e-billing software to help lawyers better organize their time and data. So instead of having to remember when a bill is due or when you need to send an invoice, you can just let the software do it for you. The software will automatically remind you when certain tasks are due, pull together all of the relevant information about your clients and cases in one place, and even generate detailed reports that help track your progress on a case. And best of all, it can be accessed anywhere because it lives online instead of on your computer. This means it’s easy to check when something comes up while away from home or at lunch—you don’t even have to waste time downloading files or worrying about whether or not you’ll have access to them later.
3. Save Money on Postage Costs
Today, a lot of lawyers are using electronic billing software to send invoices and statements to their clients. This kind of software is great for saving paper and postage costs but offers other advantages. E-billing software allows you to customize the documents you send to your clients. You can choose a template that matches your brand or customize it with your firm’s logo. With e-billing, you can also create personalized reports you can send to clients at the end of each month or quarter with information about their invoices and how they’re being paid off.
4. Track Payments Received From Clients Automatically
It’s always the worst month of the year when you’ve been living on the edge and waiting for those last payments to come in, but e-billing systems can take a big load off your mind. With the right software, you can automatically send out payment requests, and you can be sure that all payments received will be inputted into your accounting software, so you’ll know exactly when to pay your bills. Even if you’re not fully automated yet, e-billing can make a massive difference in the amount of time it takes to process payments. If you go to a client’s office or meet them anywhere else to collect their check, be sure to bring along a receipt book and stamp or seal to keep track of all of your payments. This way, once your payment is in your possession, you know it’s accounted for, and you don’t have to add it manually later on.
5. Track Your Case Load
Tracking your case load is an integral part of being a lawyer. Without any sense for how many clients you have, you probably won’t know when to turn down new ones. Too many active cases can stress you out, and not enough will leave your schedule too open to be efficient. There are several ways to keep track of your schedule without having to update paper files or handwritten lists constantly.
The benefits that lawyers can receive from e-billing software are numerous. If you operate in a law firm but haven’t considered using e-billing software yet, consider the advantages that it holds for your firm.
