{"id":11951,"date":"2025-02-23T17:16:26","date_gmt":"2025-02-23T17:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/?p=11951"},"modified":"2026-02-27T23:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:35:15","slug":"electronic-billing-software-law-firms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/electronic-billing-software-law-firms\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost Efficiency and Accuracy: Why Law Firms Need Electronic Billing Software"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you want your legal practice to be as successful as possible, you need<\/span><a title=\"Blog - One Law Firm Shares Their Guide to a Better Law Firm Billing Process\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/guides\/7-steps-to-easier-more-efficient-law-firm-billing\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">an effective billing process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This involves moving beyond traditional paper billing and transitioning to electronic billing software for law firms. Thanks to advancements in technology, law firms can easily leverage legal software to save time, improve invoice accuracy, and offer a client-centred billing experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this blog post, we will outline the key benefits of electronic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/features\/legal-billing\/\">billing software for law firms<\/a>\u2014from streamlined workflows to faster payments, and more. We\u2019ll also offer tips for how to successfully implement legal electronic systems at your firm, and provide examples of billing software that can help your firm\u2019s cash flow be as efficient as possible. To start, let\u2019s look at the concept of legal electronic billing software for law firms.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"o-featured-snippet o-theme--bone is-faq-snippet-question\">\n\t<div class=\"c-featured-snippet__inner\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\t<span itemprop=\"name\">\n\t\t\t\tWhat is legal billing software?\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<div class=\"c-featured-snippet__content\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n\t\t\t<p  itemprop=\"text\">While traditional legal billing requires manually creating and sending paper invoices, electronic billing\u2014or ebilling\u2014for law firms is a system of legal billing where law firms create, review, and deliver invoices to clients electronically.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When working with large organisations and corporate clients that require specific invoice-related formatting guidelines, electronic billing software allows law firms to submit bills quickly, without using any paper. Firms can then easily review these electronic bills and set up templates, automations and more. For example, some organisations require electronic bills to follow specific guidelines for standard billing formatting, like the<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about the Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard\" href=\"https:\/\/ledes.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(LEDES). If an organisation uses LEDES formatting (which can also be paired with<\/span><a title=\"ABA - Uniform Task-Based Management System\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/what-is-ledes-billing\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Uniform Task-Based Management System<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (UTBMS) codes for further clarity), it will reject invoices with errors or incorrect formatting.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"o-image l-image aligncenter wp-image-10797 size-full \"\n\t\tstyle=\"max-width: 46.4375rem;  width: 743px;\"\n\t\t>\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"o-image__wrap l-image__wrap js-lazy-image-wrapper\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"padding-top:67.0255720054%;\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"lawyer billing client\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"lawyer&#x20;billing&#x20;client\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-20-at-12.26.43.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"743\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"498\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"lawyer billing client\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"lawyer&#x20;billing&#x20;client\"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"743\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"498\"\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/Screenshot-2024-02-20-at-12.26.43.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"is-lazy js-lazy-image\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Benefits of electronic billing software for law firms<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic billing software for law firms makes the billing process faster, more effective, and more accurate. Key benefits include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Save time and money while improving billing accuracy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic billing software for law firms optimises workflows by automating many of the traditionally manual tasks related to billing. These tasks include time tracking, invoice generation, and invoice delivery. Whether your law firm uses legal billing software to send invoices electronically to individual or corporate clients, it all adds up and saves your firm time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When lawyers and staff spend less time manually managing invoices, law firms save money. Also, by using software to automate legal billing, firms improve accuracy by reducing the chance of manual error or oversight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Get paid faster and improve cash flow<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/guides\/2021-legal-trends-report\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, lawyers don\u2019t collect on 12% of the hours they invoice. Pair this figure with overdue invoices, and it\u2019s clear that the speed and effectiveness of collections impacts<\/span><a title=\"Blog - Law Firm Billing: Ultimate Guide and Best Practices\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/law-firm-billing\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">law firm cash flow<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Billing electronically can help close the gap between invoicing and collections in a couple of key ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>More accurate, clear bills get paid faster.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Clients are less likely to reject or dispute invoices that are easy to understand and error-free. Clear and accurate invoices also save your law firm from unnecessary back-and-forth communication to explain line items or correct formatting errors.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Bills sent (and paid) electronically are more convenient for clients.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Sending bills electronically removes delivery delays that can hold up payment. And, if firms<\/span><a title=\"Blog - Your Clients Want to Pay by Credit Card\u2014How Your Firm Can Do So\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/legal-clients-card-payments\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">allow clients to pay legal invoices by credit card<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, clients can settle and pay their invoices even faster. Legal software like Clio allows firms to send a secure payment link so clients can<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about Clio Payments\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/resources\/payments\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">pay online.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make data-driven business decisions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it comes to making the best business decisions for your law firm,<\/span><a title=\"Blog - How to Become a Data-Driven Lawyer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/data-driven-improve-legal-practice\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">data is key<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Electronic billing software for law firms captures billing data,<\/span><a title=\"Legal Analytics: Definition, Tools, and Applications\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/law-firm-kpis\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">tracks important legal analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and creates legal billing reports so you can accurately understand your firm\u2019s billing-related<\/span><a title=\"Blog - law firm KPIs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/law-firm-kpis\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">key performance indicators<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For example, here are some of the<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about billing reports in Clio Manage\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/14330519112987-Clio-Manage-Billing-Reports\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">billing reports you can generate with Clio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Armed with billing data, you can make decisions based on what\u2019s working, and what areas your firm can improve.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide a client-centered experience<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As Jack Newton explores in his book<\/span><a title=\"The Client-Centered Law Firm\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/resources\/client-centered-law-firm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Client-Centred Law Firm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, today\u2019s legal clients expect law firms to prioritise the client experience. Law firms can leverage electronic legal billing software to offer clients a better client experience through increased transparency and clarity in their bill structure\u2014which leads to increased trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How? Whether firms use electronic billing to create invoices through LEDES standards or another coding system, electronic billing standards offer an opportunity for clearer, more consistent bills. When law firms standardise bills, the bills become easier to understand, and clients spend less time trying to decipher their bills. This heightened transparency allows clients to increase trust in their lawyer\u2014especially if they have a consistently smooth billing experience over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Better for alternative billing arrangements<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the<\/span><a title=\"Blog - How to Track Time with a Billable Hours Chart\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/billable-hours-chart\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">billable hour<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is still the norm, many law firms are also adopting<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">alternative billing arrangements<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. These billing arrangements include flat fees, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">unbundled legal services<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and sliding-scale fees. Clients seeking greater cost predictability or access to legal services would benefit from having these alternative arrangements most.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about the 2021 Legal Trends Report\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/guides\/2021-legal-trends-report\/\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2021 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also notes that 78% of consumers say lawyers should adopt pricing and payment models to make legal services more affordable. While these alternative billing arrangements help meet client demand,\u00a0 billing can become very complex for your law firm if you\u2019re still using traditional paper billing workflows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic billing software features make it simple to track and bill clients when using alternative billing arrangements. For example, Clio\u2019s<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about Matter Billing in Clio Manage\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/9289744400667-Activity-Categories\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> flat fee feature<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> immediately adds a billable amount under the Work In Progress area of a Matter\u2014making invoicing simple when it\u2019s time to bill.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic legal billing workflows<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The general workflows for electronic legal billing are similar to those you\u2019d find in a traditional billing process\u2014you need to track time, create invoices and send them to clients. Then, clients pay the bill. However, electronic billing for law firms automates manual tasks so you can send bills to clients (and clients can pay) online.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, a law firm\u2019s electronic billing process could follow this general workflow:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Software automatically records lawyers time, fees, and expenses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic legal billing software automatically generates bills, which firms can review and share with clients electronically.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once clients receive their bill, they can easily pay their bill\u2014ideally, online. For example, a firm using Clio lets clients pay online by using<\/span> <a title=\"Learn more about Clio Payments\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/features\/payments\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clio Payments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The law firm\u2019s accounting team sends reminders automatically via electronic legal billing software.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic billing software for law firms<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the right technology and tools are essential to unlocking the advantages and benefits of electronic billing, investing in billing software for law firms is a big decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clio Manage\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/features\/legal-billing\/\">legal billing software<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> offers all of the key benefits of electronic legal billing\u2014while also working with your legal practice management software for a smooth, streamlined process. Clio Manage\u2019s electronic legal billing benefits include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Simple time and expense tracking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Track in real-time or add time entries from communications, emails, and more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Faster and more accurate invoicing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Draft bills in minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>LEDES billing.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You can use Clio to easily generate<\/span><a title=\"Creating LEDES 1998B Formatted Bills\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/14078113389723-LEDES-Bills\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LEDES-formatted bills<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Flexible online payments<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Send bills to clients electronically, and then allow them to pay securely online with their credit card.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To learn more about new law firm billing features in Clio, watch<\/span><a title=\"Getting Paid: New Clio Features for Law Firm Billing\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/events\/webinar-emea-billing-stress-to-collections-success\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">this webinar on new billing features in Clio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"o-image l-image aligncenter wp-image-9959 size-large o-image__wide \"\n\t\tstyle=\"max-width: 46.875rem;  width: 1024px;\"\n\t\t>\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"o-image__wrap l-image__wrap js-lazy-image-wrapper\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"padding-top:41.7431192661%;\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Update your billing practices to get paid\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Update&#x20;your&#x20;billing&#x20;practices&#x20;to&#x20;get&#x20;paid\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Step-Two_-Update-your-billing-practices-to-get-paid-1-750x313.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"750\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"313\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Step-Two_-Update-your-billing-practices-to-get-paid-1-750x313.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"image\/webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Update your billing practices to get paid\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Update&#x20;your&#x20;billing&#x20;practices&#x20;to&#x20;get&#x20;paid\"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"750\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"313\"\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/Step-Two_-Update-your-billing-practices-to-get-paid-1-750x313.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"is-lazy js-lazy-image\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How to implement electronic billing systems\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the specifics of how your law firm implements electronic legal billing systems will vary depending on what your clients need, it\u2019s essential to start with a clear, consistent policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a clear electronic billing policy for your law firm<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just as you would create a policy for any type of<\/span><a title=\"Blog - Law Firm Billing: Ultimate Guide and Best Practices\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/blog\/law-firm-billing\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">law firm billing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, you need to establish a policy for electronic legal billing. With a clear policy, lawyers, staff, and even clients are on the same page about how your firm handles electronic billing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Outline your billing process<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How well do you and your law firm staff understand your billing workflow and process? A good place to start your billing policy is by articulating your overall billing process\u2014from start to finish. Then, look at how new electronic billing systems will fit into this process. When moving from manual workflows to electronic billing, you will eliminate certain manual steps. That\u2019s why creating a standard process now can ensure consistency and avoid confusion moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Establish electronic billing guidelines and billing templates<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While legal electronic billing software will provide certain billing templates, be sure to either create or establish the preferred templates for each aspect of your billing process. This could include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Billing-related communication templates (for example, you can create a<\/span><a title=\"Bill Message Templates in Clio Manage\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/9285343645595-Send-Bills-for-Billing-in-Clio\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> bill message template<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Clio Manage).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guidelines for when to send invoices to clients in certain situations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Language guidelines for billing line descriptions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Set invoice review requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether clients have requested specific invoice requirements like LEDES billing or not, establish a standardised review process for lawyers at your firm when billing electronically. While electronic billing software automates much of the billing process, ensure everyone knows what review steps to take before sending an invoice to a client.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Include the finance team in your electronic billing process<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How will you include<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">law firm accounting and financial staff<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in your electronic billing process? Consulting with your accountant or financial team can help when creating your electronic billing policy. Getting a professional\u2019s point of view will ensure the necessary billing information is included when you bill electronically.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Establish a standard dispute and collection process<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While electronic billing can help reduce errors and make it more convenient for clients to pay their legal bills faster, disputes and<\/span><a title=\"Blog - Law Firm Billing: Ultimate Guide and Best Practices\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/guides\/improving-collections-law-firm\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">collections issues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can always occur. When creating your electronic billing policy, create a set process for what to do if a bill is:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rejected (for example, due to incorrect invoice formatting).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Disputed (for example, if a client disagrees with a line item on their invoice).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unpaid.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This process should include guidelines for who will review and follow up on these issues, and when. In some instances, technology can help. For example, with unpaid bills, you can<\/span><a title=\"Law Firm Billing: Ultimate Guide and Best Practices\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/9285345945243-Bill-Reminders\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">use Clio Manage to send automated bill reminders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"o-image l-image aligncenter wp-image-10144 size-large \"\n\t\tstyle=\"max-width: 46.875rem;  width: 1024px;\"\n\t\t>\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"o-image__wrap l-image__wrap js-lazy-image-wrapper\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"padding-top:66.6666666667%;\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"developing-billing-policy-for-law-firms\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/developing-billing-policy-for-law-firms-750x500.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"750\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"500\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/developing-billing-policy-for-law-firms-750x500.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"image\/webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"developing-billing-policy-for-law-firms\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"\"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"750\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"500\"\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/developing-billing-policy-for-law-firms-750x500.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"is-lazy js-lazy-image\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n<\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sharing your electronic billing policy with clients<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your law firm\u2019s legal electronic billing policy should be clearly communicated to all your clients. By informing your clients of your policy from the start, they will know what to expect, how they can pay, and when they\u2019ll need to pay. Once you\u2019ve created your policy in writing, be sure to share it with clients at the beginning of their client journey (for example, after their initial consultation).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic legal billing best practices<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic billing allows firms to streamline their billing process while ensuring it\u2019s more effective, clear, and accurate. To make the most of electronic billing for law firms, consider the following best practices:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Follow standard invoice requirements<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter what size or type of client organisation your firm is working with, it\u2019s important to set up\u2014and stick to\u2014a set of standard, consistent invoicing requirements. These invoice requirements will provide consistency for your firm (for a more efficient billing process) and your clients (for a better client-centred experience).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, as previously mentioned, it\u2019s also important to consider standard invoicing requirements larger companies may require when electronically billing for law firms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When creating a standardised invoicing system for your law firm billing, consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Law firm billing codes. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s say your firm uses an internal system (such as codes like \u201cMeeting\u201d or \u201cResearch\u201d) to describe the activities that a client is being for. Or your firm may need to use standard billing codes\u2014like<\/span><a title=\"Learn more about LEDES\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/14078113389723-LEDES-Bills\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LEDES formatted bills<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">UTBMS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> codes. Either way, your billing codes should be consistent, clear, and compliant with any applicable invoice requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Billing templates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Using a billing template can bring consistency to your invoicing, without the manual effort each time you bill a client. Electronic legal billing software may offer options to make this simple. For example, Clio\u2019s legal billing software, lets you choose from<\/span><a title=\"Anatomy of a Bill Theme\" href=\"https:\/\/help.clio.com\/hc\/en-150\/articles\/9285055886235-Bill-Themes-and-Customisations\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">bill themes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to accommodate your clients\u2019 reporting requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Set clear expectations with clients<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let clients know from the start that your firm uses electronic billing, and what that entails for them. For example, if they will receive their invoice via email. By setting and communicating clear expectations early on, you can give clients a better experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Track time accurately<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracking time accurately has always been important for lawyers, but electronic billing makes it easier to account for your time and work accurately\u2014with less manual work. For example, with<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clio Manage\u2019s l<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/features\/legal-time-tracking\/?cta=top-nav-na\">egal time recording<\/a> feature<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0you can create time entries from calendar events, tasks, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use clear descriptions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the key benefits of electronic billing for law firms is that it lets you give clients a more transparent and smooth client experience. So be sure to master the art of writing clear, concise billing descriptions. Follow these best practices for billing descriptions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Make them clear. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Include enough context and necessary information so that anyone can understand what the description is referring to. For example, \u201cResearch\u201d does not give enough detail to be useful, while \u201cLegal research to build an argument for hearing in November.\u201d explains the line.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Make them concise. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the other hand, avoid being long-winded just for the sake of it. There\u2019s no need to write a paragraph about the minutiae\u2014just describe relevant information.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Use plain language. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep legal jargon and overly complex language to a minimum.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bill consistently and frequently<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t let invoices\u2014especially electronic invoices\u2014go unsent. By billing clients regularly, you can help establish clear client expectations while avoiding larger bills that build up over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Final thoughts on electronic billing software for law firms\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While legal billing was once exclusively about traditional paper billing, electronic billing software for law firms is now the norm. By using electronic legal billing software and tools, firms can save time, while delivering a more consistent and convenient billing experience for clients\u2014even those who require certain unique coding and formatting for electronic legal billing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Though electronic legal billing for law firms may carry an investment in learning new systems and acquiring new software, if your firm is still dependent on traditional paper billing, you\u2014and your clients\u2014could be missing out on the benefits of legal electronic legal billing.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Book a Demo<\/h3>\n<p>See exactly how Clio&#8217;s legal billing software can help your firm by scheduling a personalised product walkthrough with one of our Clio experts.<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<a\n\t\thref=\"\/uk\/schedule-a-demo\/\"\n\t\tdata-tracking-trigger=\"click\" data-tracking-action=\"CTA\"\n\t\taria-label=\"See Clio in Action\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\to-btn--primary\n\t\t\tl-btn--primary\n\t\t\t o-cta l-cta js-cta\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t>See Clio in Action<\/a>\n\t\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to streamline your billing process, increase efficiency, and ensure accuracy with our guide about the latest billing technology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":10316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"coauthors":[448],"class_list":["post-11951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accounting","content_category-collections","content_category-firm-performance","content_category-legal-billing-process"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.7 (Yoast SEO v24.7) - 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