Billing Best Practices: How to Ethically Meet Clients’ Expectations

03 Nov , 2021

To register for the upcoming live webinar, please Click Here

This webinar focuses on ways to capture more revenue by eliminating clients’ excuses for 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 the pricing and billing expectations of 21st century clients 

How to discuss billing and pricing with clients 

Procedures you should have in place to set and meet client expectations 

Adding payment plans and other options to meet clients halfway when they are struggling financially 

Modern payment alternatives 

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

 

To register for the upcoming live webinar, please Click Here

More Webcasts

Master Trial Series ...

Session 2 of 10 - Mr. Kornblum, a highly experienced trial and litigation lawyer for over 50 years, ...

Master Trial Series ...

Session 8 of 10 - Mr. Kornblum, a highly experienced trial and litigation lawyer for over 50 years, ...

Attorney Licensure a...

Substance use disorders and mental health challenges can affect any attorney regardless of gender, c...

Shareholder Fiduciar...

This session provides an in-depth examination of the fiduciary duties that both minority and majorit...

Master Trial Series ...

Session 9 of 10 - Mr. Kornblum, a highly experienced trial and litigation lawyer for over 50 years, ...

Don’t Do That! A P...

Don’t Do That! is a CLE program devoted to specific, fact-based situations that family law pra...

Master Trial Series ...

Session 4 of 10 - Mr. Kornblum, a highly experienced trial and litigation lawyer for over 50 years, ...

The GENIUS Act Expla...

The GENIUS Act — signed into law on July 18, 2025 — marks the first comprehensive U.S. l...

Winning Opening & Cl...

In addition to the fears about Opening Statements and Closing Arguments that lawyers know about &nda...

Permission to Pivot:...

Permission to Pivot: Ethics, Well-Being, and Redefining Your Legal Career examines the intersection ...