{"id":32770,"date":"2025-10-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=32770"},"modified":"2025-10-03T07:52:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T11:52:19","slug":"guide-to-law-firm-billing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/guide-to-law-firm-billing\/","title":{"rendered":"Complete guide to law firm billing with best practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tComplete guide to law firm billing with best practices\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-8 col-lg-4 entry-header__image\">\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"entry-header__thumbnail js-hero-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1446850915.jpg\" class=\"entry-header__thumbnail-image\" alt=\"A man views his laptop in an office.\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1446850915.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1446850915-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1446850915-684x384.jpg 684w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-10-03T09:00:00-04:00\">October 3, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Complete guide to law firm billing with best practices\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/guide-to-law-firm-billing\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/joechurchwoods\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Joe-Yard-2-crop-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Joe Church Woods\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Joe Church Woods<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s be real\u2014law firm billing isn\u2019t exactly the most glamorous part of running a practice. But it\u2019s one of the most important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After all, if your firm isn\u2019t billing correctly, you\u2019re leaving money on the table, slowing down cash flow, and risking unhappy clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what is law firm billing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its core, it\u2019s the process lawyers, attorneys, and firms use to track billable hours, issue invoices, and collect payments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not just about sending an invoice at the end of the month\u2014it\u2019s about transparency, compliance with legal billing guidelines, and making sure your firm stays profitable while delivering value to clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-attorneys-lawyers-and-law-firms-bill\">How attorneys, lawyers, and law firms bill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s where things get interesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not all attorney billing methods are created equal, and different law firms use different models depending on the service, the client, and the size of the practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common lawyer billing models include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hourly billing<\/strong>: the classic \u201cbillable hours\u201d model. Clients pay for every hour of work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flat fees<\/strong>: a set price for a service, like preparing a will or reviewing a contract.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contingency fees<\/strong>: you only get paid if you win. Common in personal injury law.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Retainers<\/strong>: clients pay upfront to secure your services over a period of time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most firms actually use a mix of these models to balance flexibility for clients with predictable revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Setting the right rates for your law firm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re trying to figure out how to set your firm\u2019s billing structure, here are some options worth considering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Billable hours<\/strong>: still the industry standard. Just make sure time tracking is airtight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited scope representation<\/strong>: also called \u201cunbundled services.\u201d Clients pay only for specific tasks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sliding scale rates<\/strong>: reduced rates based on client income, making legal help more accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flat rate<\/strong>: predictable pricing for routine legal services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contingency fee<\/strong>: payment based on results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rolling retainer<\/strong>: monthly fees for ongoing legal support\u2014great for business clients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Payment plans<\/strong>: a win-win for clients who need flexibility and firms who want fewer accounts receivable headaches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key is aligning your law firm&#8217;s billing process with both client expectations and firm profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The must-have billing requirements for law firms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Billing in the legal world comes with some non-negotiables. To stay compliant (and keep clients happy), your firm should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Put billing terms in writing through engagement letters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Track time accurately\u2014every single billable hour counts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Send clear, itemized invoices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow jurisdictional rules and ethical billing standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think of these as the foundation of law firm billing procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Skip them, and you risk disputes, compliance issues, or worse\u2014losing client trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Common challenges in legal billing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s be honest\u2014billing for lawyers isn\u2019t always smooth sailing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the biggest headaches include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Time leakage<\/strong>: hours slip through the cracks and never get billed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Client disputes<\/strong>: vague invoices = unhappy clients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delayed payments<\/strong>: slow invoicing hurts cash flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compliance risks<\/strong>: failing to follow legal billing guidelines can land you in trouble.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news? These challenges can usually be fixed with better communication, consistent processes, and the right legal billing software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best practices to improve your law firm billing process<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking to tighten up your billing process, here are some best practices worth implementing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use legal-specific billing software like Sage Timeslips.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automate time tracking and invoicing wherever possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set clear expectations with clients before work starts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review and update your billing policies regularly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Train staff on ethical billing practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These law firm billing best practices make your firm more efficient and keep clients confident in what they\u2019re paying for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-get-paid-faster-because-nobody-likes-waiting\"><strong>How to get paid faster (because nobody likes waiting)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cash flow is king in any law firm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re tired of chasing down payments, try these tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Send invoices on time\u2014consistency is everything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer multiple payment options (credit card, ACH, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automate reminders and follow-ups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make invoices simple, detailed, and client friendly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider discounts for early payment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Small changes in your billing process can dramatically speed up payments and reduce receivables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Enhancing law firm billing procedures with Sage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re serious about upgrading your firm\u2019s billing game, Sage Timeslips is built just for legal professionals. With it, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Track billable hours with ease.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create professional, compliant invoices in minutes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automate recurring billing and retainers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analyze billing data to boost profitability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrate with accounting systems for seamless financial management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-timeslips\/\">Sage Timeslips<\/a> makes law firm billing faster, easier, and more accurate. Less admin work, more revenue, and happier clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">InCloudCounsel improved cash reconciliations efficiency by 50% with Sage Intacct<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Legal Tech Firm Slashes Close Time in Half, Gains Scalability Amid Global Business Growth<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/success-stories\/incloudcounsel\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button 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has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/boss-your-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoss your business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/business-continuity\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness Continuity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/cash-flow\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCash Flow\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/client-advisory-services\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClient Engagement\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/digital-transformation\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDigital Transformation\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/growing-a-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrowing a business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/productivity\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProductivity\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/small-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSmall business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/staying-competitive\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStay competitive\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-29442 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-business-strategy tag-cash-flow tag-staying-competitive business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-147205362-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-147205362-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-147205362-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-147205362-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-30T09:04:30-04:00\">September 30, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-accounts-payable\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is accounts payable? Definition, examples, and how it works\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tLearn what accounts payable means, how AP is recorded, how it affects cash flow, and what to look for in accounts payable software.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-30322 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-cash-flow tag-compliance tag-growing-a-business tag-sage-accounting tag-small-business tag-starting-a-business tag-staying-competitive tag-working-capital business_type-small-business business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/accounts-payable-reconciliation\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0640-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0640-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0640-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0640-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-30T07:32:53-04:00\">September 30, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe ultimate guide to accounts payable reconciliation\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-30327 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-business-intelligence tag-cash-flow tag-compliance tag-growing-a-business tag-tax business_type-small-business business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-a-deferred-tax-liability\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1329013231-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1329013231-684x384.jpg 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guide\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-27939 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-boss-your-business tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-growing-a-business tag-small-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/invoice-vs-receipt\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-814559004-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-814559004-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-814559004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-814559004-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-28T06:31:39-04:00\">September 28, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tInvoice vs. receipt: What\u2019s the difference and why does it matter?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-27959 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-accounting-101 tag-business-intelligence tag-digital-transformation tag-ecommerce tag-small-business business_type-small-business business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-an-electronic-invoice\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-28T05:34:23-04:00\">September 28, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is e-invoicing? Benefits and disadvantages\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn more about the law firm billing process\u2014how it works, best practices, and why it&#8217;s important for cashflow, transparency, and compliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1847,"featured_media":20170,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[{\"keyword\":\"legal billing\",\"score\":67},{\"keyword\":\"attorney billing\",\"score\":56},{\"keyword\":\"lawyer billing\",\"score\":67},{\"keyword\":\"what is legal billing\",\"score\":67}]","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"[\"\",\"\",\"\",\"\",\"\"]","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"44","sage_membership_post_content_type":"article","sage_membership_post_featured_video_id":"","sage_membership_post_video_type":"trailer","sage_membership_post_featured_video_duration":"","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[195,399,299,380,304,153,272,34,155],"business_type":[40,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[55],"persona":[98,96,97],"imagine_tag":[461,468,233,462,230],"coauthors":[592],"class_list":["post-32770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-boss-your-business","tag-business-continuity","tag-cash-flow","tag-client-advisory-services","tag-digital-transformation","tag-growing-a-business","tag-productivity","tag-small-business","tag-staying-competitive","business_type-small-business","business_type-growing-business","industry-professional-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Joe Church Woods","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1446850915.jpg","imagine_tags":{"461":"Cloud","468":"Grow your business","233":"Medium Businesses","462":"Payments","230":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1847"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/20170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=32770"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=32770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}