For family law attorneys
Flat fees in stages and payment plans for clients in a hard year
Family-law clients are often paying for legal help while their household finances are being divided. A practice that offers flat fees for defined stages, or lets a client pay over time, keeps clients who would otherwise go without help, as long as the billing keeps up.
The billing problems family law attorneys actually have
Clients cannot pay a large flat fee in one go.
An installment plan splits the invoice into scheduled payments, and the client can put them on autopay with their consent.
A flat fee per stage needs billing as each stage starts.
Bill each stage as its own invoice when it begins, from an estimate the client approved that lists every stage.
Hourly work outside the flat fee gets lost.
Record that time against the client, and bill it onto the next invoice beside the stage fee.
A worked invoice
Sample work, priced the way this work is usually priced. The total is computed with the same function the console bills with.
| Line | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat fee, stage 2: discovery and disclosures | 1 | $3,500.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Hearing outside the flat fee, hourly | 1.5 | $300.00 | $450.00 |
| Process server (advanced) | 1 | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Total | $4,035.00 | ||
Sample figures. The stage fee can be paid in four monthly installments on autopay.
Questions
Can a payment plan run on a client’s card automatically?
Yes, once the client consents to autopay; each installment is charged on its date and they receive a receipt.
Can a client add a second email address?
Yes. A client can have more than one email address; each one is confirmed by the client before it opens their portal.
Can the client see what they have paid so far?
Yes. A client with a confirmed email can sign in to the customer portal to see their invoices, payments and receipts.
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