How Payment Automation Benefits Your Firm (and Your Clients)

Automation. It’s a buzzword on the lips of professionals in every industry, from the obvious (engineering) to the not-so-obvious (art)...and, of course, the legal profession.  

With some notable exceptions, such as document assembly, though, lawyers have been reluctant to embrace automation. Lawyers often fear that relinquishing control will lead to costly mistakes and compliance risks, and they instead default to manual operational processes.  

In reality, though, law firms that avoid automating administrative processes actually increase the likelihood of mistakes, reduce productivity, and decrease the quality of the client experience. 

We get it. Incorporating new technologies into your law firm can feel like a big leap. If you want to test the waters of automation, start with an area that delivers big ROI for your investment.  

Our suggestion: automating your firm’s payment processes. 

How will payment automation help my clients? 

Most articles singing the praises of automated billing focus on the benefits it will provide your firm. We’ll be talking about that too, but first let us explain how automated payments will make things better for the most important people out there—your clients. 

Greater convenience 

A 2022 survey found that nearly 90% of consumers use some form of digital payment regularly. In fact, 74% of consumers prefer digital payment over more traditional methods ,  and 37% of 18–24 year olds are planning to pay via cash or check less often (or not at all) moving forward. 

Long story short: your clients have come to expect online payments as an option, and your law firm is no exception.  

Giving your clients the option to pay online—or even better, enable automatic payments—saves them time, keeps their balance sheet updated, and shows them your firm is a modern business committed to providing the best possible service. 

Better invoicing 

It takes a good deal of effort to arrange the billable work, organize and contextualize it for a client, and prepare it for delivery. And when it’s all done manually, there’s a lot of room for error. 

Automating your invoices reduces the margins for error, though. What’s more, it leads to better payment results across the board.  

For example, you can: 

• Automatically translate “time track” to “time billed” to ensure accurate invoices every time 
• Automatically apply invoice templates to create an on-brand client experience 
• Automate invoice delivery to create a consistent and predictable schedule for clients 
• Set up recurring payments so clients don’t have to think about sending you a check to settle invoices or refresh their retainers 

Stronger communication 

One of the most client-centric benefits of automating your payment processes is the increased amount of communication they’ll receive from you. 

Use automation to send your clients detailed invoices, acknowledgment of payment receipts, and reminders for overdue payments. Not only does this foster strong client relationships, but it also helps your clients avoid unnecessary late fees (which they are sure to appreciate!). 

How will payment automation help my firm? 

Now that you’ve seen how automating payments benefits your clients, get ready for this fun fact: your firm can benefit exponentially more.  

Automation dramatically streamlines your billing and collection processes, which allows you to increase productivity and collections, cut bottom-line costs, and improve relationships with your vendors.