Billing Specialist - Client Financial Guide

Responsibilities

• Make the Financial Side of the Case Make Sense from Day One
• Within five business days of retention, deliver a billing tutorial covering retainer structure, evergreen replenishment, invoice format, and what to expect at each stage, so the client starts their case understanding how the financial side works before they receive their first invoice.
• Conduct a live introductory call to walk through the material, answer questions, and establish the relationship. This call gives the client a person they can reach when billing feels confusing, and it gives you the context to serve them well for the life of their case.
• Provide specific dollar ranges for upcoming cost events (hearings: $5,000-$10,000, mediations, trials: $15,000-$30,000) so the client can plan ahead instead of reacting to surprises.
• Introduce yourself as a non-billable point of contact. The time you spend making sure their plan still makes sense to them is part of the service, not an add-on. Clients who know they can call you without a meter running are clients who stay informed and engaged.
• Keep Trust Accounts Funded by Keeping Clients Informed
• Monitor trust balances daily across 100-150 active matters so no client's case is disrupted by a funding gap they did not see coming.
• Call every client before sending a replenishment request. No email goes out without a phone call attempt. The call comes first because the client deserves a conversation, not a demand.
• When requesting additional retainers for upcoming events, reference the specific event by name and the date you first discussed it. This tells the client you are paying attention to their case, not just their balance.
• Flag any matter below the trust threshold the same day. Not at the next billing cycle. The same day. A delay means the client's case could stall without warning.
• Process Invoices the Right Way
• Prepare, review, and distribute client invoices on a biweekly cycle, so clients receive accurate, consistent billing they can follow.
• Review every time entry on every invoice for accuracy, specificity, and consistency. Flag entries that are vague, duplicative, or do not reflect the actual work performed, because a confusing invoice erodes the client's trust in the firm.
• Contact timekeepers directly to resolve questionable entries before pre-bills go to attorneys. The client should never have to question whether an entry is real.
• Distribute finalized invoices on the scheduled date with payment links included so clients always know what they owe and how to pay without chasing anyone down.
• Collect by Connecting Payment to Progress
• Maintain accounts receivable below 2% of total billings.
• Execute 12-15 outbound calls per day during the morning AR block, with every call documented in Clio so the client's history is always current if another team member needs to step in.
• Lead every collections conversation with a case update: what was accomplished, what is upcoming, and how the work connects to the client's goal. The client hears the value before they hear the number.
• When a client says they cannot pay, walk through every option: credit cards, personal loans, family support, employer assistance, and legal fee financing. You do not accept "I cannot" without helping them look at every door first, because a client who feels they have no options may abandon a case they still need.
• Send payment links the same day after any commitment so the client can act while the conversation is fresh.
• Listen, Learn, and Report What Clients Need
• Pay attention to what clients tell you on every call. Their questions, their frustrations, their confusion, and their feedback are data the firm needs to hear so we can serve them better.
• Produce a weekly deliverable every Friday, capturing client feedback, recurring questions, unresolved needs, and what you are hearing about the client experience. This is how the firm stays connected to what clients actually need instead of guessing.
• When a billing concern arises, log it with a documented timestamp and route it to the responsible attorney via email so the client gets a response, not silence.
• Escalate any concern involving bar grievance, fraud, or legal action language to firm leadership the same day, because those situations require immediate attention to protect the client and the firm.
• Stay Ahead of the Attorneys
• Check attorney calendars for upcoming hearings, mediations, and trials. Initiate additional retainer requests before anyone asks, so the client has time to prepare instead of scrambling.
• Confirm all credits, write-offs, and billing holds in writing before any related bill is finalized. If a credit is pending and you are not certain it has been applied, hold the bill. A client should never receive an invoice that does not reflect what the firm already knows.
• Document every retainer reduction, billing pause, or special instruction in Clio at the matter level the same day so the next person who touches the file has the full picture and the client never has to repeat themselves.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in billing, collections, or accounts receivable in a professional services environment. Law firm experience strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Clio.