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SalaryFast-growing law firm seeks detail-oriented hard worker who is a good client communicator.
Description
Effective Date: 2/3/2024
Summary of Responsibilities:
The Billing Clerk (Specialist) is responsible for managing the Firm’s processes and systems related to time-keeping, billing, retainer replenishment, accepting payments, and collections of accounts receivables. The Billing Specialist makes sure time entries demonstrate value, so clients pay their bills on-time. The Billing Specialist works directly with clients to ensure bills and installment payments are on time and retainers are replenished, so the Firm always has sufficient cash to meet cash requirements and the legal team works only for paying clients.
Status: The Billing Specialist is a Non-Exempt position.
Authority:
The Billing Specialist is expected to and has the authority to monitor attorneys’ and other staff’s billable time / productive time entries daily and to follow up with staff to ensure time is entered timely and correctly. The Billing Specialist also works directly with clients on billing, collections, and payment plans so long as they follow the Firm’s established policies and procedures and all laws and regulations, and the arrangements meet the Firm’s collections and financial goals. Non-standard arrangements or payment plans need to be reviewed and approved by the Controller or the Owner.
Non-attorney support staff are prohibited from practicing law by the ABA’s Rules of Professional Conduct and State Bar Association rules. All work done by the Specialist must be in support of and under the direct supervision of an attorney. In dealing with clients and potential clients, the Specialist must be careful not to inadvertently slip into the unlawful practice of law. This would include answering client questions about what will happen in their case or recommending that a client undertake a certain course of action during their case.
Responsibilities:
- Communicates with clients about legal bills.
- Reviews case management or time & billing system daily.
- Reviews the quality and timeliness of time entries. Contacts billers to ensure time is entered timely.
- Edits bills to correct typos, grammar errors, and ensure proper sentence structure.
- Coordinates with billers to improve descriptions of activities to ensure the bills demonstrate progress and value.
- Coordinates with billers to resolve apparent errors where time is entered on the wrong matter or entries appear to be duplicated.
- Identifies time entries incorrectly designated as “non-billable” (or vice versa) and coordinates with the billers to draft proper billable time entries.
- Collects records of expenses of costs advanced to clients and updates the case management system and accounting system accordingly.
- Identifies for the Controller/Administrator/Owner where billable records exceed Firm guidelines/timeframes for activities.
- Reports to Controller/Administrator/Owner regarding patterns of quality or timeliness and other training or performance issues.
- Processes payments in accordance with the Firm’s policies and schedules for accepting payments.
- Manages the retainer/trust accounts, auto-replenishment, and installment payments.
- Monitors timeliness of payments and contacts clients whose payments are not timely received.
- Accepts payments or negotiates payment plans or installment plans in accordance with Firm policies and procedures.
- Obtains approval from Controller/Administrator/Owner prior to committing the Firm to a non-standard agreement.
- Oversees A/R collections and case withdrawal process.
- Advises Controller/Administrator/Owner of clients who will not pay and have A/R older than one billing cycle.
- Initiates the first phase of A/R collections calls in accordance with Firm policies and procedures.
- Manage withdrawal process based on the Client Non-Payment and Collections Policy and Procedures.
- Notify Legal Team when withdrawal from a case is necessary.
- Works with clients to address questions and concerns related to billing and payment and provides customer service to resolve issues and save relationships.
- Works with the client, Merchant Service Provider, and credit card company to resolve disputes and requests for “charge back” or refund. Issues refunds with the express approval of the Owner.
Tasks:
Daily
- Review daily time-keeping records and work with billers to ensure accuracy
- Make and take billing related calls.
- Contact clients to obtain payment
- Edit calendar appointments, messages, correspondence in our case management system
- Create contacts and update contact information in the case management system
Weekly
- Oversee the billing process: pre-bills, final bills, process payment, contact clients with late payments, update case management and accounting systems
- Case and administrative filing
- Compile metrics on contacts and collections
Monthly
Review A/R and work with finance manager/owner on collections efforts (payment plans, case suspensions, case withdrawals)
Education and Experience:
The Billing Specialist must be able to demonstrate proper grammar, proof-reading, critical thinking, and business writing.
The Billing Specialist will have at least two years’ experience as an assistant in a professional service business, preferably in a law firm, and will have a background in customer service. Collections experience is a plus.
The Billing Specialist will be organized and efficient, comfortable with various types of accounting software, and demonstrate proficiency with MS Office.
Salary
$20 - $27 per hour
