Billing and Invoicing Checklist

Open the matter in Clio, PracticePanther, or your PMS and verify status is Open / Active rather than Closed, Pending, or On Hold. Closed matters that still have unbilled time get caught here; billing a closed matter without reopening it is a common pre-bill reject.

Pull the signed engagement letter from the DMS and confirm fee structure (hourly, flat, contingency, hybrid), rate schedule, and any negotiated discounts. Hourly rate changes that took effect mid-matter are a common source of invoice disputes.

Run the unposted-time report in the PMS and email each attorney with gaps. Block-billed days and entries posted weeks late are the two biggest write-down drivers; catching them before pre-bill is cheaper than negotiating them afterward.

Reconcile filing fees, PACER charges, deposition transcripts, expert invoices, and courier costs against vendor statements. Attach receipts to the cost entry — corporate clients on UTBMS guidelines will reject unsupported expenses over $25-$50.

Run the pre-bill in the PMS with all fees, costs, and the current trust balance shown. Send the PDF to the responsible attorney for that matter — do not skip this step even on long-running matters with stable narratives.

Responsible attorney rewrites vague entries ("reviewed file", "strategy call"), splits block-billed time, and write-downs on inefficient work. Junior associate language sent unedited is the #1 cause of client invoice disputes and bar grievances for fee padding.

Document the reason for each write-down (duplicate work, inefficiency, courtesy, fee cap reached) in the pre-bill notes. Write-offs above the firm threshold — commonly $500 or 10% of the bill — need managing partner approval before the invoice issues.

Run the client trust ledger for every matter being billed. Confirm the per-client balance against the bank statement; a Rule 1.15 violation starts with an undetected negative ledger, and bank IOLTA overdrafts are auto-reported to disciplinary counsel in most states.

Most states require written notice to the client identifying the amount and purpose before funds are moved out of IOLTA to operating. The pre-bill itself usually satisfies this if it shows the proposed trust application and gives the client a stated window (commonly 10 days) to object.

Lock the bill in Clio / Tabs3 / CosmoLex so further edits go to a new period. Confirm the invoice number, billing period, fee total, cost total, trust application, and balance due all tie to the approved pre-bill.

Individual clients usually take email PDF; corporate clients route through Legal Tracker, TyMetrix 360, Collaborati, or Passport. E-billing portals require a LEDES 1998B export and matter-level credentials — sending a PDF instead is a common rejection reason.

Generate the LEDES 1998B (or 1998BI for international) export from the PMS and upload to the client's portal. Watch the rejection queue for 24-48 hours — most portals respond same-day with line-item rejections that need re-coding and resubmission.

Apply ACH, wire, check, and card payments to the specific invoice and matter — not to the client's general AR bucket. Mis-applied payments are the most common reconciliation defect at month-end three-way close.

Pull aging at 30 / 60 / 90 / 120+ days. Anything past 60 needs an attorney touch — by 90, recovery rates drop below 70% and write-off probability climbs sharply.

Use the firm's tiered demand language: friendly reminder at 30 days, formal demand at 60, attorney-signed letter at 90. Do not threaten withdrawal without checking the engagement letter and applicable rules — withdrawal for non-payment requires court permission in pending litigation.