Marc Lefebvre
Marc spent a decade in law firm accounting before writing about it. He is happiest when a trust ledger reconciles on the first try.
Reading a WIP Report Without Getting Lost in the Numbers
A hands-on walkthrough of a work-in-progress report, showing which lines to bill first and how to turn aging time into paid invoices.
Writing Bills Your Client Actually Pays
Vague block billing is the real reason invoices sit unpaid. A plain-language narrative is not a compliance chore: it is one of the cheapest ways to improve your collection rate.
When a Client Disputes the Bill: Staying Calm and Getting Paid
A story about one uncomfortable fee dispute, and the small choices that de-escalated it, kept a good client, and made every bill I sent afterward clearer.
Trust accounting without the month-end dread
Trust rules are strict, but the daily habits that keep you compliant are simple. Here is how to make reconciliation a non-event.
Fee Agreements That Head Off the Fight
A billing practice advisor on the exact engagement letter clauses that stop fee fights before they start, from scope creep to disbursements and flat fees.
Setting Flat Fees That Do Not Lose You Money
Flat-fee billing is great for clients and genuinely risky for lawyers who price it on instinct. Here is how to use your own data to set fees that hold up.
Staying Ready for a Trust Account Audit
Trust audits find bookkeeping failures, not just fraud. This checklist covers what your records need to look like every month so an audit is never a surprise.
Clear Your WIP Before Month End
Logged time that sits too long quietly stops being billable. Here is a weekly routine that turns work in progress into sent invoices before it goes stale.
When a Client Disputes a Card Payment for Legal Fees
A client disputes a credit card charge for your fees. Here is what a chargeback actually is, what evidence you need, and how to respond before the deadline passes.
Collecting Aged Receivables Without Souring the Relationship
A graduated sequence of reminders and honest conversations that recovers old invoices while keeping clients willing to hire you again next time.
You Found a Trust Shortage. Now What?
A calm, plain walkthrough of the moment you spot a trust shortfall: what to check first, when your law society expects a report, and how to fix it cleanly.
Invoice Narratives Clients Read and Approve
Most slow-paying invoices are not a client problem. They are a narrative problem. Here is how to write time entries that answer questions before clients ask them.
A Month-End Billing Routine a Solo Can Actually Keep
Billing slips when it has no home on your calendar. Here is a short, repeatable close routine that fits into one focused afternoon each month.
Setting Your Hourly Rate Is a Business Decision, Not a Guess
Most lawyers underprice out of habit and then never revisit the number. Here is how to set a rate on purpose and raise it without losing good clients.
How We Turned a Chaotic Month End Into a Calm One
How one small firm replaced a Sunday night scramble with a repeatable month-end close, and why the numbers improved once they did.