Why great billing advice fails without the right systems behind it The American Bar Association recently published excellent guidance on billing practices that help law firms collect payments faster. Their advice covers the fundamentals: communicate fees clearly, offer multiple payment options, use retainers effectively, track time religiously, keep clients updated, and make paying easy. It's solid guidance. But here's what the article doesn't tell you: implementing these pr

The financial cushion that separates thriving firms from struggling ones Every law firm owner knows the anxiety of watching their operating account balance fluctuate. A big settlement comes in and suddenly you feel flush. Then payroll hits, rent is due, and you're back to wondering if there's enough to cover next month. This rollercoaster isn't inevitable. It's a symptom of operating without adequate cash reserves. At Accounting Girl, we talk constantly about   cash flow mana

Understanding the number that actually determines whether your law firm thrives or struggles Your firm billed $750,000 last year. Congratulations—that’s impressive! But here's the question that actually matters: how much did you keep? Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. And profit margin—the percentage of revenue that becomes actual profit—is the number that determines whether your law firm is building wealth or just staying busy. At Accounting Girl, we talk to attorneys eve

Scaling Your Law Firm: The Financial Roadmap from Solo to Sustainable Growth

From Basic Bookkeeping to Strategic Intelligence: Metrics That Drive Law Firm Success Your books are reconciled. Your trust accounts are compliant. Your P&L shows you made a profit last quarter. Great! Now answer this: Are you actually running a healthy, sustainable law firm? Or just one that appears profitable on paper? Most law firm owners stop at basic financial reporting. They know their revenue and expenses, they file their taxes on time, and they assume that's enough. B

You know something's wrong with your books. But how do you know if it's just a minor issue or a full-blown crisis? Most attorneys live with accounting chaos longer than they should because they're not sure if the problem is "bad enough" to warrant professional help. They tell themselves they'll get to it eventually, or that it's not quite urgent enough to invest in cleanup. Here's the truth: if you're wondering whether your books need professional attention, they probably do.

At Accounting Girl, we've helped countless law firms go from accounting chaos to financial confidence. We've seen the transformation that happens when attorneys finally have clean, accurate books and strategic financial guidance. We've watched firms go from barely surviving to strategically thriving.

As October unfolds and the year-end countdown begins, law firms face a critical window of opportunity. While many attorneys wait until December to think about year-end financials, the most successful firms start their preparation now. At Accounting Girl, we've guided countless law firms through this process, and we're here to tell you: the decisions you make in the next few weeks will determine whether you close out the year with confidence or chaos. This isn't about tax prep

When you set up your law firm, you probably spent more time thinking about your practice area and client acquisition strategy than you...

When you went to law school, you probably didn't dream about navigating employment classification rules. But here you are, running or...