Client Churn from Billing Friction and Payment Difficulties

$10,000-$25,000 annually (Legal Secretary non-billable time; client experience degradation; 1 mid-market client/year may switch firms due to poor communication) • $10,000-$30,000 annually (Compliance Officer non-billable time; mid-market client dissatisfaction increases churn risk; potential disciplinary costs if violation found) • $10,000-$30,000 annually (large corporation clients expect real-time payment visibility; 1 high-value client/year may exit to competing firm with better systems; delayed payment of $50k+ invoices impacts cash flow)

Accepting only checks/wire transfers; manual follow-up emails asking clients to mail check; waiting 5-7 days for check clearance; no payment reminders triggered • Associate Attorney manually responds to client billing emails; Paralegal creates ad-hoc spreadsheets to explain charges; no centralized record of disputes; escalates to Managing Partner • Client survey follow-up calls, manual review of case notes, no systematic feedback loop; leadership assumes payment is only issue but doesn't investigate