Online payments create better client experiences at solo law firm

Anna Valiente Gomez, Attorney

Anna Valiente Gomez worked at several medium to large-sized firms before transitioning to her own solo practice in estate and probate law.

When she first started her solo practice, Anna was concerned about lacking the personnel and resources that she had grown accustomed to at larger firms. Without dedicated finance or administrative teams, she worried that having to do all of her own administrative work would take away from time she would rather put toward her clients.

Like many other solo practitioners, when evaluating payment solutions available with legal software, Anna wanted to first understand the benefits of accepting credit card payments online compared to the cost of accepting online transactions.

Clients seek flexible, convenient, and accessible payment solutions

More and more law firms are accepting online payments to meet client expectations. Anna’s decision to use Clio Manage to handle her billing and online payment processing came down to the fact that today clients expect payment options that are accessible and convenient. As more clients prefer to pay their legal bills online, she knew this would be a core aspect of managing her business.

Managing billing and collections in one solution would also help her automate many tasks from bill creation to scheduling payment reminders to recording each transaction to the appropriate matter or client account, helping her save time on administrative tasks and letting her put more time toward more valuable work.

Clients are happier and Anna gets paid faster

Anna has been using Clio to manage her casework since she started her practice. Clio was a natural fit in earning the satisfaction of her clients by accepting more payment methods, including credit, debit, and eCheck, and offering flexible payment plans.

Anna simply sends her client agreement and a secure click-to-pay link so clients can sign and pay in one go, saving her clients a trip to the bank or her office and leading to faster payment turnarounds.

Anna eases the stress of payment for her clients

Anna understands that paying a legal bill can be stressful. Clients approach Anna to resolve their matters as swiftly as possible, but they may not have budgeted for the total cost of a lawyer, which can add stress to other parts of their life. Anna’s approach is to provide clients with options that make their lives easier: “I like giving clients flexibility and the option to have more ways to pay.”

Not only can clients pay with card or eCheck from anywhere at their convenience, but by offering payment plans, Anna’s services are more accessible while tailored to fit the specific needs of each client. “I’m in probate and estate planning so some of my services can be a large amount of money to pay all at once,” says Anna. “With payment plans, I can stagger payments and make it easier for the client to pay as the work progresses instead of paying everything upfront. It gives clients more options and it is convenient.”

Billing with Clio is easy and intuitive

An all-in-one payment platform offers a more efficient means of collecting revenue while also improving client relations and business operations through time-saving and cost-cutting benefits. For solo practitioners like Anna, Clio helps simplify the financial management of her business while scaling to her needs as her practice grows.

And best of all, Clio works for her, from reminding clients of outstanding balances to storing their preferred payment details for future use. And with all trust-related transactions handled in accordance with industry rules, Anna can focus on what matters most: her clients and her practice.