A Comprehensive Guide to Law Firm Finance in 2021

03 June 2021

Have you been practicing law for a while? Today, many lawyers are stepping into the entrepreneurship world to open their law firms. Indeed, practicing under experienced lawyers gives a lot of exposure but having autonomy at work is equally vital. You can choose clients and legal cases of your choice and practice in a particular area. Likewise, you can enjoy flexibility and freedom, make decisions, and set your priorities.

However, most lawyers don’t understand that starting a law firm is more than practicing law. Apart from legal responsibilities, you have to recruit people, market the law firm, and most importantly, manage finances. You have to document a long-term financial strategy to stay on top of your daily budget and earn profits. At the same time, you have to manage taxes, acquire funding, handle invoices, and much more.

To help you get started, here is a comprehensive guide to law firm finance in 2021.

1. Create a Long-Term Financial Strategy:

As a law firm owner, you have to establish a vision for the firm’s future. Do you picture a multi-lawyer firm handing corporate clients? Or you want to step into litigation or criminal law? Having a clear idea of long-term goals will help in creating a well-defined financial strategy. You can start putting funds aside for expansion from the beginning.

Likewise, you have to keep up with numbers, forecasts, and budgets to manage the day-to-day cash flow. You have to ensure the business has enough funds to secure new clients and take cases to trial. After all, not every case settles. However, if you don’t have a knack for numbers, consider learning the ropes.

You can look for virtual programs such as MSF online to avoid the hassle of traveling to college. After all, online education gives students a lot of flexibility, motivating them to keep learning. As for your law firm, it will help in managing finances efficiently while practicing law.

2. Get Access to Funding:

Although you are stepping into a service business, you will need a hefty amount of capital and cash to start a law firm. From office rentals, conference rooms, stationary costs to staffing – you will come across a long list of expenses. Therefore, look for ways to obtain capital for your law firm. Here are some of the options you can explore.

Savings:

Whenever starting a business, make sure a small chunk of the capital comes from personal savings. That way, you will keep working in the game because you won’t be liable to another person when things get tough.

Bank Loan:

You can start with a few thousand dollars, but more capital gives lawyers enough runway to make the business profitable. Hence, if your savings don’t seem sufficient, opt for a bank loan or open a credit line to raise capital.

Startup Incubators:

Today, many incubators connect new business owners with funding to get going. Often, they use their contacts with angel investors to fund new businesses or seek help from venture capitalists.

3. Manage Taxes:

Most attorneys operating law firms aren’t aware of legal obligations. As a result, taxes hit them in surprising ways. You might get a call from Internal Revenue System (IRS) or a hefty fine for missing the deadline.

Similarly, many lawyers have difficulty categorizing deductibles. You might think everything is deductible, whereas your tax liability is higher than you predicted. These pitfalls not only halt business operations but are super pricey too.

Hence, consider bringing an experienced tax specialist on board. However, if you don’t have a budget for additional hiring, learn about the taxation policies yourself. It doesn’t mean you have to go back to school; instead, look for online programs. You can opt for an online LLM tax program and learn from the comfort of your home and office. It will help you plan for tax liability, closing doors for IRS audit, and incorrect tax deductions.

4. Streamline Invoicing & Payment System:

Usually, lawyers have different payment policies. When dealing with corporate clients, they charge a monthly fee and have separate legal charges for cases. On the other hand, they don’t charge when fighting for accident victims until the negligent party’s proven guilty. Despite having different payment policies, you must have an appropriate invoicing and payment system at the firm. You can leverage savvy software to automate the firm’s finances.

Moreover, record your income correctly. If you charge a retainer fee, treat it as an advance payment and track its spending on every case. Similarly, avoid recording any income in your financials until you have won the case. It will give you a realistic view of the firm’s financial position, making sure you are on the right track. Besides this, don’t forget to set flexible billing terms with the clients and discuss everything upfront to avoid issues later.

5. Prepare Budgets, Reports, & KPIs:

Having a budget is imperative for your law firm’s financial success. You have to estimate your expenses and the revenue you expect to earn. It will give you a solid idea of how much you should work to make the business profitable. Likewise, you have to prepare financials to catch a glimpse of profitability.

Well, to begin effective financial reporting, you have to start with the bookkeeping basics. You have to record all financial transactions and maintain a separate account for every client.

After this, you can prepare an income statement and balance sheet to determine the law firm’s equity. Also, create a cash flow statement to understand how much cash goes out and comes into the business. All these financials will be a brilliant source of insights about your law firm. You can spot trends, overcome weaknesses, and capitalize on your strengths to make the business more profitable.

Final Thoughts:

Every successful law firm considers numbers and data first. You have to create an excellent financial plan with a growth vision to make your law firm successful. Similarly, you have to manage cash flow, follow a detailed billing process, and raise sufficient capital. As you progress forward, a strong financial position will unfold new growth opportunities. You can tap into new practice areas, offer more services, and expand your team.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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WB Trading Reviews Top 10 Tips For Getting Started In Trading

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How To Easily Sell Your Life Insurance Policy

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A broker, as the name suggests, helps you find an investor, usually an institutional investor, to buy your policy. And they act as an intermediary, negotiating the deal. That said, if you are looking for a good buyer, visit this site. 2. The Life Settlement Company Must Be licensed The company that buys your life insurance policies is called the life settlement. It must be licensed with the different state departments of Insurance. It will help you avoid any kind of scams. Talk to them and verify their licenses. It must be one of the important steps to sell your insurance coverage. 3. Submit All the Necessary Documents & Information Once you have found your buyer, either directly or through a broker, the next step is to submit all the required documentation. These include your policy documents and medical records. Now, in the majority of cases, you don’t need to submit your policy-related documents yourself. Rather, you provide authorization to the company you are selling to so that they can get them from your insurance provider. With everything in order, the underwriting process begins. It is at this stage that your life expectancy, as well as the value of your policy, are estimated. 4. Choose The Best Offer The next step is the offer negotiation. Basically, the interested buyer, or buyers, submit their offer to you, and you decide whether it is good enough for you. In many cases, the broker will present the best offers only. Depending on what you are looking for, you can go with the offer presented, or you can forfeit it. That said, life settlements are typically more than the surrender value, which means you will get more money selling your policy to a third party than resigning to what your insurance is ready to pay. 4. Price Based On Policy Value In general, life settlement companies are mainly interested in high-value policies rather than older ones. Ensure that you have at least a $100,000 life insurance policy. Also, the settlement companies pay you more if you have some health condition leading to a low life expectancy. This kind of policy status earns more if you are selling it to them. 5. Receive Your Lump Sum Payment Finally, you sign over your policy to the buyer and, in exchange, get the agreed amount as payment. This payment is paid in full, in one lump sum. Once this step is done, you are no longer responsible for premium payments. And when you die, the buyer collects the death benefits. 6. Finding The Reputable Brokers When trying to find the right broker, you must look out for the most reputable brokers. The best process is to talk with not one but multiple brokers. Not only this, but you must also look for multiple brokers with multiple offers. Looking for the best quote can only help you get the best offers on sales of your insurance. Reputable Brokers offer you what they have to offer, and nothing is mesmerizing. Hence, play safe and do not run after the offers. How Much Will I Get from Selling My Life Insurance Policy? The lump sum cash you get from selling your life insurance policy in a life settlement will be a lot higher than its face value, often four or more times the cash surrender value of your policy. Even so, the precise among typically depends on several factors, including: Your insurance policy’s premiums Death benefits Life expectancy Therefore, the life settlement company will consider all these to determine your specific payout. Want To Sell A Life Insurance Policy? Seek Advice From A Reputable Life Settlements Company The last thing you want is to sell a life insurance policy you have been paying premiums for over a long time for an unfair price in the market. For this reason, you need to find a good life settlement buyer for your policy. Besides advising on your settlement, a life settlement company will help you sell it for a competitive price. Read Also: How to Get Low-Cost Life Insurance for Seniors Some Kinds of Death are Not Covered by Term Life Insurance How Private Hire Insurance Takes You Out from Problems?

A Comprehensive Guide to Law Firm Finance in 2021

1. Create a Long-Term Financial Strategy: