Financially Legal is a podcast with accompanying articles on the financial aspects of the business of law. Host, Emery Wager, talks with law firm leaders, academics, business professionals and thought leaders to provide compelling and provocative insights at the intersection of finance, economics, and law.

Episode 58 - Cashflow for Law Firms

Posted by Emery Wager on November 26, 2024

In this Financially Legal episode, host Emery Wager talks with Matt Darner, founder of Collbox, to uncover practical strategies for law firms to master cash flow and collections. With years of experience helping businesses recover millions in outstanding invoices, Matt offers a unique perspective on the intersection of accounts receivable management and legal practice operations.

This episode explores the common challenges law firms face with payment delays, the importance of setting clear expectations with clients, and actionable steps to reduce lockup time. From refining billing practices to leveraging technology, Matt shares insights to help firms improve their financial health and focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional legal services.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 57 - Legal Finance 101 with Evan Meyerson of Burford Capital

Posted by Emery Wager on November 13, 2024

In this Financially Legal episode, host Emery Wager interviews Evan Meyerson, Managing Director of Burford Capital, to explore the rapidly evolving world of legal finance. Evan brings a unique blend of legal and venture capital experience, which gives him insight into how litigation funding can transform legal claims into strategic assets for law firms and clients alike.

This episode dives into different funding models, from single-case to portfolio financing, each designed to support firms with varying needs. 

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 56 - How to Design and Implement Flat Fee Legal Services with John Grant and Elise Buie

Posted by Emery Wager on October 17, 2024

In this Financially Legal episode, host Emery Wager sits down with John Grant, founder of Agile Attorney Consulting, and Elise Buie, founder and managing attorney of Elise Buie Family Law, to discuss how law firms can successfully design and implement flat fee legal services. Both John and Elise bring a wealth of experience and unique perspectives to the table—John from his background in technology and Lean principles, and Elise from her journey of founding a family law firm focused on flexibility, collaboration, and client-centered services.

Embracing flat fees means adopting a different way of thinking. It’s not just about changing how you charge; it’s about reimagining how you deliver legal services in a way that benefits both your firm and your clients. Flat fee services, while beneficial for clients by offering cost predictability, shift the burden of unpredictability to the firm. This episode explores how firms can manage these challenges, align their teams, and implement systems that ensure flat fee services, to use John Grant's words, are profitable sustainable and scalable. 

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Can Law Firms Disburse Money Electronically?

Posted by Emery Wager on October 5, 2024

Managing client funds through trust or IOLTA accounts is one of the most critical responsibilities for law firms. Especially for contingency-fee firms, ensuring that disbursements are made accurately, ethically, and securely is essential to maintaining compliance with Bar Association rules and avoiding serious penalties.

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Topics: Business of Law


How to know if you have the wrong LCM software and what to do about it

Posted by Emery Wager on July 23, 2024

Is your LCM software holding you back? If core tasks like billing and document management are causing headaches, it might be time for a change. 

In our latest Legal Case Management Jam Session, Confido Legal's Emery Wager interviewed Casita Simpson, the founder and CEO of Simpson & Associates, a company specializing in CRM design and paralegal support.

Choosing the right case management system can be a game-changer for your law firm. Thoroughly evaluate the capabilities and limitations of your current case management system before deciding to switch to a new one. 

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Topics: Business of Law, Legal Case Management


What Happens if a Law Firm Refunds a Credit Card Payment with a Check?

Posted by Emery Wager on July 10, 2024
As a law firm, managing client payments and refunds is a critical part of your business operations. One common scenario involves clients paying a retainer or advanced fee deposit via credit card, with any unused retainer funds returned at the end of a case. But what happens if you return these funds with a check or other payment method besides the original one? Does the firm automatically lose any associated chargeback? No, they don't. Let’s explore this in detail.
 

 

Already Received a Chargeback?

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Topics: Business of Law


Episode 55 - Small Changes, Big Rewards - An Interview with Lawyer & Entrepreneur Gary Allen

Posted by Emery Wager on July 6, 2024

In this Financially Legal episode, host Emery Wager interviewed Gary Allen, who recently retired from a multi-decade legal career. Gary’s extensive experience includes building a million-dollar practice in environmental and land use law at Givens Pursley and co-founding LeanLaw to help other firms operationalize the best practices he learned the hard way.

Gray is passionate about helping firms understand the financial state of their businesses and enact small changes that make a big impact. Read on for the highlights or watch the full episode here:

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Are Your Firm's Operations Set Up to Scale?

Posted by Emery Wager on June 24, 2024

In our latest Legal Case Management Jam Session, Confido Legal's Emery Wager interviewed Casita Simpson, the founder and CEO of Simpson & Associates, a company specializing in CRM design and paralegal support.

Operating a law firm involves navigating various challenges, especially as the firm grows and takes on more clients and cases. One of the primary challenges faced by law firms is the potential breakdown in operational efficiency. This breakdown can manifest in several ways such as missed deadlines, overlooked emails, and disorganized workflows.

Many firms rush to hire more people when things get busy. The big question is: Is your firm ready to handle this growth?

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Topics: Business of Law, Legal Case Management


How We Handle Chargebacks at Confido Legal

Posted by Emery Wager on June 18, 2024

Handling chargebacks can be a daunting task for any business, but for law firms, the challenge is often compounded by the unique nature of their services and client relationships. At Confido Legal, we have developed a tailored approach to help law firms manage (and win) chargebacks.

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Topics: Business of Law


Episode 54: Legal Case Management Series – An Interview With Jared Correia, CEO of Red Cave Consulting

Posted by Emery Wager on April 2, 2024

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Emery Wager explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, we welcomed Jared Correia to the first-ever live recording of Financially Legal. Jared, the CEO of Red Cave Consulting and the Cofounder of Gideon Software, shared his experience from helping thousands of law firms choose and successfully implement the right technology. 

Jared and Emery covered strategies for selecting the right software, whether to use all-in-one systems vs. pulling together best-in-class systems, the future of AI in legal case management software, and the dangers associated with breakfast burritos and falling asleep at your desk. Read on for the episode highlights or watch the full episode here:


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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


The Value of Offering Client Payment Flexibility for Law Firms

Posted by Emery Wager on February 21, 2024

This article covers the second step in our three-step Collections Optimizer process: Offer Payment Flexibility.

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Topics: Business of Law


Episode 53: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Kimberly Bennett, Cofounder of Fidu

Posted by Emery Wager on January 3, 2024

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Emery Wager explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, we welcome Kim Bennett back to the Financially Legal Podcast. Kim, the Cofounder of Fidu, shares insights into the innovative subscription legal services management platform that is reshaping the relationship between lawyers and clients.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 52: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Dorothy Radke of SimpleLaw

Posted by Dan Lear on November 15, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In the latest episode, Dan interviews Dorothy Radke, Director of Strategy and Marketing at SimpleLaw, a cloud-based case management software designed to streamline the complexities of running a law firm. 

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Legal Tech Developers: Harness the Power of Payments Using GraphQL

Posted by Emery Wager on October 10, 2023

As the legal tech industry undergoes rapid transformation and modernization, software developers are constantly seeking methods to enhance their applications and boost efficiency. Integrating online payments into complex legal case management and billing systems has long been a significant challenge in the legal tech domain.

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Topics: Business of Law, Integrations


Episode 51: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Matt Bright of Intuit QuickBooks

Posted by Dan Lear on October 10, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, host Dan Lear discusses the world of QuickBooks, a cornerstone in both small business and small legal tech ecosystems. This episode features Matt Bright, a Senior Product Specialist at Intuit with 23 years of experience at the company. Together, they shed light on the various ways law firms leverage QuickBooks and how it can revolutionize their financial management.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 50: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Brett Spooner of Clever Case

Posted by Dan Lear on September 18, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, we dive into the world of legal case management software with Clever Case, a tool designed by attorneys for attorneys. Host Dan Lear speaks with Brett Spooner, the CEO and founder of Gravis Law and the founder of Clever Case, to explore the features, target audience, and philosophy behind this innovative case management solution.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


KYC, Anti-Money Laundering and Underwriting, or Why I Have to Submit So Much Info to Open a Payment Processing Account

Posted by Emery Wager on September 15, 2023

Introduction

Why do you have to submit so much information when applying for a payment processing account? There are two reasons:

  1. The government enlists payment processors to help combat financial crimes. As a result, processors are required to take certain steps to verify the legitimacy of a firm.

  2. When a firm accepts online payments, financial risk is created for both the firm and the payment processor. Processors ask for documentation on the firm to help prevent these losses. 
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Topics: Business of Law


Episode 49: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Harsimran Singh of Lawcus

Posted by Dan Lear on August 23, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, Dan speaks with Harsimran Singh, Founder and CEO of Lawcus. Lawcus offers a comprehensive solution, combining legal practice management, client relationship management (CRM), client intake, and no-code automation, all unified in a single platform.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 48: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Dov Slansky of Litify

Posted by Dan Lear on August 9, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, Dan speaks with Dov Slansky, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Litify, a legal operating solution that helps law firms, in-house legal departments, and government agencies run smarter.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 47: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Dragana Milovanovic of Matter365

Posted by Dan Lear on July 20, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, Dan speaks with Dragana Milovanovic from Matter365, a user friendly cloud solution that fully integrates all data from Microsoft Office 365 applications into a matter-centric environment. With powerful add on features and Microsoft 365 applications, Matter365 is one of the most comprehensive solutions on the market today.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Episode 46: Legal Case Management Series - An Interview with Jonathon Fishman, CEO of LeanLaw

Posted by Dan Lear on July 5, 2023

In this special series focused on legal case management software, host Dan Lear explores various case management companies to help firms make informed decisions. In this episode, Jonathon Fishman, CEO of LeanLaw, shares insights about their financial operating system designed for small to medium-sized law firms.

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Topics: Financially Legal Episodes, Business of Law


Confido Legal Talks Accounts Receivable for Law Firms on CPA Academy

Posted by Emery Wager on June 20, 2023

Recently, Confido Legal teamed up with CPA Academy to host an informative webinar on optimizing accounts receivable and collections processes for law firms. This session provided practical strategies and tools to improve collection rates and streamline cash flow. With a focus on the Collections Optimizer, participants explored various billing models and table stakes items that contribute to enhanced collection rates. In this blog post, we'll delve into the highlights from the webinar and uncover the valuable insights shared.

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Topics: Business of Law, Confido Legal News


Confido Legal and QuickBooks Team Up to Streamline Payment Processing for Law Firms

Posted by Dan Lear on April 3, 2023

We are excited to announce that Confido Legal has teamed up with QuickBooks, the leading small business accounting platform, by formally joining the QuickBooks Solution Provider Program. In combination with Confido Legal’s QuickBooks integration - the only legal-specific payments integration in the QuickBooks store - Confido Legal and QuickBooks are truly better together.

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Topics: QuickBooks Integration, Business of Law, Integrations, Confido Legal News


Testing Out Confido Legal and ChatGPT

Posted by Emery Wager on March 24, 2023

Today we spent some time testing the new plugins feature for ChatGPT. Specifically, we took a look at the Zapier plugin, which allows you to connect thousands of apps and their Zapier Actions to ChatGPT. Of course, we used the Confido Legal Zapier Actions as our test case. 

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Topics: Business of Law, Confido Legal News


Introducing Confido Legal's "Fast Transfers"

Posted by Dan Lear on March 22, 2023

Confido Legal is thrilled to announce the launch of Confido Legal "Fast Transfers." Efficient payment processing is essential for modern law firms to maintain financial stability and to continue providing exceptional services to their clients. That's why we've designed Fast Transfers to streamline your payment process and get your money quicker.

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Topics: Business of Law, Confido Legal News


Embedded Subscription Payments Live in Fidu

Posted by Dan Lear on March 1, 2023

As we continuously expand the value and power of Fidu, we are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Confido Legal, an innovative payment processing and money management solution for law firms. This partnership was unveiled at the American Bar Association Technology Show held in Chicago.

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Topics: Business of Law, Integrations


The Power of Measuring Your Law Firm’s Return on Investment (ROI)

Posted by Emery Wager on January 10, 2023
If you invest a dollar into your law firm, what do you expect to get back?

Why is the answer to this question so important? It helps you decide what initiatives to pursue and what initiatives to cut. It also tells you whether you are building the right financial opportunity for yourself and your partners. If you are only getting a dollar out for every dollar you put in, you’d be better off keeping that dollar. If this is the case, it’s time to rethink the firm’s strategy and take a closer look at the financial “leaks” in the business. 

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Topics: Business of Law


The Dangers of Accepting Wire Transfers at Your Law Firm

Posted by Emery Wager on January 4, 2023

Wire transfers are a common method of accepting payment for law firms, but they can be risky for both your firm and your clients. This article outlines the dangers and downsides associated with accepting wire transfers and best practices for avoiding these traps. 

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Topics: Business of Law


Should a Law Firm Hire a Collections Agency?

Posted by Emery Wager on December 14, 2022

The two most controversial topics for law firms related to client payments and collections are:

  1. Should law firms charge credit card fees to clients?
  2. Should law firms hire a collections agency to recoup long outstanding accounts receivable?

We have published substantial information to help you make a decision on on whether to charge card fees to clients but very little on navigating the collections agency conundrum.

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Topics: Business of Law


The Law Firm Third-Party Client Finance Decoder

Posted by Emery Wager on December 5, 2022

We at Confido Legal strongly believe that firms and clients benefit most when firms offer clients a variety of options to pay. Firms invest significant dollars to get clients in the door. It’s a waste of those resources to have a would-be paying client walk out the door simply because the firm doesn’t offer payment plans (i.e. doesn’t want to be the client’s bank), the client doesn’t have a credit card, or because the firm won’t offer third-party funding.

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Topics: Business of Law


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