Legal Billing Specialist
10 days ago
Baltimore
Job Description It has to make sense. That is the standard at Divorce With A Plan. Not "close enough." Not "that is just how billing works." It has to make sense to the client, or we have not done our job. Clients are high-net-worth professionals going through divorce across the state of Maryland. They are intelligent, capable people navigating a financial experience they were never trained for. They do not know what an evergreen retainer is. They do not know what a trust replenishment request means or why it matters. And if no one explains it in a way that makes sense to them, they lose confidence in the process, and they lose sight of the plan they are working toward. That is the problem this role solves. The Billing Specialist at Divorce With A Plan is the person who makes the financial side of a divorce case make sense to the client. You walk beside them from the day they retain the firm through the day the case closes, connecting every payment to the outcome they are working toward. You are part of their walk. You are the one who helps them see that the $5,000 retainer replenishment is not just a number. It is the next step toward the custody arrangement they need, the property division that protects their future, the agreement that lets them move forward. The time you spend with clients explaining their billing, answering their questions, and making sure their plan still makes sense to them is not an extra. It is not a favor. It is part of the service. There is no additional cost to the client for the time you invest in making sure they understand. That is how this firm works, and it is one of the reasons clients trust us. How we do it: the right way. This firm runs on structure. There is a defined process for everything, because when the process is clear, the client gets a consistent experience no matter which attorney is on their case or which week of the month it is. You will have a daily call block schedule so clients are never waiting days for a return call. You will have a billing script built on the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct so clients hear accurate, compliant information every time. You will have an escalation protocol with documented timestamps, so no client concern sits unaddressed. You will have a weekly deliverable that captures how clients are feeling, what they need, and what feedback they are giving us, so the firm can respond to what clients are actually experiencing, not what we assume they are experiencing. If you are someone who finds relief in knowing exactly what the standard is, exactly what a good day looks like, and exactly what is expected, keep reading. What you produce: a contribution that protects the client and the firm. The Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct require that clients be kept informed about the status of their matter (Rule 1.4), that fees are reasonable and clearly communicated (Rule 1.5), and that client funds held in trust are safeguarded with precision (Rule 1.15). Those rules exist to protect the client. Everything this role does is built around upholding them. Every call you make either keeps a client informed or it does not. Every replenishment conversation either connects the payment to the client's goals and gives them the information they are entitled to, or it leaves them making financial decisions without the full picture. Every trust balance you monitor either gets flagged the same day it drops below threshold, protecting the client's funds and the firm's fiduciary obligation, or it becomes the kind of gap that puts both at risk. You are not here to process invoices. You are here to contribute to something that matters: a client's ability to get through the hardest financial experience of their life with clarity, dignity, and a plan that makes sense to them, while ensuring the firm meets the professional standards that make all of that possible. Here is who thrives in this role. You genuinely like people. Not in theory. In practice. You are energized by 20+ phone conversations a day because you actually want to know how someone is doing, and they can tell the difference. You remember that a client's daughter just started high school, that another client lost their job two months ago, that someone told you in March they were scared about the mediation in May, and when you call in May, you ask about it before you ask about the balance. You are organized because you cannot function without a system. You manage 100 to 150 active client relationships, and nothing falls through because you built something (a spreadsheet, a calendar, a color-coded tracker, a handwritten list) that keeps you moving. You do not wait for someone to tell you what needs attention. You see the attorney's calendar, you see the hearing in two weeks, and you pick up the phone, because the client deserves to know what is coming before it arrives. You have the emotional range to sit with a client who is crying about their financial situation on Tuesday and have a firm, direct conversation about a past-due balance on Wednesday, and both conversations are authentic because both come from the same place: you care about this person's outcome, and you are going to tell them the truth. You have been described as "the person who can get anyone to pay," and you know the reason is not pressure. It is trust. People pay you because you took the time to help them understand what they were paying for and why it mattered to their case. Here is who this role is not for. If you want to process invoices in a back office and never talk to a client, this role will make you miserable. If you avoid difficult conversations about money, you will not survive the first month. These clients are going through a divorce. Money is emotional. You need to be able to hold that space and still move the conversation forward, because the client needs someone who will stay in it with them. If you need someone to tell you what to do every hour, this is not the right structure for you. You will have clear expectations, daily blocks, and weekly deliverables. Within that framework, you think, prioritize, and act. Problems get fixed or flagged, because a problem that sits is a client who waits. If you read from a script without understanding why each line exists, you will fail here. Every call requires context. You know what is happening in the client's case before you dial, and you lead with that, because a client who feels known is a client who stays engaged in their own plan. If the phrase "it has to make sense" does not resonate with you at a gut level, if you are comfortable with "good enough" or "that is just how we do it," you will not be happy working here. Compensation: $50,000+ Responsibilities: Make the Financial Side of the Case Make Sense from Day One • Within five business days of retention, deliver a billing tutorial covering retainer structure, evergreen replenishment, invoice format, and what to expect at each stage, so the client starts their case understanding how the financial side works before they receive their first invoice., • Conduct a live introductory call to walk through the material, answer questions, and establish the relationship. This call gives the client a person they can reach when billing feels confusing, and it gives you the context to serve them well for the life of their case., • Provide specific dollar ranges for upcoming cost events (hearings: $5,000-$10,000, mediations, trials: $15,000-$30,000) so the client can plan ahead instead of reacting to surprises., • Introduce yourself as a non-billable point of contact. The time you spend making sure their plan still makes sense to them is part of the service, not an add-on. Clients who know they can call you without a meter running are clients who stay informed and engaged. Keep Trust Accounts Funded by Keeping Clients Informed • Monitor trust balances daily across 100-150 active matters so no client's case is disrupted by a funding gap they did not see coming., • Call every client before sending a replenishment request. No email goes out without a phone call attempt. The call comes first because the client deserves a conversation, not a demand., • When requesting additional retainers for upcoming events, reference the specific event by name and the date you first discussed it. This tells the client you are paying attention to their case, not just their balance., • Flag any matter below the trust threshold the same day. Not at the next billing cycle. The same day. A delay means the client's case could stall without warning. Process Invoices the Right Way • Prepare, review, and distribute client invoices on a biweekly cycle, so clients receive accurate, consistent billing they can follow., • Review every time entry on every invoice for accuracy, specificity, and consistency. Flag entries that are vague, duplicative, or do not reflect the actual work performed, because a confusing invoice erodes the client's trust in the firm., • Contact timekeepers directly to resolve questionable entries before pre-bills go to attorneys. The client should never have to question whether an entry is real., • Distribute finalized invoices on the scheduled date with payment links included so clients always know what they owe and how to pay without chasing anyone down. Collect by Connecting Payment to Progress • Maintain accounts receivable below 2% of total billings., • Execute 12-15 outbound calls per day during the morning AR block, with every call documented in Clio so the client's history is always current if another team member needs to step in., • Lead every collections conversation with a case update: what was accomplished, what is upcoming, and how the work connects to the client's goal. The client hears the value before they hear the number., • When a client says they cannot pay, walk through every option: credit cards, personal loans, family support, employer assistance, and legal fee financing. You do not accept "I cannot" without helping them look at every door first, because a client who feels they have no options may abandon a case they still need., • Send payment links the same day after any commitment so the client can act while the conversation is fresh. Listen, Learn, and Report What Clients Need • Pay attention to what clients tell you on every call. Their questions, their frustrations, their confusion, and their feedback are data the firm needs to hear so we can serve them better., • Produce a weekly deliverable every Friday, capturing client feedback, recurring questions, unresolved needs, and what you are hearing about the client experience. This is how the firm stays connected to what clients actually need instead of guessing., • When a billing concern arises, log it with a documented timestamp and route it to the responsible attorney via email so the client gets a response, not silence., • Escalate any concern involving bar grievance, fraud, or legal action language to firm leadership the same day, because those situations require immediate attention to protect the client and the firm. Stay Ahead of the Attorneys • Check attorney calendars for upcoming hearings, mediations, and trials. Initiate additional retainer requests before anyone asks, so the client has time to prepare instead of scrambling., • Confirm all credits, write-offs, and billing holds in writing before any related bill is finalized. If a credit is pending and you are not certain it has been applied, hold the bill. A client should never receive an invoice that does not reflect what the firm already knows., • Document every retainer reduction, billing pause, or special instruction in Clio at the matter level the same day so the next person who touches the file has the full picture and the client never has to repeat themselves. Qualifications: SECTION: Qualifications Required • 2+ years in billing, collections, or accounts receivable in a professional services environment. Law firm experience strongly preferred., • High comfort with outbound phone calls and client-facing conversations. This role requires 20+ calls per day. If phones drain you, this is not the right fit., • Proficiency with practice management software (Clio Manage preferred, or ability to learn within 30 days)., • Ability to read and interpret legal invoices, time entries, trust account statements, and engagement agreements., • Strong written communication for documented escalations, client correspondence, and weekly deliverables., • Proficiency with Google Workspace (Gmail, Sheets, Calendar, Drive)., • Demonstrated ability to manage 100+ active relationships simultaneously without dropping threads. Preferred • Experience in a family law firm or litigation practice., • Familiarity with the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct as they relate to billing. Training provided, but baseline awareness accelerates onboarding., • Experience with evergreen retainer models and trust accounting., • Prior use of LawPay, Dialpad, or Clio Grow., • Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus. About Company SECTION: Benefits / Why Work Here • Fully remote. We serve clients across the entire state of Maryland. You work from wherever you work best., • A firm that builds systems so clients get a consistent experience. You will have scripts, checklists, escalation protocols, a daily structure, and technology supporting you from day one., • Direct impact you can measure. Your collections rate, your AR percentage, the client feedback you surface: you will see exactly how your work makes a difference for real people going through real situations., • Training on the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct as they apply to billing. This gives you compliance knowledge that transfers to any law firm career and ensures every client interaction meets the standard.