Location: all cities,AK, USA
The Billing Clerk (Specialist) is responsible for managing the Firm's processes and systems related to time-keeping, billing, retainer replenishment, accepting payments, and collections of accounts receivables. The Billing Specialist makes sure time entries demonstrate value, so clients pay their bills timely. The Billing Specialist also ensures bills are generated and mailed timely and works directly with clients to ensure bills and installment payments are on time and retainers are replenished, so the Firm always has sufficient cash to meet cash requirements and the legal team works only for paying clients. Responsibilities: • Review case management or time billing system daily. • Review the quality and timeliness of time entries. Contact billers to ensure time is entered timely. • Edits bills to correct typos, and grammar errors, and ensure proper sentence structure. • Coordinates with billers to improve descriptions of activities to ensure the bills demonstrate progress and value. • Coordinates with billers to resolve apparent errors where time is entered on the wrong matter or entries appear to be duplicated. • Identifies time entries incorrectly designated as “non-billable” (or vice versa) and coordinates with the billers to draft proper billable time entries. • Collects records of expenses of costs advanced to clients and updates the case management system and accounting system accordingly.Identifies for the Controller/Administrator/Owner where billable records exceed Firm guidelines/timeframes for activities. • Reports to Controller/Administrator/Owner regarding patterns of quality or timeliness and other training or performance issues. • Generates pre-bills bi-weekly/monthly and provides them to the Controller/Administrator/Owner for review and approval. • Prepares or generates final invoices/statements and sends them to clients in accordance with the Firm's policies and procedures for timekeeping, billing, and expense tracking.Processes payments in accordance with the Firm's policies and schedules for accepting payments. • Manages the retainer/trust accounts, auto-replenishment, and installment payments. • Monitors timeliness of payments and contacts clients whose payments are not timely received. Accepts payments or negotiates payment plans or installment plans in accordance with Firm policies and procedures. Obtains approval from Controller/Administrator/Owner prior to committing the Firm to a non-standard agreement. • Oversees A/R collections and case withdrawal process. • Advises Controller/Administrator/Owner of clients who will not pay and have A/R older than one billing cycle. • Initiates the first phase of A/R collections calls in accordance with Firm policies and procedures. • the Client Non-Payment and Collections Policy and Procedures. Notify Legal when withdrawal from a case is necessary; gather red rubberband files and updates case management system. • Works with clients to address questions and concerns related to billing and payment and provides customer service to resolve issues and save relationships. • Works with the client, Merchant Service Provider, and credit card company to resolve disputes and requests for “charge back” or refund. Issues refunds with the express approval of the Owner. Matrix of Tasks • Review daily time-keeping records and work with billers to ensure accuracy • Answer telephones • Contact clients to obtain payment • Link/calendar appointments, calls, messages, correspondence in the case management system • Create contacts and update contact information in the case management or contact management system • Oversee the billing process: pre-bills, final bills, process payment, contact clients with late payments, update case management and accounting systems • Case and administrative filing • Compile metrics on contacts and collections • Review A/R and work with Controller/Administrator on collections efforts (payment plans, red rubberbands, case withdrawals) Qualifications: • The Billing Specialist must be able to demonstrate proper grammar, proof-reading, critical thinking, and business writing. • The Billing Specialist will have at least two years' experience as an assistant in a professional service business, preferably in a law firm. • The Billing Specialist will be organized and efficient, comfortable with various types of accounting software, and demonstrate proficiency with MS Office. Key Performance Indicators • Fee earning/production staff achieve at least 90% realization towards billable hours requirements;exceptions or performance issues are noted for the Firm Administrator weekly. • 90% of payments are processed timely. • Non-paying clients are contacted within X of time 3 business days. • No more than 15% of A/R is more than 60 days old (aging) without an approved payment plan. Compensation: $5 - $8
• Review case management or time billing system daily. • Review the quality and timeliness of time entries. Contact billers to ensure time is entered timely. • Edits bills to correct typos, and grammar errors, and ensure proper sentence structure. • Coordinates with billers to improve descriptions of activities to ensure the bills demonstrate progress and value. • Coordinates with billers to resolve apparent errors where time is entered on the wrong matter or entries appear to be duplicated. • Identifies time entries incorrectly designated as “non-billable” (or vice versa) and coordinates with the billers to draft proper billable time entries. • Collects records of expenses of costs advanced to clients and updates the case management system and accounting system accordingly.Identifies for the Controller/Administrator/Owner where billable records exceed Firm guidelines/timeframes for activities. • Reports to Controller/Administrator/Owner regarding patterns of quality or timeliness and other training or performance issues. • Generates pre-bills bi-weekly/monthly and provides them to the Controller/Administrator/Owner for review and approval. • Prepares or generates final invoices/statements and sends them to clients in accordance with the Firm's policies and procedures for timekeeping, billing, and expense tracking.Processes payments in accordance with the Firm's policies and schedules for accepting payments. • Manages the retainer/trust accounts, auto-replenishment, and installment payments. • Monitors timeliness of payments and contacts clients whose payments are not timely received. Accepts payments or negotiates payment plans or installment plans in accordance with Firm policies and procedures. Obtains approval from Controller/Administrator/Owner prior to committing the Firm to a non-standard agreement. • Oversees A/R collections and case withdrawal process. • Advises Controller/Administrator/Owner of clients who will not pay and have A/R older than one billing cycle. • Initiates the first phase of A/R collections calls in accordance with Firm policies and procedures. • the Client Non-Payment and Collections Policy and Procedures. Notify Legal when withdrawal from a case is necessary; gather red rubberband files and updates case management system. • Works with clients to address questions and concerns related to billing and payment and provides customer service to resolve issues and save relationships. • Works with the client, Merchant Service Provider, and credit card company to resolve disputes and requests for “charge back” or refund. Issues refunds with the express approval of the Owner.Matrix of Tasks • Review daily time-keeping records and work with billers to ensure accuracy • Answer telephones • Contact clients to obtain payment • Link/calendar appointments, calls, messages, correspondence in the case management system • Create contacts and update contact information in the case management or contact management system • Oversee the billing process: pre-bills, final bills, process payment, contact clients with late payments, update case management and accounting systems • Case and administrative filing • Compile metrics on contacts and collections • Review A/R and work with Controller/Administrator on collections efforts (payment plans, red rubberbands, case withdrawals)