LAWYER to LAWYER Understand Billing. Know WHEN to bill, WHO to bill and HOW to bill. Billing is not about money, it’s about value, and this is part of your professional identity. Not all client pays and not everyone can strictly be categorised as clients. So it is totally impossible to get paid by everyone. The key point to note is that for every piece of work you do, irrespective of whether it is free or discounted, produce an invoice and a receipt, even when the client pays no dime and ensure the client receives a copy. Pro bono services, parents, family, friends, always issue an invoice, then on that invoice and receipt, discount it, write it off or mark it as probono and issue it to the client. When people do not see a figure, they do not register the cost of what they received in their minds. A favour with no invoice is invisible. A favour with an invoice that was graciously written off is memorable. This is not about money. This is about your perceived value. If you bill 250k and choose to accept 50k, the client must understand the actual value of the service, the concession you made, and the generosity behind that concession. Later, when that client refers someone to you, they won’t say he charges 50k, they will say “his fee is 250k, but he took 50k from me because we’re friends. I don’t know if he will give you the same rate, but I can speak to him on your behalf.” Your discounted client or friend becomes one of your most accurate marketing tools because you gave them the correct number to work with. They understand the value they received, and the next person approaches you knowing your actual rate, not the discounted rate someone else happened to receive. That is how you preserve rate integrity. You may discount your fee.
You may waive your fee.
You may work pro bono. But never allow a concession to redefine the value of your work. Always document your work and always communicate its value.