Clients Who Don’t Pay

“The way to take the pain out of payment discussions is to start having them before you do the work,” says this post from the Attorney at Work blog. Consultant Jim Turner gets specific about what to say, how to say it, and when. Mention payment even in marketing materials, he says. After you’ve done that, it’s easy to bring the subject up during the first consultation. A clear and simple financial policy should be presented – and it should include a signature line. But you also need to avoid setting up a surprise. To the extent possible, estimate the scope of the matter in advance and talk about, in accord with the golden rule of payment: “If you wouldn’t pay an invoice you don’t understand and weren’t prepared for, why would you expect them to?” On another tack, he also advises a deposit, a retainer, or a credit card-on-file.