The basics of law firm billing are spelled out in Illinois Supreme Court Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5, which governs fees, says Charles J. Northrup, general counsel for the ISBA. But smart billing requires more than simply knowing the ins and outs of that rule.

For example, attorneys should keep in mind their clients' emotional state and put themselves in the clients' shoes, Northrup says. "I would want a lawyer to understand that for clients, receiving bills can be extremely stressful, and that the lawyer must be prepared to calmly discuss and respond to client questions or criticisms about bills - and make adjustments if necessary."

Billing can be stressful for lawyers, too - but should be less so for those who follow key, commonsense best practices.

Another critical step is keeping time entries that are "accurate, detailed, and contemporaneous," Northrup says, even when you're billing based on a fixed fee or contingency rather than hourly.

"The existence of such time entries may become important should the time spent on a matter come into dispute, potentially because a court is reviewing the reasonableness of the time spent on a matter, or the lawyer is attempting to recoup a fee based on quantum meruit after discharge or withdrawal," he says.

Learn why and how to follow up on unpaid bills, whether to charge interest, whether to "round up," which billing technology to use, and much more in the October Illinois Bar Journal.