Understanding what types of disbursements are acceptable and how to bill them.
What Types of Disbursements are Acceptable?
Acceptable disbursements include:
- Government Filing Fees;
- Court Fees;
- Transcript Fees; and
- Any other reasonable out-of-pocket expense approved by your client.
All disbursements must be accepted by your client (preferably through the Platform) prior to billing. Do not surprise your Clients with fees like Printing Fees, Courier Fees, etc. that have not been discussed in advance.
How do I Bill Disbursements?
Disbursements can be billed upon incurrence by the Lawyer (i.e., you need not wait until completing the file to recoup these expenses).
Government filing fees and disbursements are billed by creating and billing a Custom service marked with the Disbursement checkbox. Please see Quoting, Suggesting & Opening Services.
While Lawyers need not send a Quote for disbursements, but they are required to:
- Inform the Client of the disbursement and approval to incur the disbursement.
- List each disbursement as a separate line item if there are multiple.
- Inform the Client when you will bill their card on file.
If you are unsure of the exact amount for the disbursements, giving the Client a range is acceptable until the final amount is known.