What Forms of Payment Do Lawyers Accept?
Common Payment Methods Lawyers and Law Firms Accept
If you’re hiring a lawyer, you may be wondering how you can pay them. What forms of payment do lawyers accept? Do lawyers take credit cards, payment plans, or other alternatives to checks and money orders? In many cases, the answer is yes.
In recent years, online legal payment systems have modernized the way legal practices handle client invoices and payments. Law firms that have adopted these new technologies now offer clients a much more flexible and convenient experience.
Instead of mailing checks or dropping them by the office to settle a bill, it’s become increasingly common for firms to accept options like cards, online payments that can be paid with a few clicks, eChecks, and payment plans.
This post addresses everything clients think about when it comes to paying a lawyer: data security, the most common forms of payment accepted by law firms, and important considerations for each payment method.
1. Credit Card Payments
The question on every client’s mind before engaging with a legal professional: Do lawyers take credit cards? In many cases, yes. The American Bar Association first approved credit cards as acceptable forms of payment for attorney fees and legal services in 1974, but it wasn’t an immediate offering for most law firms.
Today, more firms are offering this payment option for clients for added convenience. Modern technology advancements have made accepting credit cards a safe, secure, and seamless option for firms who want to offer clients more than cash or check methods.
Law firms now commonly offer credit card payments for a few reasons:
- Clients expect it. One Forbes study found that roughly 70% of consumers prefer doing business with firms that accept credit cards. Allowing invoice payments via credit card makes paying bills fast and convenient for clients, especially when online payment options are available instantly from anywhere.
- Payments are faster. Accepting credit card payments has business benefits for law firms, too. Clients pay bills by credit card around 39% faster, which gives firms access to payments without time-consuming collection efforts.
- It’s hassle-free. Credit card payments reduce the administrative time and overhead costs associated with traditional legal billing, like manually entering paid invoices into an accounting system or paying for postage.
What about trust deposits? Yes, you can usually use a credit card to make a trust deposit payment. To protect both clients and attorneys, law firms may use legal-specific payment processors to make sure trust deposits paid by credit card are handled properly.
These processors ensure your deposit goes directly into your trust account without taking out any processing fees. Fees must be charged separately to the firm, not deducted from your funds.
2. Debit Card Payments
Debit cards are a convenient way to pay a legal invoice directly from your bank account funds without interest charges. But do lawyers take debit cards? Accepting debit cards as a form of payment is increasingly common for law firms today, thanks to digital payment processing tools.
This payment form is popular for legal clients because it allows for fast full or partial payment of a lawyer’s invoice directly from a checking or bank account. Like credit cards, debit card transactions require the firm to pay a small processing fee that does not get passed on to you.
Because of strict regulations surrounding surcharging for legal invoices and payments, most law firms that accept debit cards use legal-specific processing tools like CosmoLexPay to ensure any fees for debit transactions come from their accounts, not yours.
Taking debit cards is a simple way for firms to stay competitive and give clients a wider range of options when it comes to paying invoices. That’s why many law firms happily accept debit card payments today.
With costs of processing fees continuing to rise, it is more critical than ever for businesses to consider additional ways to cut down on the costs associated with the growing need to accept every payment type. Download this guide now to know how credit card surcharges can help.
3. ACH Payments
What forms of payment do lawyers accept for automatic payments? Automated clearing house (ACH) payments are a form of eCheck or electronic fund transfer (EFT) used to move funds from one bank account to another. Some law firms allow clients to make one-time or recurring payments using this “autopay” method.
ACH payments allow a law firm to directly deduct funds from your bank account and deposit them to the law firm’s account without using a third-party intermediary like a credit card processor.
These automated payments offer the convenience of paying by credit card with the functionality and simplicity of paying by check. When a law firm accepts this payment form, you can pay invoices by entering your bank account number and routing number to directly debit the invoice amount from your chosen bank account.
ACH payments enable you to submit payment partially, in full, or in recurring installments. You’ll agree on these terms with your lawyer before providing your bank account details to set up ACH as your payment method.
4. Payment Plans
Payment plans help reduce large legal bills to smaller, more manageable amounts. Many law firms accept payment plans as a way to alleviate the financial burden of invoice payment and make their services more flexible and accessible.
Firms that take payment plans allow you to break larger invoices into amounts that are easier to pay on a regularly scheduled basis. Different payment methods may be used to pay off a legal invoice in installments:
- Credit or debit cards
- Online payment processors, like PayPal Pay Later
- ACH or eCheck payments
By making a series of payments or installments, you can ease the financial strain of a bill that’s larger than expected or make it easier to budget for ongoing legal expenses over time.
If you plan to start a payment plan to settle an invoice with a law firm, make sure you have all the details needed:
- Payment schedule: Confirm installment frequency (biweekly, monthly, etc.)
- Payment amounts: Ask about payment minimums and expected installments
- Fees and/or interest: Some law firms may charge additional fees for payment plans
- Payment method: What forms of payment do lawyers accept at your firm for installments—ACH, credit, debit, cash, check, or an online payment platform?
If your lawyer is willing to set up a payment plan, you can reduce the financial burden of paying invoices while compensating your lawyer fairly for their work.
5. Legal Fee Funding
Legal fee funding is similar to a payment plan for clients, but the key difference is that law firms get the full payment upfront. Modern law firms often accept legal fee funding arrangements for invoice payment, and there are a few different ways this method can work.
The most common approach is through third-party-managed “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) services for legal fees, like PayPal Pay Later. These services allow you to pay a legal invoice in set installments over time while the firm receives the complete payment immediately.
Another option is using personal loans from private lenders specifically intended for legal expenses.
When a third-party processor manages the financing, the law firm receives payment right away, leaving the client to handle repayment directly with the provider. Because you will be responsible for making timely payments on a scheduled basis, it’s important to understand the repayment terms upfront to avoid late fees and interest charges.
Download this eBook to get access to a complete, simplified guide to electronic payments for lawyers.
Lawyers Make Payments Convenient with CosmoLex
Navigating legal bills doesn’t have to be difficult. Today, most firms go beyond cash and checks by offering flexible options that fit the way you prefer to pay. If you’ve ever wondered, “Do lawyers take credit cards?” or “What forms of payment do lawyers accept,” the answer is increasingly broad: from credit and debit cards to online payments and structured payment plans.
With legal payment processing tools like CosmoLexPay, firms can make the payment process simple, secure, and convenient for every client.
Looking for a firm that allows you to pay your way? Ask about their payment options up front to ensure they align with your needs and browse the related articles below to find answers to common legal invoice and payment questions.
