play video

Articles by 

Paul W Carlson, CPA

Specialties - Financial forecasting and modeling, EOS, management reporting Process design, onboarding, monthly closes, monthly financial meetings, and course development

Legal Fee Financing for Law Firms: 15 Lenders and What They Cost

Law Firm Strategic Planning: The One Page Plan That Gets Used

Law Firm Accounts Receivable: How to Collect What You Earn

Law Firm Matter Profitability: How to Calculate Profit by Matter, Client, Attorney, and Practice Area

Law Firm Marketing Budget: Benchmarks by Practice Area

Buying a Law Firm: Due Diligence and Deal Structure

Law Firm Budget: How to Build One That Drives Margin

How to Pay International Contractors: A Guide for Law Firms

Law Firm Insurance: Coverage and Limits by Firm Size

Law Firm Business Plan: What to Include and What to Skip

How to Increase Law Firm Profitability: 12 Levers That Work

Law Firm Profitability: Measure, Benchmark, Manage

Legal Bookkeeping: Why Your Books Should Run Your Management Meeting

Mass Tort (MDL) Time and Expense Tracking Requirements

Quality of Earnings Reports for Law Firms: What CEOs Need to Know Before a PE Conversation

Mass Tort Financing Explained: Costs, Lenders, Cash Flow

Law Firm Financing: A Plain-English Guide to Every Type

Law firm back office support for lawyers and solicitors

Law Firm Back Office Outsourcing Services

Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees in a Law Firm: A Plain-English Guide for Owners

Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees in a Law Firm: A Plain-English Guide for Owners
how to grow a law firm

A CFO's Guide on Law Firm Growth & Profitability

A Guide to Maximizing Your Law Firm's Profit Margin

Most law firms leave profit on the table without realizing it.
Law firm cash flow management

Mastering Law Firm Cash Flow: A Guide for Attorneys

Most law firms don't have a revenue problem, they have a timing problem.

Law Firm Profitability Consultants

Lawfirm profitability consultants help firms grow margins by rebuilding financia lstatements, tracking the right metrics, and shifting costs to more productive buckets.
Law firm accounting strategies in action

Law Firm Accounting: A CFO's Practical Guide for Firm Owners

A practical guide to building reliable, compliant, and insight-driven accounting systems for modern law firms.
Best law firm accounting software

Choosing the Best Law Firm Accounting Software

Fixing Realization Rate Upstream in Law Firm Billing

Understand why realization rate is where law firms lose earned revenue, and how to fix it before invoices are cut.
IOLTA vs Escrow Accounts

IOLTA Account vs Escrow Account: What's Right for Your Firm?

The management of client funds carries both ethical weight and enforceable legal requirements.

How Can Businesses Use Technology to Navigate Financial Uncertainty?

8 Types of Financial Statements Every Business Should Know About

The Importance of Accurate and Timely Financial Statements for Businesses

Law Firm KPIs: The Complete Guide (Formulas + Benchmarks)

IRS Capitalization of Advanced Client Costs for Law Firms

Review best practices in applying advanced client costs and keeping an accurate firm balance sheet.

Optimize Your Law Firm’s Finances with MyCase Payments

Managing client payments efficiently is crucial for any law firm. MyCase Payments offers a seamless way to track time, send invoices, and collect fees—all contained within the practice management platform.
Law firm financial dashboard

Law Firm Financial Dashboards: Turning Data into Decisions

A financial dashboard turns complex performance data into clear, actionable insights that help firms run more efficiently and profitably.
Legal time tracking software

Legal Time Tracking Software: Core Features & Best Options

Time tracking software helps law firms capture billable hours accurately while streamlining billing and performance analysis.

Billing Rate Setup in MyCase - Part of our MyCase Hourly Firm Guide

Billing Rate Setup in MyCase - Part of our MyCase Hourly Firm Guide
Top Legal Lead Generation Strategies for Attorneys

Top Legal Lead Generation Strategies for Attorneys

Law Firm Financial Reports: The Monthly Package Every Owner Should Review

Managing Advanced Client Costs: Best Practices for Law Firms

Unlock faster settlements with secure cost management

Client Invoices for Contingency Matter Fees - Soluno

Client Invoices for Contingency Matter Fees - Soluno

Activity Codes in Soluno

Activity Codes in Soluno

Batch Check Print - Soluno

Batch Check Print - Soluno

Legal Matter Management Software: Your Operational Backbone

A smarter way to manage matters helps law firms stay organized, profitable, and client focused.

Single Matter Trust Ledger Report in Soluno

Single Matter Trust Ledger Report in Soluno

Trust Receipts in Soluno

Trust Receipts in Soluno

Adding Contacts in Soluno

Adding Contacts in Soluno

Create and Edit Budgets in QuickBooks Online

Create and Edit Budgets in QuickBooks Online
Attorney referral agreement

Attorney Referral Agreement: What It Is & Why It Matters

A practical guide to attorney referral agreements, from fee rules to ethical compliance and tracking.

Print IOLTA Checks From QuickBooks Desktop Hosted Right Networks

Print IOLTA Checks From QuickBooks Desktop Hosted Right Networks

Payroll for Law Firms: Complexities & Best Practices

Immigration law practice management software

Best Software for Immigration Law Practice Management

Streamline your immigration practice, reduce errors, and stay compliant with the right law firm management software.
three way reconciliation IOLTA

Three Way IOLTA Reconciliation Guide

IOLTA trust account reconciliation represents one of the most critical compliance responsibilities for attorneys.
Buildings in NY

Manage Client Trust Balances with Clio Matter Balance Summary Report

Manage Client Trust Balances with Clio Matter Balance Summary Report

Clio Prepaid Flat Fee Process - Matter, Invoice, and Payment

Generate an invoice within Clio for prepaid flat fees.

Clio Matter Budgets - Summary Management Report

Learn how to use Excel to make your budget summary report.

Clio Matter Budgets - Options and Example Management Report

Review the options available to run budget reports.

Clio Consultation Invoices and Payments

Learn how to create a consultation invoice and payment within Clio.

Clio Billing Rates: Scale Cleaner, Protect Revenue

Learn the decisions, timing, and guardrails behind hourly billing rates in Clio so your rate structure remains stable, compliant, and straightforward to verify.

Client Invoice Guide for Law Firms Using Clio

Understand the strategy, timing, and controls behind client invoicing in Clio so your billing stays predictable, compliant, and easy to reconcile.

Clio Trust Requests for Retainers or Advance Fees

Join us in learning about the best way to request advance retainers using Clio.

Track EIDL Loan: Balance, Due Date & Payment Allocation

Managing your Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) effectively starts with staying informed.

Forecast Cash and Revenue - Contingency Based Law Firm - Pipeline Report

In this video blog post, we outline a specialized process for utilizing a pipeline report to accurately forecast revenue and cash flow in contingency-based law firms.

Example IOLTA Trust Account Reconciliation

In this video post, we offer a valuable resource for law firms by presenting a video overview of a complete IOLTA Trust account reconciliation—an example of which is often hard to find.

Can a Law Firm Be an S Corp?

Gain a clearer picture of what opting for an S Corp means for your law firm's bottom line and make a more informed decision.

Are charitable donations made by your law firm direct business tax deductions?

Navigating charitable donations within the legal structure of a law firm can be complex, with tax benefits depending largely on the type of tax return your firm files.