In the current legal environment, billing has evolved from a purely administrative task into a strategic function. The question of “Who owns the bill?” is getting harder to answer as billing workflows evolve into cross-functional operations that touch finance, legal operations, attorney practices, and administrative support. 

The stakes are high. Billing accuracy, speed, and clarity directly impact firm profitability, client relationships, and even the firm’s brand. As one CFO of a mid-sized Am Law firm put it: 

“We’ve felt it in the finance team—billing isn’t back-office anymore. It’s front and center.” 

A Complex Web of Stakeholders 

As billing processes have become more technology-driven and client-facing, they’ve also grown more fragmented. Attorneys often review and approve time entries; legal admins coordinate the details and handle submission; finance teams ensure compliance and cash flow; and, operations teams look for ways to automate and optimize. 

Unfortunately, fragmentation often leads to friction. According to Thomson Reuters, mid-sized firms lose up to 25 percent of their billable hours due to inefficient or overly complex billing systems. Other industry surveys found that law firms that simplified their billing workflows saw a 70 percent increase in collection rates and reduced staff training times by the same margin. 

This operational disconnect leads to inefficiency and potential revenue loss. A 2025 Above the Law article cited that 68 percent of law firms struggle with on-time fee collection, with vague or late invoices often cited by clients as a key frustration. 

Tech Investments Aren’t Enough 

Firms are investing heavily in billing platforms and automation, but technology alone isn't solving the problem. In fact, fewer than 40 percent of mid-sized firms are currently using a modern practice management system, yet 93 percent adopted AI tools last year, according to Deloitte industry reports. 

There is an evident gap between the pace of technological adoption and the reengineering of existing processes. To fully leverage these tools, legal billing should be approached collaboratively, with each stakeholder fulfilling an essential role in the process. 

The Cross-Functional Future of Billing 

So who does own the bill? The answer, increasingly, is—everyone. 

Legal administrators and support staff now act as billing hubs, tracking time, coordinating submissions, and responding to billing disputes. Finance and legal operations teams ensure consistency, enforce billing guidelines, and optimize the flow of payments. Attorneys remain key reviewers and approvers, setting tone and expectations with clients. Meanwhile, tech and business analysts are enabling automation, real-time visibility, and predictive insights into billing trends. 

Collaboration between these roles enhances workflows and impacts outcomes. When billing becomes a coordinated effort across functions, firms report faster billing cycles, fewer rejections, and a smoother attorney experience. One global firm shared that when they empowered admins to auto-track billable work, their billing cycle dropped from 45 to 15 days—all without adding headcount. 

Why the Model Is Evolving 

The benefits of this collaborative billing model are measurable. First, it enhances client satisfaction by producing cleaner, faster, and more transparent invoices. Second, it boosts firm realization rates, improving cash flow and reducing administrative churn. Third, it opens the door to alternative pricing models, which are gaining traction as AI and automation reshape the value of legal work. 

This approach also enables future scalability. Firms that view billing as a cross-functional strategy, rather than a back-office function, are better equipped to compete, whether they choose shared services, outsourcing, or AI tools. 

A Call to Legal Administrators 

Legal administrators have a unique opportunity to lead this change. Their proximity to both attorneys and back-office teams gives them the insight to bridge gaps and standardize processes. With the right tools, training, and influence, legal admins can become the glue that holds modern billing operations together. 

As we look to the future, the firms that succeed won’t be the ones asking, “Who owns the bill?” They’ll be the ones where everyone owns it — together.