Drawing on nearly 20 years in the field of legal auditing, attorney D.L. Schrader brings together practical experience and knowledge culled from auditing billions of dollars in legal fees for a wide spectrum of clientele - ranging from Fortune 500 companies to major insurance carriers. GETTING PAID: Legal Auditing and Your Bottom Line provides actionable and straightforward advice on best billing practices for attorneys, paralegals and related law firm staff.No matter your level of experience, this conversational book will provide the insight and tools to guide the legal professional and arm you with the knowledge and strategies necessary to avoid billing pitfalls or miscues and get paid every hard-earned dollar you have coming to you.In these pages, through straightforward and numerous real-world examples, you'll discover...-The 30 "Dirty Words" of legal billing - Which can be used judiciously and which should never be used.-How to avoid the auditor's knife for block billing violations.-Billing judgment and the nuances of client billing guidelines.-Describe and frame time entries in the best light to avoid non-billable work. -How to avoid formulaic billing. -Fundamentals of effective staffing and team maximization without duplicative efforts. -The how-to of writing effective appeals.-What it takes to be a star billing firm and tips to avoid the legal auditing process altogether.