The Centerbase Blog.
Find legal technology and law practice management insights, education, trends, and actionable takeaways to advance your firm.

July 14, 2026
The Revenue Loop Most Mid-Law Firms Haven't Closed Yet
You've automated how the bill goes out. Here's the half of the loop nobody automated: how the money comes back. Most managing partners can tell you, almost to the day, how long it takes their firm to get a bill out the door. Pre-billing, partner review, finalization: that part of […]

November 7, 2025
Law Firm Financial Management: The Complete Guide for 2026
Financial management has always been the backbone of a law firm’s success. Timekeeping, billing, accounting, and expense tracking all feed into a firm’s financial health. But as 2026 approaches, that backbone is under more pressure than ever thanks to rising overhead costs, hybrid staffing models, cash flow volatility, and evolving client expectations that are challenging firms to think differently about how they manage […]

October 3, 2025
Law Firm Budget: Best Practices, Challenges, and Tips for 2026
For midsize law firms, budgeting is more than a way to control costs. A law firm budget serves as a strategic financial compass that guides decision-making, supports growth, and ensures long-term stability. As 2026 approaches, firms face ongoing challenges that budgeting can help address: persistent rising expenses, hybrid operations, rising […]

September 12, 2025
Law Firm Profitability: How To Measure and Increase It
Profitability is one of the most critical measures of success for any law firm. But while it’s easy to fall into the mindset of “more billable hours equal more profit,” the full story of a firm’s financial health is more complex. Determining a law firm’s profitability is about more than […]

August 22, 2025
What Is Legal Operations? Scope & Strategic Importance
Modern law firms win on operations as much as advocacy. Legal operations (also known as “legal ops”) gives firms the structure, data, and technology to run the business side of law with discipline, so attorneys can focus on client work and results. This article explains what legal ops is, why […]

May 14, 2025
Law Firm Billing: Complete Guide & Best Practices for Growth
Law firm billing is more than just an administrative function. It's also the engine that drives profitability, sustainability, and client trust. The way a firm bills its clients can impact everything from cash flow to client retention, but it’s not always a straightforward process. Thankfully, organized processes, technology, and automation […]

April 4, 2025
Law Firm Accounting: Best Practices for Efficiency and Compliance
Your law firm's accounting department helps the business stay on the right side of the law, when it comes to both internal operations and external relationships. Because legal work involves high stakes, accuracy is of the utmost importance in handling finances. Since law firms work with sensitive information, any misstep […]

March 26, 2025
How Law Firms Can Prepare for End-of-Year Audits
New year, new you, same audit. Every law firm should start the year with balanced accounts and a solid paper trail. But getting there can be tough. Closing the books on the prior year takes time and methodical thought. Your law firm can minimize the friction by streamlining its accounting […]

March 18, 2025
Top Trends in Legal Operations for 2025
For law firms looking to scale, 2025 presents both opportunities and challenges. Our latest Future of Law Firm Operations Report, based on a survey of 335 small- to mid-sized law firms, reveals key trends shaping the industry. From rising operational costs to the increasing adoption of technology, law firms must […]

October 18, 2022
Everything You Need to Know About a Parenting Plan
Breaking up is hard to do — we all know this. And while any divorce or separation can be painful, the stakes are higher when children are involved. Having a parenting plan in place can help with both logistics and healing and, most importantly, ensure that the best interests of […]

October 10, 2022
The Ins and Outs of Law Firm Budgeting
Forecasting isn’t only for your local weatherman—it’s an essential legal process too. Fortunately, forecasting income and expenses isn’t as complex as predicting where the next hurricane will hit or when the first freeze of the year will occur. But, when you’re juggling all the tasks of running a law firm, […]

July 19, 2022
The Ultimate Guide to Increasing Law Firm Profitability
You want your law firm to thrive, not just survive. Profitability management is the best way to ensure that your firm stays at the top of its game both in the short- and long-term. In this blog, we’ll cover how you can raise your firm’s bottom line, including steps you can take and how technology can lend you a hand.

May 25, 2022
The Eight Essential Financial Reports Your Law Firm Needs
Your firm might be brand new to data analytics, or maybe you've dipped a toe into the waters and have the basics down. Either way, keeping close, regular tabs on certain metrics and understanding financial reports will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your firm and lawyers and, in turn, your law firm’s profitability. Technology can streamline this process and make collecting and interpreting your firm’s data easy.
This blog will provide a basic overview of legal reporting and analytics and tell you why they’re important and how they can help you intelligently run your firm. Then, we’ll go in-depth into the different kinds of financial reports your firm should be running to help you understand your bottom line.

April 12, 2022
10 Best Practices for Enhancing Your Law Firm’s Cash Flow
No matter the current state of your law practice’s financial health, you’ll always find that there are opportunities to reduce costs, improve lawyer productivity, and get more cash in the door. If you’re struggling to keep your firm’s cash flow consistent, read on to discover ways you can take your law firm’s current cash flow to the next level.

February 1, 2022
The Complete Guide to Your Law Firm's Finances
Financial well-being is an important piece of the law firm operations puzzle. To continue to serve your clients most effectively, your firm must be operating efficiently. You must have a consistent cash flow that allows you to continue marketing campaigns, acquire clients, and hire new lawyers to do the work.
The key to this is a comprehensive financial strategy. Here’s how you should get started building yours:

December 21, 2021
Closing the Books for the 2021 Fiscal Year
Every law firm should start 2022 with accurately balanced accounting that is ready for all that the new year will bring. This year-end closing process comes together through reconciling bank accounts, adjusting entries, and preparing financial statements for analysis.
The following are some annual bookkeeping processes to help your law firm set the foundation for financial success in the coming year:

June 15, 2021
How to Improve Efficiency and Cash Flow with Your Billing Templates
Law firms today are finding it increasingly necessary to meet specific client needs with their invoices. How does your firm receive payments from clients in a timely manner? Is it important that your invoices communicate the information expected by each client in the format that they require? Ask yourself, are you managing this process in a way that is financially beneficial to your firm?

April 29, 2021
3 Steps to Building a Referral Partnership Network
Why are referrals so important? You already know that referred clients tend to be your highest quality clients, but they are also the most affordable to obtain. There is no question that referrals are gold for law firms and because of this, it makes sense to invest time and money into generating a process for creating and maintaining a referral partner network.

February 18, 2021
Strategic Planning for Law Firms: Learning the Financial Basics
Every firm has its own set of goals and objectives, but not every firm knows how to reach them. Utilizing a strategic plan will help you properly analyze and allocate your resources to achieve your targets. If you're unsure of where to begin, we can help!

February 16, 2021
4 Steps to Help Your Firm Build a Better Budget
What does your cash flow look like this year? How about your net income by year-end? Having a quality budget in place removes the guesswork and fear from your financial picture and ensures you end up where you want to go.

February 11, 2021
6 Steps to Remote International Depositions
In this remote world we live in now, many aspects of our jobs have changed. Conducting remote international depositions is no exception. Learn what you should be aware of, the steps you should be taking, and how you can best navigate this critical part of your job in our new world.

February 9, 2021
6 Tips to Manage Your Exhibits in a Virtual Courtroom
How do you manage exhibits in a virtual courtroom? Going to court today looks different. The processes and procedures we may have followed at one point have changed. Because of this, there are some steps you should follow, take a look!

February 4, 2021
6 KPIs Your Firm Should Keep Track of
In, Accounting 101 for Law Firms we discussed how when firms are asked, “How do you want to define growth?” The leading response is always through revenue. That is great, right?! “Revenue.” We all love this word, it’s great a great way to track performance, but how do you actually […]

February 2, 2021
Email Hacks: How to Manage Your Inbox in 2021
Everyone handles their email inbox differently, but one thing is for certain, our inboxes today are significantly more overwhelming than they were even just a few years ago. Because of this, three things are significantly impacted by our time spent on email: our mood, our focus, and our to-do list. Let's take a look at how you can better manage your inbox and your time!