The DMA Solution is an optional choice for your clients. 

There are other choices you can offer to solve the Hard Disbursement cash flow problem.  However, what is important is to remove the current practice of making free loans to your firm's clients.   Implement this solution by offering your clients the following three choices:

1)   Pay the firm’s invoices, including fees and disbursements, within a reasonable time that is determined by the firm – DMA recommends 30 to 45 days.  In that event, the law firm will absorb the carrying costs involved. Note: many of your top clients already fall into this category, and therefore this new solution will not impact them at all.  Identify which of your clients are your "blue-chip" clients, and exempt them from the DMA Solution offer.

2)     Provide the firm with a retainer for each matter, replenished as necessary by the client.  In this manner, the law firm can use the client’s funds to pay for hard disbursements, and not incur carrying costs.

3)     Agree to allow the firm to install and use the third-party Disbursement Manager^TM solution.  This solution will result in the client’s out-of-pocket expenses being paid out of a new dedicated “Hard Disbursement Line of Credit”.  In addition, a pre-set interest cost and third party audit fee associated with each individual disbursement will be billed in advance to the client as part of the regular invoice.  (Once the client pays an invoice containing hard disbursements, the software will recalculate the exact number of days each hard disbursement cost was actually outstanding, and automatically include a credit for any unused prepaid interest on the next regular invoice.)