Chasing down non-paying clients is the bane of most lawyers’ existence. And when you’re already spending an additional three and a half weeks on unplanned work every year, it makes settling overdue accounts that much more frustrating.

You may not be able to avoid ever having to deal with non-paying clients, but if you take some intentional steps throughout your case, you can certainly reduce the incidence of non-payment. Here are three strategies lawyers can use to decrease the number of non-paying clients.