Does it take law firms 93 days to collect payment?

Clio’s 2025 Legal Trends Report says the average law firm is carrying about 93 days of work that is either unbilled or unpaid. That is total lockup, the unfinished stretch of the intake-to-cash path, between work already performed and cash received. Intake is when the matter opens. Cash is when the invoice is paid. It is not the age of a single invoice.

Is the delay in getting paid getting better or worse?

The report finds realization lockup trending down, which means firms are billing completed work sooner. Collection lockup has been creeping up, which means invoices that have already gone out are sitting unpaid longer. The total has stayed fairly flat because faster billing has been offset by slower payment.

Is a 93 percent collection rate the same as 93 days of lockup?

No. In the same report, a 93 percent collection rate means firms eventually collect about 93 percent of what they invoice, equal to about 2.4 hours of an eight-hour day. The 93 days is how long finished work sits as unbilled time or unpaid invoices. A firm can collect most of what it bills and still wait most of a quarter for the cash.

About 93 Days of Finished Work Is Still Not Cash.

About 93 days of finished work is still not cash.Clio’s 2025 Legal Trends Report finds the average law firm carrying about 93 days of work that is unbilled or unpaid. Collection lockup is the part that has been getting worse.