Obiter is only too familiar with the concept of being a little short of cash towards the end of the month, and is therefore pleased to pass on a billing tip from 360 Legal Group’s annual conference. Mike Segall, managing director of Money Collectors, has noticed where we’re going wrong. ‘When there isn’t a dedicated credit controller in a firm, it falls to someone who has other responsibilities to check and chase,’ Segall said. ‘They start on the billing list at "A" and get as far as they can. The result is that A-to-F is always fairly well-managed.’

So if your firm’s in the mire, you should blame the alphabet. Of course, if you don’t fancy paying your own bills, you may wish to consider changing your firm’s name to Zzzz & Co.