Build the budget
Organize expected revenue, payroll, operating costs and planned spending around your firm’s priorities and available records.
Accounting for law firms
Budgeting & forecasting for law firms
Turn financial records into a practical plan for spending, staffing and cash flow.
Request a consultationPlan with the assumptions in view
Expected revenue and cash in the bank are different planning inputs. Mako Financial helps your firm build budgets and forecasts that make timing, costs and uncertainty visible.
Explore scenarios
Consider how changes in collection timing, staffing or expenses could affect cash needs. Keep assumptions visible so they can be challenged and updated.
Compare with actuals
Review results against the plan, investigate meaningful differences and identify assumptions that need another look.
Start with reliable records
We discuss the planning horizon, available financial statements, unpaid invoices and upcoming obligations. If the records are incomplete, we identify the gaps before relying on them.
The scope defines the scenarios, reporting format and review cadence. Forecasts are estimates based on assumptions, not guarantees of revenue, profit or available cash.
Connect planning to the work
Bookkeeping provides the historical starting point. Billing and collections informs expected receipts, while accounts payable and payroll help explain planned outflows.
Combining these services in one agreed engagement helps keep the plan connected to changes in day-to-day operations.
Common questions
Before we begin
How is a forecast different from a budget?
A budget sets a financial plan. A forecast estimates what may happen using current information and assumptions. Comparing both with actual results helps frame the next decision.
Can we explore the cost of a new hire?
Yes. A scoped scenario can compare expected staffing costs with revenue and cash-flow assumptions. Your firm supplies the proposed role, compensation and timing; the model supports your decision rather than making it for you.
How often should the plan be updated?
We agree a review schedule based on your needs and the availability of current records. Significant changes in staffing, collections or spending may warrant revisiting the assumptions sooner.
Before your consultation
Plan for cash timing as well as profitability
Start with current financial records, expected collections and known commitments. A law firm can show revenue while still needing to plan carefully for payroll and vendor-payment dates.
Compare a baseline with changes in hiring, expenses or collection timing. Forecasts are working assumptions to revisit as conditions change, not promises of future financial results.
Let’s scope the work.
Start with your business contact details. We’ll discuss the accounts, records and support your firm needs.
Request a consultationPlease keep account numbers, passwords and client records out of your inquiry.