Case study
How a criminal law firm streamlined payment collections with AI
A criminal defense law firm implemented Squirrels.ai to automate payment reminders, improve receivables visibility, and reduce the manual effort required to manage hundreds of active payment plans.
By introducing AI-powered outreach across calls, emails, and text messages, the firm gradually improved payment follow-ups, reduced administrative workload, and created a more consistent collections process while maintaining a client-friendly approach.
Smarter collections
payment responses tracked in real time
Multi-channel outreach
calls, emails, and texts managed consistently
600+ active matters
supported with automated payment follow-ups
Overview
A criminal defense law firm with a large number of active client matters faced challenges managing payment plans and outstanding receivables. With hundreds of clients making payments across different case stages, tracking payment schedules and following up on overdue balances required significant manual effort.
The firm relied on a small receivables team that spent several hours each week reviewing accounts, sending reminders, and manually tracking payment updates. Because most clients were on structured payment plans, maintaining accurate payment information and ensuring timely follow-ups became increasingly difficult as the number of active matters grew.
The firm partnered with Squirrels.ai to introduce an AI-powered AR Collections agent designed to automate routine payment communication while keeping the team in control of sensitive client interactions.
The AI agent was gradually introduced into the collections workflow, beginning with data preparation and targeted outreach campaigns. Over time, the firm improved payment visibility, reduced repetitive collection tasks, and created a more scalable process for managing receivables.
Client at a glance
Industry
Criminal defense law firm
Primary challenge
Managing high-volume payment follow-ups manually
Business model
Flat-fee legal services with structured payment plans
Receivables volume
600+ active matters with outstanding balances
AI solution implemented
AI-powered payment reminders and AR collections automation
The challenge
Manual payment plan tracking
The firm managed hundreds of clients with payment plans tied to different stages of legal services.
Tracking these payment schedules required significant manual effort. Payment updates were sometimes recorded across different systems and processes, making it difficult for the team to maintain a complete view of outstanding balances and upcoming payments.
With more than 600 active matters requiring attention, manually contacting every client was not realistic. The limited availability of receivables staff meant that follow-ups were often prioritized based on urgency rather than a consistent communication schedule.
Fragmented billing information
The firm’s existing workflow separated client information, matter details, invoices, and payment information across different areas.
This made it challenging to quickly identify:
- Which clients had overdue payments
- Current payment plan status
- Available contact information
- Matter-specific billing details
- Previous communication history
Without a unified view, staff had to spend additional time gathering information before initiating collection conversations.
Inefficient payment follow-ups
Many clients required reminders about upcoming or overdue payments.
However, sending reminders manually required staff members to review individual matters, resend payment information, and answer common billing questions repeatedly.
This created delays in collections and increased the risk of clients missing payments simply because follow-ups were not sent consistently.
Sensitive client communication requirements
As a criminal defense firm, maintaining trust and professionalism during payment conversations was critical.
The firm wanted to improve collections without creating negative client experiences by repeatedly contacting clients who had already paid or were actively making payments.
A successful solution needed to balance consistent outreach with respectful communication.
Technology and compliance considerations
The firm operated within strict confidentiality and data security requirements.
Any automation solution needed to support secure handling of client information while allowing the team to maintain oversight of communications and payment-related conversations.
The solution
Squirrels.ai implemented an AI AR Collections agent designed to support the firm’s payment communication workflow.
The implementation focused on automating repetitive outreach while allowing the legal team to maintain control over sensitive matters and exceptions.
Automated payment reminders
The AI agent was configured to communicate with clients through multiple channels, including phone calls, emails, and text messages.
Instead of relying entirely on staff members to manually send reminders, the AI handled routine payment conversations based on predefined workflows and communication guidelines.
This allowed the firm to maintain consistent outreach without increasing administrative workload.
Personalized client communication
The AI agent was customized to handle different payment scenarios and respond appropriately based on client situations.
For example, conversations could address common questions related to:
- Payment schedules
- Outstanding balances
- Invoice details
- Payment options
- Requests for additional information
The AI provided responses using the firm’s approved messaging while escalating complex situations to human team members when needed.
Response tracking and collection insights
Every interaction was recorded and organized through a centralized dashboard.
The firm gained visibility into:
- Clients contacted
- Payment commitments
- Client responses
- Disputes or questions
- Accounts requiring additional attention
This allowed the receivables team to focus their time on higher-priority accounts instead of manually tracking every conversation.
Progressive data integration
The firm began implementation with available client and invoice data exports while evaluating deeper system integration opportunities.
This phased approach allowed the team to test AI-driven outreach, review communication quality, and refine workflows before expanding automation further.
Human oversight for sensitive cases
The AI agent supported the collections process but did not replace human judgment.
Staff continued managing complex billing discussions, sensitive client situations, and decisions requiring professional review.
This ensured the firm could improve efficiency while maintaining the personal approach required in legal services.
Results and impact
The implementation of Squirrels.ai created progressive improvements across the firm’s accounts receivable operations.
The firm began by introducing AI for repetitive payment reminders and gradually expanded automation as the team became more comfortable with the workflow.
Reduced manual collections workload
The AI agent gradually took over repetitive communication tasks that previously required staff involvement.
Instead of spending hours sending individual reminders, receivables staff could focus on exceptions, escalations, and accounts requiring direct attention.
This improved productivity without requiring additional collections resources.
More consistent payment follow-ups
Clients received timely reminders through multiple communication channels, reducing missed follow-ups.
The structured outreach process ensured payment conversations happened consistently rather than depending entirely on staff availability.
Improved receivables visibility
The collections dashboard gave the firm clearer insight into payment activity and client responses.
Staff could quickly identify accounts that had promised payments, needed additional support, or required manual follow-up.
This improved decision-making and reduced uncertainty around outstanding balances.
Better client communication experience
The AI-driven approach helped the firm maintain professional and consistent communication with clients.
By customizing messaging and stopping outreach when clients responded, the firm reduced unnecessary contact while still encouraging timely payments.
Scalable collections process
As the firm continued managing a growing number of active matters, the AI workflow provided a scalable foundation for future collections operations.
The team could support more payment plan accounts without increasing manual administrative work.
TESTIMONIAL
Why organizations choose Squirrels.ai
Squirrels.ai helps organizations automate repetitive accounts receivable workflows while maintaining transparency, personalization, and human oversight.
Companies use Squirrels.ai to:
- Automate payment reminders through calls, emails, and texts
- Track customer responses in real time
- Capture payment commitments automatically
- Reduce repetitive collection tasks
- Improve receivables visibility
- Customize outreach sequences and messaging
- Support teams without adding additional headcount
- Maintain human control over complex conversations
- Scale collections workflows efficiently
Improve payment follow-ups, reduce manual collections work, and build a smarter AR process with AI-powered automation.