A compliance-first payout infrastructure replacing manual checks with instant, secure digital settlements.
DETAILS
The legal industry still uses a highly manual settlement and disbursement process, exposing their businesses to human error as well as slow payout turnaround for clients.
However, payments technology and client expectations have evolved, and we found that clients expect instant gratification and fully secure, virtual payment options.
ROLE
Senior Product Designer, AI and Core Practice Management | Litify | 2025
Stakeholder Alignment, End to End Design, Prototyping, User Research and Testing
The Challenge
The payout process was slow and cumbersome for both firms and clients. Many firms still relied on paper checks, creating hours of manual work for accounting teams and forcing clients to wait weeks for their funds. Meanwhile, attorneys were understandably hesitant to change, as trust accounting is highly regulated and allows little room for error.
User Research
To get to the bottom of why firms were still clinging to physical checks, I led a series of deep-dive interviews with accounting teams and managing partners. I needed to understand the manual taxonomy of a settlement - the exact moment a case closes and the friction that starts when the money needs to move.
My research focused on three critical areas:
The Integration Gap: I mapped out how firms were currently hand-keying data between Litify and their accounting software, which was a massive source of human error and duplicated effort.
The Compliance Psychological Barrier: I explored the safety associated with paper checks to understand what specific digital guardrails would be required for attorneys to trust an automated system with their highly-regulated trust accounts.
Willingness to Pay vs. Value: Beyond just testing usability, I conducted value-validation sessions to see if firms viewed instant payouts as a premium service they (or their clients) would actually pay for.
This research shifted our focus: we realized the product wouldn't just be judged on its speed, but on its ability to provide a clear, digital audit trail that felt as defensible as a physical carbon copy.
Strategic Insights
Synthesizing these interviews, it became clear that our initial assumption was wrong: firms didn’t just need a digital option for payments. The real hurdle was a deeply ingrained culture of risk and habit. Most firms were still tethered to paper checks because trust accounting is so highly regulated that there’s zero room for error, and in that high-stakes environment, paper felt safe. My research uncovered two major systemic failures: clients were waiting weeks for vital funds, while accounting teams were drowning in the manual overhead of cutting and tracking physical checks. I realized we weren't just designing a payment screen; we had to architect a compliance-first workflow that provided enough transparency and security to give attorneys the confidence to finally ditch the checkbook.
The Solution
Instead of just building a digital payment button, I architected a secure payout ecosystem that honors the rigors of trust accounting while delivering the speed of modern fintech. By solving the 'Paper Habit' through a verifiable digital audit trail, we transformed a slow, manual process into a major competitive advantage for the firm.
A Consumer-Grade Payout Experience
On the client side, I designed a mobile-friendly experience that gives people what they actually expect in 2025: options . Whether they want an instant transfer to their bank or a standard 4-day move, the interface makes the choice clear and transparent .
Automated Approval Workflow
I designed a multi-gate approval workflow that mirrors a firm's internal hierarchy. This gives managing partners the digital paper trail they need for compliance, with real-time tracking that ensures no payment is moved without proper authorization .
The Outcome
The launch was a major success for both the firm’s bottom line and the client experience. Firms successfully eliminated the administrative burden of cutting physical checks, while clients finally gained the instant, transparent access to their funds that they expect in a modern digital economy . This didn't just speed up the money, it fundamentally strengthened the trust between the firm and their clients.