New research from Centerbase finds midsize law firms are making high-stakes decisions on financial data that's slow, fragmented, and often out of date.
DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Centerbase, the AI-powered performance platform purpose-built for midsize law firms, today released Beyond the Billable Hour: The Financial Visibility Gap, a benchmark report examining how midsize firms access and act on their own financial data.
Eighty-two percent of firm leaders say faster access to financial data would sharpen their strategic decisions, from pricing to staffing to where to invest next. Yet 77% say their financial data lives across disconnected systems, and 58% suspect their realization rate is running lower than it should.
"Firms are busy building their practices. What many still lack is a clear line of sight into how the business itself is performing," said Trish Stromberg, Chief Marketing Officer at Centerbase. "We hear this often, both in this study and in conversations with firms directly. Leaders are worried their numbers aren't accurate, and they're frustrated by how long it takes to assemble them by hand. They know there is revenue to be had, that they aren't collecting. Firms need improved visibility into their numbers to build a modern and profitable firm."
Speed & Insight is the Differentiator
The benchmark survey findings point to a shift already underway in the legal market. It's not just about querying data faster. It's about getting the analysis behind those numbers as well. Tools like Centerbase IQ surface the intelligence and the insight dispersed throughout a firm's financial information, whenever leaders need it.
"This is about future-proofing a firm," Stromberg said. "Firms that want to grow can't make their biggest decisions on last quarter's numbers. When leaders can see their financial data the moment it matters, they make more informed decisions. That's the advantage we built Centerbase to deliver to midsize firms."
What's Inside the Report
Beyond the Billable Hour digs deeper into where revenue quietly disappears, how firms are putting AI to work on the financial side of the business, and what's changing in how clients expect to pay. The full findings, including the specific moments where firms lose the most ground and the practices setting top performers apart, are available in the complete report.
"There's a clear playbook emerging for firms that want to lead rather than lag," Stromberg added. "We wanted to put it in front of the market."
Beyond the Billable Hour: The Financial Visibility Gap is based on a survey of 151 midsize law firm leaders, conducted by independent research agency Trend Candy in Q3 2026. The full report is available now: 2026 Centerbase Benchmark Report.
About Centerbase
Centerbase is an AI-powered performance management platform built for midsize law firms. It brings billing, accounting, and day-to-day operations into one connected system, reducing manual work through automation, improving accuracy in firm and trust accounting, and delivering an AI intelligence layer to reporting that supports smarter decisions. Centerbase helps firms run the business of law with confidence. centerbase.com
Media Contact
Trish Stromberg, Centerbase, 1 801-949-4440, [email protected], https://www.centerbase.com/
SOURCE Centerbase
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