Closing a final account without losing the thread

Final accounts stall when parties argue from different schedules. A shared reconciliation — even with open items clearly listed — shortens the last mile.

Bring three schedules into one

Measured works, variation outcomes, and retention adjustments should sit in a single settlement table. Provisional sums need their own column so unused amounts do not vanish into lump adjustments.

Separate cost from advocacy

Cost auditors can recommend a settlement range. Legal strategy and without-prejudice negotiation belong with counsel. Keeping those lanes distinct preserves the usefulness of the figures.

Plan the meeting

One facilitated session with both commercial leads present often beats weeks of annotated PDFs. We host settlement workshops from our Kwun Tong office when parties prefer a neutral table — see final account settlement support.