Suzan:
I Beg to differ with you on this issue. After 40 years of doing this I can safely say to you that once you explain to you client that filing fees must be paid prior to filing and that delays in providing payment will delay the project delivery, I doubt if your client will delay paying the invoice quickly. They do understand this and expect their work to proceed quickly.
However if you lay it out the fees clientsw generally will not make payment as promptly since there is no urgency and delay is not a problem. If your client cannot come up with the payment quickly you can be assured that he/she will not be able to pay your invoice quickly also. Often clients ask you to pay for these fees yet few really expect you to do so (but it doesn't hurt to try). I doubt that this issue will in any way influence your client to use you again in the future.
What influences clients is your ablity to deliver the goods as promised, they expect good communications, good design attentive consultants, organized administration and confort in the ability of their consultants to address and resolve problems radidly.
I often hear clients say " I know he is a few dollars more but I know he will deliver when asked. To lose a client because they can't come up with a filing fee may be a blessing in disguise
John Anastasi AIA
Firm Owner/Architect
Anastasi & Associates
Bayside NY