Payment in adavance is not likely to go over well - I doubt most companies would ever agree to it, and there are too many people willing to do the work who will agree to wait 90+ days for payment.

What is really needed is some protection under state law.  I think this could be accomplished, if abstractors were properly licensed and formally recognized as a profession under state law.  I think in Arizona, it is actually a crime not to pay an appraisers bill within 60 days. In a couple of states, abstractors have the protection of a statutory lien against the property.

Unfortuately, abstractors can never seem to work together on anything and most do not want to be licensed.  Licensing may impose some burdens on abstractors, but it would also provide protections that could save their careers.