Allison Lemasters

What Computer Software Do Lawyers Use?

March 7, 2024 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

When it comes to practicing law, lawyers rely heavily on various computer software to streamline their workflow, improve productivity, and effectively manage their clients and cases. From matter management to legal time tracking software, technology now plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency and ensuring accurate billing for law firms.

In this blog, we’ll explore the different types of legal tech products that lawyers use and how they benefit legal professionals in their day-to-day work.

What Platforms Do Lawyers Use?

Lawyers often utilize specific platforms that cater to their unique needs in the legal industry. These platforms offer a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance productivity, communication, and collaboration within law firms. Some popular platforms commonly used by lawyers include:

Legal Time Tracking Software

At the core of a law firm’s operations lies the need for meticulous time tracking and billing management. Legal time tracking software becomes indispensable, offering features that allow attorneys to monitor billable hours, handle expenses, craft invoices, and process payments online.

This category of software is designed with a user-friendly approach, making complex billing tasks simpler and promoting accuracy in invoicing. An example of this is Bill4Time, which stands out for its tailored design that addresses the unique billing challenges faced by legal professionals.

Business and Productivity Suites

In the realm of document creation and email management, productivity suites offer a broad range of tools. These suites provide legal professionals with the necessary applications for drafting documents, managing correspondence, and facilitating team cooperation.

Programs for text processing, spreadsheets, email management, and presentation creation are staples within these suites. They serve as foundational tools for legal work, aiding in the efficient preparation and organization of case-related documents.

Marketing Platforms

Lawyers increasingly rely on marketing platforms to enhance their visibility and client engagement. These platforms include a variety of tools for website management, email marketing, and social analytics. This is a crucial component of running a law firm, as one in four people would not hire an attorney unless they have some kind of online presence.

A critical aspect of a lawyer’s digital footprint is their activity on social media. What social media do lawyers use most? Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) stand out, offering unique opportunities for lawyers to connect with potential clients, share insights, and establish their expertise in specific legal areas. This integration of marketing technology into a law firm’s strategy underscores the importance of a multifaceted approach to practice management and client development.

Cloud-Based Collaboration Platforms

For lawyers, the ability to collaborate on documents without the hassle of managing multiple versions is paramount. Cloud-based collaboration platforms cater to this need by offering real-time editing and sharing capabilities. This technology supports the creation of text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, enabling legal teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of their physical location.

The advantage here is clear: real-time updates, immediate access to the latest versions of documents, and a streamlined process for teamwork and document management.

What Word Processor Do Lawyers Use?

While Microsoft Word and Google Docs are the most commonly used word processors by lawyers, other alternatives offer similar functionality and compatibility. Some notable word processors used by lawyers include:

Microsoft Word

As you’ve likely heard, Microsoft Word for lawyers is a robust word processing software that provides lawyers with a wide range of features for creating and editing legal documents. It offers advanced formatting options, spell-checking, various Word shortcuts for lawyers, and collaboration features, making it a versatile program for lawyers.

Google Docs

Lawyers use Google Docs as a cloud-based word processor that allows lawyers to create, edit, and store documents online. It offers real-time collaboration, automatic saving, and seamless integration with other Google Workspace applications, making it a popular choice for lawyers who work in teams or prefer cloud-based solutions.

Apple Pages

The Mac equivalent for the other software above is Apple Pages. This word-processing software is specifically designed for macOS and iOS devices. It offers a user-friendly interface, advanced formatting options, and seamless integration with other Apple productivity software. Lawyers who use Apple devices sometimes prefer Pages for its compatibility and ease of use.

Specialized Legal Document Management Tools

Beyond traditional word processors, lawyers also benefit from specialized document management systems designed to streamline the creation, organization, and retrieval of legal documents. These systems often include features like legal template libraries, version control, and advanced search functionalities to manage case files efficiently.

Within this context, Bill4Time serves as a prime example of integrating document management and storage into a broader suite of legal practice management tools. It enables attorneys to track time and manage billing efficiently and offers document storage and organization capabilities linked directly to clients and cases. This dual functionality simplifies workflows, allowing legal practitioners to access and manage case-related documents and financial data in one unified system, streamlining their daily operations.

What Is Legal Research Software?

Legal research software provides lawyers with access to a vast database of legal resources, including case law, statutes, regulations, and legal commentary. This software makes the research process easier and helps lawyers find relevant information efficiently. Some popular legal research software used by lawyers include:

Westlaw

Westlaw is a comprehensive legal research platform that provides access to a vast collection of legal resources. It offers powerful search capabilities, advanced filtering options, and other features for analyzing and citing legal authorities. Westlaw is widely used by law firms and legal professionals for conducting in-depth legal research.

LexisNexis

LexisNexis is a leading legal research platform that offers an extensive collection of legal materials. It provides access to case law, statutes, regulations, legal news, and other legal publications. LexisNexis offers advanced search features, citation tools, and customizable alerts to keep lawyers informed about the latest developments in their practice areas.

Fastcase

Fastcase is a legal research platform that provides access to a comprehensive library of legal resources. It offers a user-friendly interface, powerful search capabilities, and features like visual search and citation analysis. Fastcase is known for its affordability compared to other legal research platforms, making it a popular choice for solo practitioners and smaller law firms.

What Technology Skills Should a Lawyer Have?

In today’s digital age, lawyers must possess certain technology skills to effectively navigate the practice of modern law and provide efficient services to their clients. Some essential technology skills that lawyers should have include:

Learning the Intricacies of Legal Software

Lawyers should be proficient in using legal software relevant to their practice areas. This includes time tracking and billing software, document management systems, legal research platforms, and case management software.

Familiarity with these programs enables lawyers to streamline their work processes, manage cases efficiently, and deliver quality legal services. Ideally, look for case management software that has an easy-to-learn user interface and all of the abovementioned functions built in.

Understanding Data Security and its Importance

Lawyers handle sensitive client information and must prioritize data security. Understanding best practices for data protection, encryption, secure file sharing, and secure communication is crucial in maintaining client confidentiality and complying with data protection regulations. To keep data security at the front of your mind, make sure your case management software puts data security as a priority.

Becoming Proficient with E-Discovery and Digital Evidence

As digital evidence becomes more central to legal proceedings, it’s imperative for lawyers to grasp e-discovery programs and methodologies, particularly the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM). The EDRM framework guides the identification, collection, and analysis of digital evidence, enhancing the legal professional’s ability to navigate through vast amounts of digital data effectively. Mastering these skills aids in the thorough review and analysis of digital evidence and can also dramatically influence the trajectory of a case.

Using Cloud Computing and Collaboration Features

Cloud computing and collaboration features have revolutionized the way law firms operate, making remote work more feasible and enhancing teamwork. Lawyers should harness cloud-based platforms for sharing documents, conducting online meetings, and editing collaboratively to boost productivity and streamline communication.

Integrating these practices with a cloud-based billing system further enhances efficiency, allowing for seamless tracking of billable hours, management of expenses, and invoicing directly through the cloud. This holistic approach ensures that productivity tools and financial management systems work in tandem, optimizing operations within law firms.

Increase Firm Efficiency with Bill4Time

From time tracking and billing software to word processors and legal research platforms, lawyers rely on a variety of software to effectively manage their cases, collaborate with colleagues, and stay up-to-date with legal developments.

Bill4Time stands as a premier choice among these tools, offering a unified solution that effortlessly marries time tracking, billing, and document management in a single, intuitive interface. Tailored for the unique needs of the legal profession, it streamlines daily operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in billing practices while minimizing administrative burdens.

By starting with a free trial, legal professionals can explore how Bill4Time can revolutionize their practice, making case management smoother and more efficient.

Law Firm KPIs: 23 Must-Have Metrics for Growth

March 4, 2024 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

Tracking law firm KPIs or key performance indicators, can give you insight into how your firm is performing and allow you to make informed decision about your business. Every law firm’s measurement for success is different so it’s important to determine which KPIs will produce the greatest amount of growth.

When it comes to KPIs and metrics, you’ll want to break them down. You’ll want to segment your metrics into three groups: primary, secondary and tertiary. Your primary metrics are all about survival, which is exactly what you need if you’re looking to get to a growth state. You need to determine which KPIs are most important to your firm.

KPIs Your Law Firm Should Track Regularly

Survival KPIs are metrics that measure what your law firm needs to generate a significant amount of traffic, leads, clients, sales and profits. These metrics are indispensable and your firm won’t be able to measure or improve growth without them:

1. Client satisfaction rating: Measures how happy your clients are with your services, often determined through surveys or feedback forms.

2. Breakeven cost: The minimum amount your firm needs to earn to cover all its expenses, indicating your firm’s financial health.

3. Balance in your operating account: The amount of money available in your firm’s operating bank account, which helps manage daily expenses.

4. Balance in your trust accounts (unbilled only): Funds held in trust for clients for unbilled services, critical for legal ethics and financial management.

5. Amount of accounts receivables: Money owed to your firm for services rendered but not yet paid, impacting cash flow.

6. Amount of outstanding accounts receivables: Portion of accounts receivable that has not been collected, indicating potential cash flow issues.

7. Age of accounts receivables: The length of time invoices have been outstanding, helping to identify delays in payment collection.

8. Firm debt: Total debt from credit cards, lines of credit, loans, etc., affecting your firm’s financial stability.

9. Number of marketing actions taken each month: Total marketing efforts made, reflecting on your firm’s commitment to growth and client acquisition.

10. Number of consults generated from each marketing action: The effectiveness of different marketing efforts in generating potential client consultations.

11. Recommendation index: A scale measuring the likelihood of clients recommending your firm to others, indicating client satisfaction and service quality.

12. Current run rate: A projection of financial performance based on current revenues and expenses, useful for future planning.

13. Current monthly expenses: Total expenses incurred in a month, crucial for budgeting and financial management.

14. Current anticipated expenses: Expected expenses based on the current run rate, aiding in financial forecasting.

15. The number of new clients per month: The growth of your client base, showing the effectiveness of your firm’s marketing and client acquisition strategies.

16. Number of new cases/matters opened each month: The volume of work your firm is taking on, indicative of business activity.

17. The value of these new cases/matters: The potential revenue from new cases or matters, impacting future earnings.

18. Number of closed cases/matters: Completed work, reflecting on your firm’s operational efficiency and case management.

19. The value of these closed cases/matters: Revenue realized from completed cases, contributing to your firm’s financial success.

20. Number of new appointments/consults set: The initial step in the client acquisition process, showing the potential for new business.

21. Number of prospects (consults who showed up): The effectiveness of your firm in converting interest into actual consultations.

22. Number of prospects who became clients: The conversion rate of prospects to paying clients, key to growth and revenue.

23. Marketing expense as a percent of revenue: The cost-effectiveness of your marketing efforts, indicating how much you spend to earn revenue.

What Makes These KPIs So Useful?

They answer real, legitimate questions about your law firm. When you have answers to these questions, you have a clear set of goals and objectives in mind.

1. They’re all measure-driven and difficult to manipulate. This means our biases are less likely to get in the way. An example of this would be, controlling the message and resources in your website but still being unable to compel customers to pay for your services.

2. Consistency means your KPIs are built on and oriented around principles. Most of the metrics in your business may fluctuate; however your KPIs should remain — producing the same results.

3. Leading indicators reflect the changes in the business hours, minutes, days and weeks into the future. Metrics that predict future KPIs are ideal as they give you greater explanatory power and preciseness.

We’re conditioned to focus on the details we can see, but tracking these metrics can provide a deeper look into how your law firm is really doing. Adopting a practice management software like Bill4Time allows you to easily track and report on your law firms performance. From tracking which matters bring the most revenue to monitoring cash flow with the built-in payments processor, Bill4Time Payments, your firm will have access to metrics that will boost your firm’s productivity.

What Software Do Lawyers Use to Track Time?

January 22, 2024 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

Many lawyers rely on legal time tracking software to manage their time tracking and billing effectively. This digital solution is the first choice for tracking casework hours and simplifying client billing.

Tailored to meet the unique demands of the legal profession, such software ranges from simple legal billing software to comprehensive, subscription-based systems. However, not all of these solutions are created equal. This article will explore the advantages of such software and how pinpointing the right fit can significantly affect a law firm’s success.

What Is Legal Billing Software and How Does It Track Time?

Legal billing software is a specialized tool designed to help law firms and legal professionals manage their billing processes efficiently. Its key function is tracking time spent on casework, which is essential for accurate client invoicing and productivity tracking.

How does it log billable hours, exactly? Lawyers can start a digital timer when they begin a task and stop it once finished, ensuring precise recording down to the minute. Alternatively, they can enter the duration of activities manually. These systems often feature categorization options, allocating time to specific clients, cases, or tasks, streamlining the invoicing process.

Why Is Lawyer Time Tracking Software So Crucial?

Lawyer time tracking is important for your law firm for several reasons:

Precision in Billing: This software ensures that you’re tracking your time accurately for client billing and your own time management. Inaccuracy in billing can result in either overbilling your client or getting paid less for your time.
Increased Revenue: When you capture all your billable hours, you can maximize your law firm revenue potential. Unbilled or underreported hours can add up, significantly impacting your firm’s bottom line.
Enhanced Credibility With Clients: Transparent and detailed time tracking fosters credibility with clients. It demonstrates professionalism and accountability, which can lead to stronger client relationships and more referrals.
Efficiency Through Automation: Time tracking software automation streamlines the billing process, reducing the administrative burden on your lawyers and legal support staff. For example, you can automate your invoice approval process to speed up the billing cycle.
Accountability and Promotion of Productivity: Time tracking promotes accountability within a law firm. It encourages lawyers to stay focused and productive during their working hours, improving efficiency and, by extension, increasing billable hours.
Reporting and Analysis: Time tracking software with full accounting and reporting features can generate comprehensive reports. These insights show how your firm spends time on different tasks, clients, and matters. Such data can inform strategic decisions like pricing strategies and resource allocation.
Client Satisfaction With Timely and Fair Billing: Clients appreciate timely and accurate invoices. A prompt bill with clear, detailed time entries enhances client satisfaction with your firm.

What to Look for in Law Firm Time Tracking Software

It’s important to choose the right law firm time tracking software to ensure it meets the needs of your firm and staff. Your choices may range from free lawyer time tracking software to subscription-based versions.

However, although free options may offer basic functionality, they often lack customer support and advanced features that can handle the complexity of legal billing. Such solutions also don’t offer robust security measures, which are non-negotiable when handling sensitive client information. Subscription-based versions, on the other hand, typically provide enhanced security, dedicated support, and a suite of features designed for the nuanced needs of legal professionals.

More specifically, here are some features to look for in your legal time tracking software:

Intuitive Interface: Your solution should have an intuitive interface with a straightforward design that makes it easy for legal professionals to record their billable hours efficiently. This ease of use will also simplify training new employees on the software.
Mobile Compatibility: With clients and lawyers increasingly relying on mobile devices, mobile compatibility is a crucial aspect of your timekeeping software. Make sure that your software is accessible via smartphones and tablets to track time on the go. Bill4Time, for example, offers a mobile time tracking application for both Android and iOS devices.
Task and Activity Codes: Your software should be able to assign task and activity codes, including support for LEDES and ABA expense codes. This feature allows for easy categorization of work and simplifies the billing process, providing valuable insights into how time is spent.
Multiple Timer Support: Law firms often juggle multiple clients and matters. Your software should support multiple timers so lawyers can track time for different tasks concurrently, such as research, meetings, and consultations.
Integration Capabilities: Time tracking software should seamlessly integrate with the other tools you use, such as your email, calendars, and accounting software, for a streamlined workflow. Bill4Time, for example, has software integrations with Box, Net Documents, QuickBooks, and more.
Cloud-Based Access: A cloud-based billing system, such as Bill4Time, ensures data is stored and accessible from anywhere with a secure internet connection. This feature is essential for collaboration, especially with remote teams.

These are all key features to consider to make informed decisions about what software solution best supports your firm’s needs.

Is There an Attorney Time Tracking Template in Excel?

Excel templates are available for time tracking but may not be the ideal choice for your law firm. Here’s why:

Manual Entry Prone to Human Error: Excel templates for time tracking often require manual data entry. Lawyers typically have busy schedules, and manual input can cause errors or omissions in recording hours that can have financial and legal ramifications.
Limited Mobility: Excel spreadsheets are not mobile-friendly, so the lack of mobile compatibility can be a drawback for lawyers working on the go. A time tracking app for attorneys is often a key part of accurate, real-time tracking, especially when attorneys are in the field for client meetings or court appearances.
Lack of Customization: Excel templates are helpful, but they’re generic. You may need customization to address specific legal billing requirements. For example, task and activity codes, client association, and billing rate variations can be challenging to implement consistently across your firm with an Excel template.
Not Designed for Legal Work: Excel was not designed specifically for the legal industry, so it lacks some targeted features that a legal time tracking software offers, such as client management or built-in billing features.

Can I Track Billable Hours in Quickbooks Online?

QuickBooks is more for general business use and doesn’t include specialized features for tracking billable hours that law firms require. Law firms generally need support for complex billing arrangements, precise trust account management that aligns with stringent bar regulations, and detailed reporting for in-depth practice analysis. Using QuickBooks alone may necessitate additional steps and customizations to meet these specific legal industry requirements.

Instead, look for a dedicated legal time tracking software like Bill4Time, which is engineered to address these law firm complexities with precision. Bill4Time allows firms to capture billable hours while providing comprehensive solutions for task-based billing, maintaining compliance with bar regulations, and offering deep insights into firm operations through advanced reporting.

Ready to experience the difference a solution can make for your firm? Sign up for a free Bill4Time demo or free trial today and see how we can transform your firm’s time tracking and billing processes.

5 Ways to Optimize Remote Work Time Tracking for Lawyers

December 26, 2023 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

According to a national survey sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA), remote work options are becoming a must-have for many lawyers. 44% of surveyed individuals expressed a willingness to quit their current job if offered another with better remote work flexibility. Additionally, most participants prefer conducting pretrial hearings, depositions, and court-ordered mediations through remote means.

However, adapting to remote work setups presents unique obstacles, particularly when it comes to time tracking for lawyers. Unlike the structured office or court environment, working from home can blur the boundaries between professional and personal tasks, making it harder to track billable hours accurately.

To address these issues, consider the five following strategies to promote efficiency and precision in remote-working routines.

1. Choose the Best Remote Employee Time Tracking Software

Time tracking software can make a huge difference with remote and hybrid work in your firm, but it’s not all created equal. Be sure to choose a solution with features that suit your team best, such as automated timers that can track hours. This capability is especially handy for lawyers working from different locations, ensuring accurate billing regardless of their work environment.

Additionally, the software should offer detailed time summaries. These reports are invaluable for identifying areas requiring extra support, helping to maintain consistent productivity levels across remote teams.

Billing and invoicing features are also valuable. Compiling hours and creating invoices can be time consuming, but legal software automatically creates and sends branded invoices. This process ensures your firm produces high quality, dependable invoices no matter where they are working.

2. Use a Work-From-Home Time Tracker App

Contemporaneous timekeeping is crucial to accurate, transparent billing. Too often, lawyers rely on memory and estimate hours after the fact, which can lead to over- or underbilling. According to the ABA, contemporaneous timekeeping is a “weak spot” for many lawyers. On average, lawyers lose 10% to 15% of their potential billable time because they can’t estimate accurately. If they wait until the next day, they lose about 25% of the time. By the end of the week, that adds up to about a 50% loss.

In this context, adopting a time tracker app becomes a strategic decision. When your workday includes remote working or court appearances, these apps are particularly useful. They capture every billable moment in real-time, ensuring that each minute of legal expertise is accounted for and billed accurately. High-quality time tracking software will usually come with a corresponding app, so you can easily log your time from the platform on your desktop or from the app on any device.

3. Develop Remote Work Time Tracking Guidelines

Standardized time tracking guidelines are important in any firm, but they are even more vital for hybrid and remote teams. No employee should wonder “how do I track my remote work hours?” and instead know the exact protocol. A remote work time tracking template is a good place to start, but implementing guidelines within time tracking software will offer the most consistency across your bills.

Overall, having clear time tracking guidelines can:

Promote Accuracy: Lawyers and staff may have their own differing methods for tracking time, which can cause inaccuracies. With guidelines, everyone is following the same process and the chances of more accurate time entries increases.
Create Uniform Data: Uniform data is fundamental for accurate reporting to evaluate your firm’s productivity. Standards for timekeeping ensure that your attorneys and staff give you apples-to-apples comparisons for timekeeping.
Build Standards for New Staff Training: When you have a standard in place for timekeeping, it’s much easier to train new staff and set clear expectations to ensure they know what they’re responsible for at the start.
Foster Transparency with Clients: When the details of billable hours are vague, your clients may not trust that they’re getting value out of their legal services. Clear timekeeping guidelines provide more detail about how lawyers should be billing.

4. Provide Training on How to Track Employee Hours Working from Home

Training shouldn’t end at new hires. In addition to guidelines, you should train your staff on why accurate timekeeping is important and best practices. Conduct regular training sessions with your staff — like how to manage time in remote work settings or ethical time tracking considerations — to keep everyone on the same page. If your time tracking reports indicate that you need to improve your processes, training sessions offer an opportunity to update your staff on these changes and explain them.

5. Combine Time Tracking with Practice Management Software

Work-from-home tracking software for time is only one factor in law firm productivity. It should integrate within a broader legal case management platform to streamline your remote workflows and improve your firm’s time tracking accuracy. Here’s how:

Offers a Comprehensive Overview of Cases and Time Spent

Data requires context for interpretation. A comprehensive legal practice management platform is particularly beneficial for remote teams, as it provides a comprehensive overview of all staff activities, cases, and the time allocated to both billable and non-billable tasks. With a broad view like this, you can evaluate areas of good productivity and any opportunities for improvement.

Helps with Resource Allocation

Time tracking data can identify over- or under-utilized resources, allowing you to optimize your firm’s efficiency. With this clear view, you can allocate your resources — remote and in-person — more efficiently according to project timelines and available staff.

Assists with Prioritizing Tasks

For law firms operating remotely, clear visibility into outstanding tasks is particularly valuable. It allows you to prioritize critical projects, like urgent cases needing extensive staff involvement, and effectively plan for other tasks. This clarity is vital for remote teams, where physical distance can sometimes lead to communication gaps or coordination challenges. By having a clear understanding of the priority level of each project, you can develop a more effective course of action for managing the remaining workload.

Enhances Collaboration Across Remote Teams

Collaboration can be a challenge across remote teams. Legal practice management platforms improve collaboration by giving all staff members a view of the shared project and their individual responsibilities. Staff can receive updates on relevant tasks and share questions or insights easily through the software’s messaging and chat features.

Is There an App to Track Work-From-Home Hours?

Bill4Time is the best platform for tracking work-from-home hours. With its corresponding mobile app, automated timekeeping and billing, and convenient integrations, this cloud-based legal case management software gives you all the legal-specific features you need to support and optimize your in-office, remote, or hybrid teams. Sign up for a free demo to see Bill4Time in action!

3 Secrets to Law Firm Billing Success

December 6, 2023 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

If you ask any lawyer what their least favorite part of the job is, the number one answer will likely be “billing.” Law firm billing and invoicing is a constant source of frustration for many in the field. It’s labor-intensive and tedious, from timekeeping to billing cycle monitoring.

While it’s tempting to point fingers at clients for delayed payments, the root of such problems often lies in a law firm’s billing strategies. Using legal time tracking software will solve these issues, but there are a few additional secrets successful law firms employ to make billing less of a headache. If you’re experiencing a rise in late payments or extended billing cycles, try implementing these three strategies for a higher chance of law firm billing success.

1. Create Legal Billing Guidelines

One of the biggest problems in the law firm billing cycle is consistency across staff members. Consider creating legal billing guidelines or a legal billing handbook to give your staff a set of rules to follow when it comes to billing. Here are the basics of what your legal billing guidelines should include:

Introduction

Start with an introduction that explains the purpose of the guidelines and sets the tone. This section should highlight the benefits of adhering to proper billing practices and emphasize the commitment to transparency and fairness. Use the American Bar Association’s Model Rule 1.5 on Fees as a source of inspiration.

Clear Staffing Policies

Outline who is authorized to work on which cases and the expectations for the experience level necessary for various tasks. This section should also include rules for billing rates based on the staff’s roles and expertise.

Sample Attorney Billing Descriptions

Pick some tasks in your firm that everyone does more frequently, and include a list of sample billing descriptions for those tasks. Consider including “bad” legal billing examples and corresponding “good” examples. For instance, a bad example might be “Made initial pleadings,” whereas a good example might be “Prepared petition for divorce and summons according to details from initial client consultation.” Add some sample paralegal billing descriptions as well for your paralegal’s most common tasks.

Legal time tracking software makes this process much easier with multiple features that speed up time entry creation. With Bill4Time, for instance, you can speed through writing descriptions with auto-text. Auto-text allows you to write abbreviations for commonly used time entry descriptions (e.g., typing “RR,” which automatically changes to “research and review”).

Deadlines for Submitting Time

Specify the frequency of submitting time across the firm. At a bare minimum, your staff should submit their hours monthly, but many firms require weekly submissions. Weekly submissions may be superior, as it’s easier to remember everything you’ve done within a week as opposed to a month. If you use time tracking software, you can even make daily submissions because it’s so easy to record your time in real time as you do the work. This process ensures you capture every minute versus relying on your memory at the end of the week or month.

Invoicing Procedures

Make sure that anyone in your firm can easily answer the question, “How do I make an invoice for a law firm?” by defining the format and content of invoices. For example, if a specific format like LEDES is preferred, mention it explicitly. If you’re using legal time tracking software, provide step-by-step instructions for its use or a link to the software’s help center. Be sure to include how frequently clients should receive invoices — monthly invoicing is a good place to start.

Signature Requirement

Include a signature page to confirm that all parties have read, understood, and agreed to the guidelines. Requiring a signature helps in enforcing your policies and prevents future disputes.

2. Use Action Verbs for Legal Billing

The language you choose in your time entries plays an important role in whether or not clients pay your invoices. Using action verbs is an effective strategy, as these words bring clarity and assertiveness to your billing statements.

Why are action verbs effective? First, they convey a sense of urgency and importance. Words like “filed,” “researched,” or “drafted” emphasize the work done, making it tangible for the client. This clarity helps clients understand the value of the services provided, encouraging timely payment.

Second, action verbs enhance the professionalism of your billing statements. They reflect the precision and attention to detail that legal professionals apply in their work. For instance, saying “conducted an in-depth analysis of case law” versus “spent time looking at case law” provides a clearer, more professional depiction of the activity.

Some examples of action verbs that can enhance your billing descriptions include:

Analyzed
Drafted
Negotiated
Researched
Reviewed
Communicated
Facilitated
Advised
Examined
Developed
Investigated
Prepared
Filed
Attended
Resolved

Incorporating these verbs into your billing can transform how clients perceive the invoice. Instead of seeing a list of hours spent, they see a list of actions taken on their behalf to accomplish their legal goals.

3. Conduct Regular Legal Billing Training

By facilitating regular legal billing training, there is a much higher chance that your firm will meet its billable hour requirements and that clients will pay invoices. This approach ensures that all team members are up-to-date on the best practices in legal billing.

How often you conduct this training is up to you. Quarterly training sessions are ideal, as this frequency allows for adjustments in response to regulatory changes, technological advancements, or internal policy updates. Additionally, every new employee should undergo this training as part of their onboarding process.

Here are a few examples of content to include in your quarterly training sessions:

Timekeeping Accuracy: Training should cover how to categorize different tasks and the level of detail required in time entries. Consider highlighting some good examples of billing descriptions you’ve seen from bills that quarter.
Use of Technology: Provide training on the latest billing software and tools. Perhaps focus on a specific feature in your legal time tracking software and how to use that feature more effectively. Your software may even have a library of training videos you can show during training, taking the burden of planning off your plate.
Billing Policies and Procedures: Review the firm’s policies regarding billing cycles, rates, and client communication. If you’ve noticed that staff aren’t following a particular policy, bring attention to that policy and emphasize why it’s essential to the firm’s bottom line.
Client Communication Skills: Train staff on effectively communicating billing matters with clients. Discuss how to address client queries and set client expectations for receiving and paying invoices. Ask your team about the biggest complaints they hear from clients about their bills and brainstorm ways to address these issues.

Bonus Secret: Use Bill4Time

While the strategies mentioned above will improve your billing cycle, using Bill4Time is the best way to find law firm billing success. By incorporating Bill4Time, law firms can address common billing and invoicing challenges more effectively, freeing up time to concentrate on providing top-notch legal services. See how it works by signing up for a free demo, or explore the platform for yourself with a free trial.

Attorney Billing Timesheet Templates: A Comprehensive Guide

November 30, 2023 By Allison Lemasters Leave a Comment

In legal practice, timekeeping is a critical yet often challenging task. Precision in billing is crucial for a firm’s revenue, but amidst busy days filled with client meetings and court hearings, timekeeping can fall by the wayside. This leads to hasty or delayed time entries, affecting the overall profitability of a firm.

The issue compounds when attorneys use varied timekeeping methods, from traditional pen and paper to legal time tracking software. This diversity in approaches leads to inconsistency, causing headaches for managing partners and administrators who must consolidate these varying time records. Such disarray can lead to significant billable leakage and affect a firm’s recurring revenue.

Our guide on attorney billing timesheet templates aims to address these challenges head-on. We’ll answer commonly asked questions about timesheet templates, examine some PDF and Excel templates for lawyers, and offer practical tips to help you reclaim control over your timekeeping processes.

What Is a Timesheet for Billable Hours in a Law Firm?

A timesheet for billable hours in a law firm is a document that attorneys use to record the amount of time they spend on various client-related activities. These activities range from case research and drafting legal documents to client meetings and court appearances. The primary purpose of these timesheets is to track billable hours accurately, ensuring that the firm is billing clients fairly for the services they receive.

Why Do Attorneys Use Billing Timesheet Templates?

Attorneys use billing timesheet templates to bring some order and consistency to the timekeeping process. They typically include fields for date, client name, description of the task, and the time spent on each task. By standardizing the format, the firm can streamline the billing process and reduce the time spent on administrative tasks.

Despite these advantages, attorneys often find timesheet templates restrictive and cumbersome, especially when dealing with complex cases that don’t fit neatly into standard time increments or categories. Moreover, the manual process of filling out these templates is prone to errors and omissions, especially when done under time pressure. These challenges underscore the need for a more flexible and efficient solution to manage time tracking and billing in law firms.

How Do I Make a Professional Timesheet?

Creating a professional timesheet in a law office involves balancing the need for detailed record-keeping with the ease of use for attorneys. An easier solution here is to adopt time tracking software, which streamlines and standardizes timekeeping across an entire firm. However, if you are tasked with making a timesheet for your law office, you can follow these basic steps:

Choose a Clear Layout: Start with a layout that is easy to read and fill out. Include columns for the date, client name, case number, a brief description of the task, and the time spent. The layout should allow attorneys to quickly enter information without confusion.
Include Room for Details: There should be plenty of room to accurately describe every task performed. As noted repeatedly by the American Bar Association, invoices should show clients the value of your work and tell the story of their case progress. Vague descriptions can lead to misunderstandings with clients and even a bar complaint.
Set Standard Time Increments: Decide on the time increments for billing (commonly in six-minute or fifteen-minute increments). Consistent increments ensure uniformity across all billings.
Make It Accessible: The timesheet should be easily accessible to all attorneys in the firm. Consider a central location or a system where timesheets can be submitted electronically.
Encourage Regular Updates: Encourage attorneys to update their timesheets daily. Catching up on a backlog of entries often leads to mistakes or forgotten billable activities. This issue is easily solved with time tracking software, as you can automatically track your time in real-time instead of manually after a long day.

While these steps guide in creating a professional timesheet, the process underscores several pain points. The time and effort spent in meticulous record-keeping, the challenge of accurate descriptions after exhausting workdays, and the risk of errors or omissions reflect a need for a more streamlined approach.

Still, many legal professionals may find themselves tempted to use an attorney timesheet template that’s free—but there are numerous problems with these that we’ll explore next.

Free Attorney Billing Timesheet Templates

A quick Google search for free attorney billing timesheet templates PDF reveals millions of results. However, many of these templates are seriously lacking and won’t help lawyers accurately track their time. Let’s examine a few popular ones.

Ask a few questions, and the problems with this template immediately jump out at you.

What’s the lawyer billable hours rate?
What happens if timekeepers with varying rates calculate their time?
Which billing increments should attorneys use here?
What happens if I need to use UTBMS codes for a particular task, entry, or line item?
What if the attorney faces multiple interruptions during the same task?
Should attorneys delineate between services and expenses, meetings, research, and communication?

This template doesn’t really make any of this clear, yet it’s been downloaded over 50,000 times. Some attorneys even complained that this template didn’t do any Excel calculations for them.

We hear you, Linda. The last thing attorneys have time for is adding up all their billable hours. But even free attorney billing timesheet templates in Excel are somewhat lacking. Let’s take a look.

Does Excel Have a Timesheet Template?

Excel offers numerous timesheet templates, but none of them are really sufficient for a law office. Take this Excel template, for example:

While this Excel spreadsheet does automatically calculate the hours spent on a task, it still doesn’t combat the numerous issues found in the PDF timesheet from above and presents new issues, like:

Distinguishing between in-court and out-of-court hours is great, but it doesn’t account for other billable activities like expenses or travel time.
You can’t track nonbillable hours if that’s something your firm wants to do to understand internal productivity.
The hourly intervals may not match the actual time spent on tasks, as legal work can often be unpredictable and not fit neatly into hourly blocks.
Some may accidentally use an older version of the template spreadsheet.
Attorneys who want to do things differently may choose to “tweak” the spreadsheet a bit to “improve things,” leading to inconsistencies across the firm.

These problems are baked in. They’re an inherent part of using spreadsheets. And the more attention you divert to these problems, the less attention you can spend on your clients or practicing law. Ultimately, this is unfair to your firm, and it’s unfair to each of the timekeepers in your firm. This is where many start looking for a more efficient, automated solution.

Time Tracking Software for Lawyers

Concluding our exploration of attorney billing timesheet templates, it becomes clear that while traditional methods have their place, they also bring a host of challenges. Time tracking software emerges as the superior solution. To illustrate, here’s what tracking time looks like in Bill4Time:

The above is a time entry window in the Bill4Time platform. You’ll note several features that combat the issues encountered with even the best free attorney billing timesheet templates, like:

Simplicity and Efficiency: Unlike manual timesheets, Bill4Time automates the entry and calculation process, saving time and reducing errors. It offers a simple interface that can significantly streamline the timekeeping process.
Real-Time Tracking: Bill4Time allows for real-time tracking, eliminating the end-of-day rush to recall and record activities. This feature ensures that legal professionals can capture every minute of work as it happens. Simply press the play button on the handy timer and pause for any interruptions.
Automatic Calculations: Bill4Time eliminates manual calculation errors, guaranteeing accurate billable hours and earnings—no matter how many times you start and stop a task.
Customizable Entries: Whether it’s different clients, cases, or attorney rates, Bill4Time allows for detailed descriptions, ensuring that every entry is both accurate and informative.
Expense and Time Delineation: Bill4Time distinguishes between billable hours and expenses, facilitating clear, comprehensive invoicing.

With Bill4Time, legal professionals can trust that the focus remains on their clients and the law, not scraping together their hours at the end of each week on a lacking PDF template. With features built to address the specific needs of law firms, Bill4Time exemplifies the move towards a more modern, efficient practice. Click here to schedule a demo and take the first step toward a streamlined billing process that complements your commitment to legal excellence.