Be wary of uniform policies regarding standard or minor tasks (e.g. Verify that timekeeping tools encourage compliance with the appropriate regulatory bodies. If your clients have compliance requirements, do your best to follow them. Remember, this step here, where you’re recording and describing your time entries, this is where you make your money. Would the descriptions on your bill motivate you to pay it? You’re not asking for permission to bill them, you’re providing them with an explanation of the items on their bill. You’re looking to give clients a complete, yet concise picture of the particular task or line items in question, no more, no less.ĭo it in a way that frames the discussion appropriately.
You’re not writing an essay or drafting a document. In-person meeting with client to discuss their civil matter (1.5 hours)ĭrafted pleadings for foreclosure case (5.7 hours) As an alternative, you could provide descriptions that are specific, yet distinct. You want to give your clients specific details that are relevant to each of the line items in your invoice. How long was the meeting? Which documents were reviewed? How long did that take? The vast majority of clients who are billed on an hourly basis are “blocked billed.” Third, be detailed and distinct. It introduces a significant amount of questions. Have you seen something like this before?Ĭlient meeting, reviewed client documents, draft pleadings (13.7 hours)īlock billing amplifies client unease, creating distrust. When you come across an unexpected scenario, document it. Do this ahead of time, providing attorneys with examples and use cases they can reference. What happens if you go over the minimum billing increment? What happens if you’re under? Document the appropriate response associates should take in your firm. Outline the rules required with billing increments. Choose the billing increment that’s acceptable for your clients, state and locale. Don’t be the attorney who bills in 1/2 or 1 hour increments (yes, it’s happened). These billing increments are more about convenience than anything else but it’s important to take a reasonable and balanced approach. The standard increments used by most firms are as follows. Working with minimum billing increments should be a simple and straightforward process. It all depends on the pool of talent and culture at your firm. Is it reasonable to expect associates to figure this out on their own? Unwritten rules like these can be interpreted in a variety of ways. What if your junior associate spends 18 min on the phone with a client? Do they underbill and record their hours at. Or, wait until the small increments add up to.Should be bundled or combined with other tasks.Can you see the problem here? This junior associate has no idea whether: Very small increments of time remain unbilled.
The lawyers in your firm follow an unwritten rule. When you do a little digging you discover this junior associate isn’t recording all of their time. They’re working hard but their time sheets don’t seem to reflect what you see. They’re doing great work but you’re noticing they’re not as productive as they should be. You’re working with a junior associate on a client’s matter. Why would this need explanation or clarification? How is that? If your firm bills in 15 min. Is she right to be angry? There is a problem with billing increments She also accused her firm of “ billing for unproductive casual conversations between attorneys and paralegals which did not advance her cases.” She stated her firm used 15-minute increments to bill her when the “ specified work took far less time to accomplish.” She refused to pay her $84,500 bill. Daly & Sorenson, LLC, a client accused her law firm of abusing minimum billing increments. “ I’m not paying for that.” In Manigault v.
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