Legal invoices depend on approved time, rates, and write-downs. Everhour turns tracked billable work into invoice-ready totals.
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A lawyer-hours calculation answers how much approved legal work is worth before an invoice is finalized. It starts with billable time, applies the correct hourly rate, and separates non-billable work so internal time does not inflate the client charge. For U.S. lawyers, ABA Model Rule 1.5 requires the scope of representation and the basis or rate of fees and expenses to be communicated in writing for new client-lawyer relationships, subject to the rule's limited low-cost exception.
The result matters when you review a draft invoice, estimate a matter, check realization, or explain fees to a client. A clean calculation shows billed value by lawyer, task, or matter phase. It also keeps sales tax separate where state or local rules require it, because the United States has no federal VAT/GST or single national sales-tax rate for billed professional time.
Lawyer time is often billed in set increments, such as 0.1 hour, 0.25 hour, or another increment stated in the fee agreement. The increment changes the billable total before the rate is applied. Six minutes equals 0.1 hour; 15 minutes equals 0.25 hour. Reconstructing time at the end of the day creates drift because small calls, emails, and document reviews are easy to miss or overstate.
Apply the rounding rule entry by entry, then total the approved billable time. Do not round only the final matter total unless the engagement terms say so. For example, six separate 4-minute emails billed at a 0.1-hour increment produce 0.6 billable hour, not 0.4 hour rounded from 24 minutes. That difference affects the invoice, realization review, and client explanation.
The core formula is billable hours × agreed hourly rate. If a matter uses several lawyers or task rates, calculate each line separately and add the results. For example, 32 approved research hours at $275 per hour equal $8,800. Another 18 approved drafting hours at $225 per hour equal $4,050. The pre-tax billable value is $12,850 before discounts, write-downs, expenses, or collection effects.
Write-downs reduce billed value after the standard billable amount is calculated. If the attorney in charge removes $650 from the $12,850 draft invoice, the billed amount becomes $12,200 and realization falls below 100%. Do not hide that adjustment by changing the time record itself. Keep the original approved hours, the agreed rate, and the write-down visible so billing review stays accurate.
A one-off calculation is enough when you are checking a small matter, pricing a draft invoice, or confirming that hours and rates multiply correctly. It is also enough for a quick estimate before taxes, expenses, and payment timing. For U.S. work, add a jurisdiction-specific tax input only when the service is taxable under state or local rules; absence of federal VAT/GST is not a 0% national sales-tax rate.
A managed workflow is better when multiple lawyers enter time, partners approve write-downs, non-billable tasks must stay out of invoices, or accounting needs a clean handoff. Everhour Billing & Invoicing can generate invoices from uninvoiced billable time and expenses, exclude non-billable work, apply project or member rates, and export invoices to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
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Multiply approved billable hours by the agreed rate for each lawyer, task, or matter phase, then add the line totals. Keep non-billable work out of the client charge. Apply write-downs, discounts, taxes, and expenses after the base billable value is clear, because each adjustment answers a different billing question.
Use the increment stated in the engagement letter, fee agreement, or firm policy. Common legal billing increments include 0.1 hour and 0.25 hour. Apply the increment to each time entry when that is how the billing rule is written. Rounding the final total instead of each entry changes the invoice amount.
The base lawyer-hours total should show time multiplied by rate before tax. In the United States, there is no federal VAT/GST or national sales-tax rate. Tax treatment is state and local, and some services may not be taxed. Add a jurisdiction-specific tax line only when the billed legal service is taxable.
Billable hours measure approved client-chargeable time. Billed value is the money amount produced after those hours are multiplied by the applicable rates and adjusted for write-downs or discounts. A matter can have accurate billable hours and still show lower billed value if the final invoice is reduced.
The common mistake is mixing worked time, billable time, and billed time in one number. Internal administration, training, or firm meetings may be worked time but not client-billable. Approved billable entries may also be written down before invoicing. Keep each stage separate so the invoice matches the engagement terms.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing turns tracked billable time and expenses into invoices, calculates amounts from rates while excluding non-billable work, and marks invoiced time so it is not reused. Invoices can be exported to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks with status details synced back to Everhour.
Everhour reporting can show billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, cost, and invoice status by member, task, project, or client. That gives admins a review layer before invoice generation, especially when several lawyers or matter phases use different rates.
Move from manual fee checks to invoice-ready billing. Everhour converts approved billable time and expenses into invoices while excluding non-billable work, giving legal teams cleaner billing handoffs.
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