Paralegal entries need matter detail, billing separation, and payroll accuracy, and Everhour keeps that work tied to tracked time.
Enter your time in and out for each day. Overtime and gross pay are calculated automatically.
| Day | Time In | Break Start | Break End | Break | Time Out | Total |
|---|
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One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
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You need a record that lets an attorney review the work, a billing coordinator invoice the matter, and payroll confirm the day and week totals. For paralegals, that means each entry should connect the client or internal file, matter, delegated task, time spent, and billing status. The result should show research, drafting, filings, document organization, trial support, and case coordination without burying the reviewer in vague notes.
Client billing and wage records serve different jobs. ABA guidance treats paralegal work as delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible, and paralegal time can be billed separately at lower rates. U.S. payroll needs another lens because DOL regulations state that paralegals and legal assistants generally do not qualify for the FLSA learned-professional exemption, except for paralegals applying advanced specialized degrees from another professional field.
A complete entry starts with date, person, client, matter, task, and time spent. Add the supervising attorney or team when assignments move through several reviewers. Use a billing status field for billable, nonbillable, clerical, or internal time, and add USD rates only when the entry feeds a client invoice or profitability report. If a client requires e-billing, capture the UTBMS task, activity, or expense code before the invoice is prepared.
A useful line reads: March 5, 2026, Acme v. Lane, factual investigation, reviewed deposition exhibit folder and indexed missing records, 1.3 hours, billable, attorney review pending. Another line can record 0.4 hours for copying or file cleanup as clerical time. For payroll, employees covered by the FLSA minimum wage or overtime provisions need records of hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek.
The common billing mistake is treating every office task as paralegal billable time. ABA guidance distinguishes substantive legal work from clerical work, and the Supreme Court has noted that purely clerical or secretarial tasks should not be billed at a paralegal rate. Client invoices become clearer when research, drafting, document organization, filing support, and trial preparation sit apart from copying, simple file cleanup, or routine administrative handling.
That separation should not erase worked time from payroll records. A covered nonexempt paralegal can have nonbillable coordination, billable matter work, and clerical office work in the same workday, and each category still contributes to hours actually worked for the day. Labels should answer three questions for reviewers: the matter involved, the kind of work performed, and whether the time belongs on the client bill.
A simple weekly log is enough for a solo matter, a short assignment, or a cleanup project where one reviewer needs a clear total and a few descriptions. The FLSA federal baseline allows any complete and accurate timekeeping method, so covered employers do not need a particular clock-in format for nonexempt workers. The log still needs daily hours and weekly totals when those FLSA recordkeeping rules apply.
A managed workflow pays off when paralegals support several attorneys, matters, billing rules, and payroll reviews at once. Everhour Time Tracking lets teams record task and project hours with timers or manual entries, then feed timesheets, reports, budgets, invoices, and payroll review. Approvals, locked periods, reminders, and timer rules give the firm a record that survives billing edits and end-of-week cleanup.
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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Substantive delegated legal work belongs there when the client billing rules allow it. Typical entries cover case fact investigation, legal research, organizing and maintaining documents, drafting legal documents, filing court materials, trial support, and case coordination. Each note should identify the matter, the task, and the work performed so an attorney can review it before the invoice goes out.
Client e-billing instructions control the coding. UTBMS classifies legal services with task codes, activity codes, and expense codes, so the time entry should carry the required code next to the matter and description. Coding at entry time reduces invoice cleanup because the reviewer can compare the narrative, code, and billing status together.
Clerical work should stay in the record under a separate category. Purely clerical or secretarial tasks should not be billed at a paralegal rate. Worked time still matters for payroll. For employees covered by the FLSA minimum wage or overtime provisions, employer records must show hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek.
Yes for covered nonexempt paralegals, and DOL regulations state that paralegals and legal assistants generally do not qualify for the FLSA learned-professional exemption except in the advanced specialized-degree situation described in the regulation. Under the FLSA federal baseline, covered nonexempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a 168-hour workweek at not less than 1.5 times the regular rate.
Federal rules require employers to preserve payroll records for at least three years. Basic time and earnings records, including daily start and stop time cards or sheets, must be kept for at least two years. For covered employers, the FLSA permits any complete and accurate method for nonexempt worker records.
Everhour Time Tracking records task and project hours through live timers or manual entries, so a team can represent matters, assignments, and review work consistently. Those entries feed timesheets, reporting, budgets, invoicing, and payroll review without retyping the same paralegal hours into separate spreadsheets.
Everhour Timesheets let paralegals submit weekly project hours or working hours for manager review. Managers can approve, reject, or partially approve entries, and submitted time stays locked unless withdrawn or rejected, which gives billing and payroll reviewers a cleaner approval trail.
Move beyond one-off logs with Everhour Time Tracking. Capture paralegal task and project hours through timers or manual entries, then send approved time into billing, budgeting, and payroll review.
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