Legal billing depends on matter-level time records. Everhour supports tracking that connects hours to budgets and billing.
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 |
|---|
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
Set a budget, assign rates, and get alerted before you're over.
Measurement
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You use legal time tracking to turn client calls, drafting, research, review, court preparation, and administrative work into matter-level records. A useful entry identifies the client, matter, timekeeper, task or activity, billable status, date, time spent, and description. That structure gives billing reviewers enough detail to approve charges and gives clients a clear basis for the invoice.
A paralegal drafting discovery responses for one matter and joining a strategy call on another needs two separate entries, even on the same day. Matter-level allocation also prevents duplicate billing. ABA Formal Opinion 93-379 states that a lawyer who spends four hours on behalf of three clients has not earned twelve billable hours.
Strong legal time entries connect the work performed to the billing rule that applies. Hourly matters need actual time spent, except for agreed rounding such as one-tenth or one-quarter hour increments. ABA Model Rule 1.5 also requires lawyers to communicate the scope of representation and the basis or rate of fees and expenses, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after representation begins.
Electronic legal billing adds more structure. UTBMS uses task codes for the service area, activity codes for the action performed, and expense codes for matter costs. LEDES 1998B is a 24-field ASCII pipe-delimited format and is widely used in U.S. legal e-billing. A single day on one matter can produce multiple coded entries when the work covers different tasks.
Legal time descriptions need enough detail for the client to understand the charge without exposing unnecessary strategy or privileged information. A vague line such as "work on file" slows review and invites write-downs. A clearer line names the activity and matter context, such as "Review plaintiff discovery responses and summarize deficiencies for meet-and-confer letter."
The common mistake is treating the timer as the full record. Calendar events, email, notes, document work, tasks, mobile entries, and manual corrections all need review before billing. The final entry should match the right matter, timekeeper, rate, billable status, and activity. For corporate clients, the client billing guidelines may also define approved task codes, reimbursable timekeeper classes, and narrative requirements.
A free time tracker is enough for a solo professional who needs a quick weekly total, a small matter summary, or a backup record before drafting an invoice. It stops being enough when multiple timekeepers, client budgets, e-billing codes, approvals, and matter profitability reviews enter the workflow. At that point, the firm needs a system of record rather than a loose collection of timers and notes.
Everhour Project Budgeting supports time and money budgets, recurring budget periods, budget alerts, budget protection, expense inclusion controls, multiple billing methods, and client-level budgets. For legal teams, that means tracked time can be reviewed against matter limits before billing. Budget alerts at 75%, 90%, and 100% help managers catch spend issues before the invoice reaches the client.
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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A complete legal time entry usually includes the client, matter, timekeeper, date, time spent, task or activity, billable status, rate or billing rule, and a clear description. Corporate e-billing may also require UTBMS task, activity, or expense codes and a timekeeper classification. The client billing guidelines decide which details are mandatory for payment.
ABA Formal Opinion 93-379 allows agreed rounding to minimum time periods such as one-tenth or one-quarter hour, but hourly billing still cannot exceed actual time spent apart from that agreed rounding method. The fee agreement and client billing guidelines should match the rounding practice used on invoices.
One day can include research, drafting, conferencing, and document review on the same matter. UTBMS treats electronic invoice time entries as task-based, so different work types can require separate coded entries. Splitting them gives reviewers a clearer basis for the charge and helps the firm analyze matter costs by activity.
The FLSA requires covered employers to keep accurate records for non-exempt workers, including hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek, but it does not require a specific timekeeping form or system. Unless exempt, covered employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a fixed 168-hour workweek.
Duplicate or poorly allocated time creates the largest billing risk. A timekeeper cannot bill the same hours to multiple clients as if each client received the full block of work. Each entry should reflect actual time spent on that matter, with clear allocation across clients, matters, and billable status.
Everhour Project Budgeting tracks time and money budgets as people log work, with recurring periods, client-level budgets, and alerts at 75%, 90%, and 100%. Legal teams can monitor matter spend before billing review and use budget protection to stop extra logging after a budget is exceeded.
Everhour Timesheets let users submit weekly project hours or working hours for approval. Managers can approve, reject, or partially approve submitted time, and approved time stays locked for regular members. That approval trail helps legal teams review entries before client billing or payroll use.
Track legal time against client and matter budgets before the invoice stage. Everhour connects budget alerts, billing methods, and client-level limits to matter review for cleaner billing control.
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