Timekeeping
Premium
Timekeeping is the practice of capturing attorney, paralegal, and other fee earner time and assigning it to specific client matters, typically in increments as small as six minutes, to support a law firm's hourly billing model. Timekeeping tools fall into two categories: time entry tools, which rely on a digital stopwatch or manual logging and require the fee earner to proactively track activity, and time capture tools, which run in the background and automatically detect billable activity across calendars, email, documents, and other applications, generating suggested entries for review and confirmation. Specific capabilities include auto-populating client, matter, and billing code details, converting voice or text notes into structured entries, and enforcing firm or client narrative and billing standards at the point of entry. Time capture tools have gained ground because they reduce the discipline required of the timekeeper and the resulting revenue leakage from underreported time, since delayed entry can cause fee earners to lose a significant share of billable time the longer recording is put off. Common use cases include reducing write-offs, accelerating billing cycles, and surfacing realization and utilization insights for firm leadership. Generative AI is increasingly used to generate narrative descriptions of work performed, group related multitasking activity into coherent entries, and flag block-billing or compliance issues before time is submitted.
Timekeeping is the practice of capturing attorney, paralegal, and other fee earner time and assigning it to specific client matters, typically in increments as small as six minutes, to support a law firm's hourly billing model. Timekeeping tools fall into two categories: time entry tools, which rely on a digital stopwatch or manual logging and require the fee earner to proactively track activity, and time capture tools, which run in the background and automatically detect billable activity across calendars, email, documents, and other applications, generating suggested entries for review and confirmation. Specific capabilities include auto-populating client, matter, and billing code details, converting voice or text notes into structured entries, and enforcing firm or client narrative and billing standards at the point of entry. Time capture tools have gained ground because they reduce the discipline required of the timekeeper and the resulting revenue leakage from underreported time, since delayed entry can cause fee earners to lose a significant share of billable time the longer recording is put off. Common use cases include reducing write-offs, accelerating billing cycles, and surfacing realization and utilization insights for firm leadership. Generative AI is increasingly used to generate narrative descriptions of work performed, group related multitasking activity into coherent entries, and flag block-billing or compliance issues before time is submitted.
Loading...