Billable time tracking is the process of recording client-related work that may be charged to a client matter. For law firms, this includes more than long blocks of drafting or court preparation. It also includes short calls, document review, matter-related emails, calendar meetings, research, negotiation preparation, and follow-up work.
The challenge is not that lawyers do not work enough. The challenge is that some completed work never becomes a clear time entry.
What Is Billable Time Tracking?
Billable time tracking means capturing work that directly supports a client matter and recording it in a way that can be reviewed, approved, and billed.
A useful billable time record normally includes:
Date
Timekeeper
Client and matter
Duration
Description of work
Billable status
Task or activity code, when required
Review or approval status
The time entry should explain what happened clearly enough for billing review and client understanding.
Why Billable Time Gets Missed
Billable time is often lost because legal work is fragmented. Lawyers may move between documents, emails, calls, meetings, browser research, and internal discussions throughout the day.
Common causes include:
Time entered too late
Short tasks forgotten
Manual timers not started
Calendar meetings not converted into entries
Document review not captured
Vague descriptions written from memory
Matter switching throughout the day
Billing teams chasing missing entries later
Missed billable time is painful because the work was already done. The firm simply failed to capture it.
Billable Time Tracking Workflow
A practical workflow should help lawyers capture work without creating more administration.
Step | What Happens | Why It Matters |
Capture | Work activity is recorded from daily systems or entered manually | Reduces reliance on memory |
Review | The lawyer checks what should become a time entry | Keeps judgment in the workflow |
Edit | Descriptions, matter, duration, and status are corrected | Improves billing quality |
Merge | Related activity can be combined when appropriate | Reduces clutter and duplicate entries |
Save or release | Approved entries move forward for billing review | Supports cleaner finance workflows |
The goal is not to bill blindly. The goal is to give lawyers a stronger starting point.
What Counts as Billable Time?
Billable time depends on the client agreement, matter rules, and firm policy. Common examples include:
Client calls and meetings
Matter-related email communication
Legal research for a client matter
Drafting contracts, pleadings, memos, or advice
Document review and analysis
Discovery review and response work
Deposition or hearing preparation
Negotiation preparation
Matter strategy work, when permitted
Client status updates
Some work may be billable for one client and non-billable for another. Client billing guidelines should always control.
Billable vs Non-Billable Time
Work Type | Usually Billable | Usually Non-Billable |
Client contract review | Yes | No |
General firm training | No | Yes |
Client strategy call | Yes | No |
Internal firmwide meeting | No | Yes |
Legal research for active matter | Yes | No |
Business development meeting | Usually no | Usually yes |
Matter-specific team discussion | Depends on client rules | Depends on client rules |
Non-billable time should still be tracked where possible. It helps firms understand operational cost, training time, and administrative load.
Better Billable Time Entry Examples
Weak descriptions slow review and create questions. Stronger descriptions explain the work and matter purpose.
Weak Entry | Better Entry |
Reviewed documents. | Reviewed revised purchase agreement and analyzed indemnity and termination provisions for client comments. |
Call with client. | Joined client call to discuss discovery timeline, document production issues, and next steps for response strategy. |
Research. | Researched enforceability of limitation of liability clause for contract negotiation strategy. |
Email. | Prepared email to client summarizing revised contract language and recommended response. |
Meeting. | Joined internal matter strategy meeting to review witness priorities and deposition preparation plan. |
Daily Review Checklist
Before submitting time, lawyers should check:
Did I review today’s calendar events?
Did I capture short calls and quick client emails?
Did I record document review and drafting work?
Did I select the correct matter?
Did I mark billable and non-billable work correctly?
Did I avoid vague descriptions?
Did I follow client billing guidelines?
Did I remove unnecessary sensitive detail?
Did I merge related activity where appropriate?
Did I review entries before release?
A five-minute review can prevent hours of billing cleanup later.
How Software Can Help
Billable time tracking software should reduce manual reconstruction and improve entry quality.
Useful capabilities include:
Capturing activity from daily work systems
Surfacing calendar, document, email, and browser activity
Supporting lawyer review before release
Helping draft clearer descriptions
Suggesting task or activity codes when appropriate
Supporting billable and non-billable classification
Connecting approved entries to finance workflows
The most important feature is control. Lawyers should decide what is saved, edited, merged, excluded, or released.
How MIRA Supports Billable Time Tracking
MIRA helps law firms capture billable and non-billable work activity, review time inside Microsoft Teams, and prepare clearer billable descriptions before billing review.
MIRA is designed to support the timekeeping workflow, not replace lawyer judgment. Lawyers can review captured activity, edit descriptions, merge related work, and release approved entries toward connected finance systems.
For a connected workflow, explore Billable Time Tracking for Law Firms.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is billable time tracking?
Billable time tracking is the process of recording client-related work that can be billed to a client matter, including calls, drafting, research, document review, and other legal tasks.
Why do lawyers miss billable time?
Lawyers miss billable time when entries are created too late, short tasks are forgotten, timers are not started, or work happens across too many disconnected systems.
What should a billable time entry include?
A billable time entry should include the date, timekeeper, client, matter, duration, description, billable status, and any required task or activity code.
Is all client-related work billable?
No. Whether work is billable depends on the client agreement, matter rules, billing guidelines, and firm policy.
How can law firms improve billable time tracking?
Law firms can improve billable time tracking by capturing work closer to when it happens, reviewing calendar and document activity, using clear descriptions, and applying consistent review workflows.
