Attorney Billability

The billable hour is the lifeblood of a law firm. Yet attorneys hate to enter their time records. A recent survey by Parker Houser Consulting found that more than half of all timekeepers fail to enter time on the same day that work is completed and that 30% of timekeepers wait at least five or more days to do so.

This has serious implications for both the firm and attorneys:

• Studies have shown that attorneys who enter time promptly and accurately earn 15% more than their peers.
• Delays between when work is performed and billed increase the chance that inaccuracies or lack of detail will necessitate write downs as part of the pre-bill process.
• Many firms are forced to enforce a combination of incentives and penalties to compel attorneys to enter their time promptly.

In the end, timekeepers do enter their time but often only in response to a pending deadline and with great haste.

Irregular tracking increases the likelihood that time may be overlooked or under-billed, that attorneys are missing opportunities to capture activity that would help them reach their goals sooner and that the firm is missing revenue opportunities.

The Problem

Within any firm, attorney time tracking practices differ:

• Some may diligently track every increment of time using software applications
• Many rely on some combination of handwritten logs and secretarial assistance
• A good number refer back to past work product and email to reconstruct their time at the end of the week or month

Because tracking time is inconvenient, attorneys may overlook "insignificant" activities -- especially when the time required to track a short phone call or email exceeds the length of the activity itself. Yet even scraps of missed or under-billed time add up significantly.

The IntApp Solution -- Time Builder

Time Builder provides an accurate journal of attorney activity by automatically monitoring and cross-referencing key productivity applications such as document management, email and phone systems. Directly integrating with existing time entry systems, it allows attorneys to more easily track and enter time, often capturing lost or overlooked activity. By reducing time tracking burdens, it increases attorney satisfaction and improves the firm's bottom line.

Billing Visibility