In a law firm, client hours are best recorded when every lawyer logs them each day, by client, matter and task, in a single tool where the hours are approved throughout the month. That way, the fee note is built from the hours actually worked, not from what each person remembers on the last day of the month.
This article explains why hours go missing, what each time entry should contain, how to organise clients and matters, and how to move from approved hours to a pre-invoice.
Why do client hours go missing?
In most small and mid-sized firms, working time lives in different places. Some people keep it in a spreadsheet, others note it in their calendar, and others rebuild it from their email at the end of the month. The result is much the same from one firm to the next.
- Forgotten hours. A twenty-minute phone call, a quick contract review or an urgent reply rarely reach the record when hours are only logged at the end of the week.
- Hours on the wrong client. When the same lawyer handles several matters in one day, it is easy to assign the time to whichever client comes to mind first.
- Fees below the effort. Without knowing how long each type of work takes, the firm cannot tell whether a retainer or a fixed fee still covers the work done.
- A slow month end. Gathering everyone's sheets, fixing duplicates and checking rates takes days for whoever prepares the billing.
What should each time entry contain?
A useful time entry answers five questions, who worked, for which client, on which matter, on which task and for how long. Two further details make a real difference when billing.
- Client and matter. Time should be linked to the specific matter, not only to the client, so the fee note shows what was done on each one.
- Task. Meetings, research, drafting, travel and contact with the other party carry different weight, and keeping them apart helps when quoting future work.
- Short description. One clear line saves questions from the client when the fee note arrives.
- Billable or non-billable. Internal time, training and practice development also count, but they do not go on the invoice.
- Applicable rate. Each client or matter may have its own rate, and that rate is what turns hours into value.
How should clients, matters and tasks be organised?
The simplest structure follows the way the firm already works. Each client has its matters, and each matter has its tasks. When the whole team uses the same structure, reports by client and by lawyer no longer need manual work.
A few practical rules help to keep the discipline.
- Log time on the same day, ideally in a weekly grid where each person sees what they have already entered.
- Have alerts for days with missing hours, instead of finding the gaps at month end.
- Approve hours every week, so whoever coordinates can correct mistakes while the work is still fresh.
- Turn client requests into tasks with deadlines, instead of leaving them buried in email threads.
How do approved hours become a pre-invoice?
A pre-invoice is a provisional document that gathers the approved hours for a period by client and matter and applies the agreed rates. It is used to confirm the figures before the invoice is issued in certified invoicing software.
The process usually has four steps.
- Each lawyer logs hours throughout the month.
- Whoever coordinates approves the hours and fixes anything on the wrong client or matter.
- The pre-invoice is generated from the approved hours, with the rate for each client or matter.
- The pre-invoice goes to the accountant or to the invoicing software, where the invoice is issued.
Imagine a firm that closes the month from individual spreadsheets. If each lawyer forgets just half an hour a week, that is around two hours per lawyer each month that are never billed, and nobody notices. With daily logging and weekly approval, those hours appear before the pre-invoice goes out.
What criteria should guide the choice of a tool?
A time tracking tool for a law firm should meet a few minimum criteria.
| Criterion | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Time by client, project and task | Allows detailed fee notes and reports by matter |
| Approval of hours | Whoever coordinates checks before billing |
| Missing hours alerts | Avoids gaps that only show up at month end |
| Pre-invoicing from hours | Removes manual copying between time records and the invoice |
| Billable value visible during the month | Shows what each client will be billed before the month closes |
Engi360 was built for teams that bill hours or run projects for clients. Hours are logged by task in a weekly grid, with approval, AI suggestions and missing hours alerts, and pre-invoicing is generated from the hours logged, ready for the accountant or the invoicing software. The rate per project and the billable value of each project are visible before the month closes, and client requests can become tickets with deadlines, which the client follows on a protected page without creating an account.
The free plan includes the whole team for the first 14 days, with no credit card, so the firm can try time tracking with a real month of work before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
How often should lawyers log their hours?
Ideally on the same day. Leaving it to the end of the week or month means losing calls, quick reviews and urgent replies, which are rarely reconstructed.
What should each time entry contain?
Who worked, the client, the matter, the task, the duration, a short description, whether the time is billable and the applicable rate.
Is it worth logging hours on fixed fee work?
Yes. Even with retainers or fixed fees, time records show how long each piece of work takes and whether the agreed fee still covers the effort.
Does a pre-invoice replace the invoice?
No. A pre-invoice is a provisional document used to confirm the figures. The invoice is issued in certified invoicing software, using the figures the pre-invoice confirmed.
Does Engi360 issue invoices?
No. Engi360 prepares pre-invoicing from the hours logged, ready for the accountant or the invoicing software, where the invoice is issued.