Attorneys routinely leave substantial sums of money uncollected by failing to record minor but legitimate increments of billable time each day.
A review of another lawyer’s invoices revealed dozens of 0.1-hour time entries recorded for relatively minor tasks performed throughout the course of a representation.
These entries covered activities that many attorneys might not even consider recording, including reviewing short emails, sending brief correspondence, and addressing small issues as they arose.
Although each individual entry represented only six minutes or less of work, the cumulative value of these entries across the full matter was substantial.
The experience highlighted how easily lawyers can overlook smaller increments of billable time, ultimately costing their firms meaningful revenue over time.
Most attorneys understand the importance of recording hours spent drafting motions, conducting depositions, appearing in court, and performing other major tasks central to a matter.
However, lawyers also spend considerable time each day on smaller tasks that are genuinely necessary to advance their clients’ interests and cannot simply be ignored.
Attorneys might answer a quick question from a client, review a short email from opposing counsel, or consider how a new development affects litigation strategy during a given day.
Since these activities often take only a few minutes, lawyers may not believe they are worth recording or adding to a client’s invoice.
Nevertheless, these smaller tasks represent legitimate legal work when they are reasonably necessary to a representation, and attorneys should not automatically disregard this time.
Failing to capture these entries consistently means that firms are effectively performing work without compensation, which compounds significantly across multiple matters and fee earners.
A disciplined approach to time recording, including minor correspondence and brief strategic considerations, can meaningfully increase a firm’s overall revenue without requiring any additional client work.