Seven time-tracking habits that stop revenue leaking out of your firm
Most unbilled work is not lost in a dispute with the client. It is lost at the desk, the moment a lawyer decides to "log it later". Here are seven habits that close the gap.
Ask any managing partner where revenue goes missing and the answer is rarely "clients refusing to pay". It goes missing much earlier — in the ten-minute call that was never recorded, the late-night review of a draft that nobody logged, the travel day that became "general admin".
The fix is not a stricter policy. It is a set of small habits that make recording time easier than forgetting it.
1. Record while you work, not at the end of the week
Reconstructing a week from memory and an inbox produces entries that are both shorter and vaguer than the work itself. A running timer, or a two-line entry straight after a call, captures the real duration and the real task.
2. Write descriptions for the client, not for yourself
"Review" tells the client nothing. "Reviewed the draft share purchase agreement and marked up the warranty schedule" explains the value and heads off questions when the invoice arrives. Write each entry as if the client will read it — because they will.
3. Agree on a minimum unit and stick to it
Whether your firm bills in six-minute or fifteen-minute units, everyone should use the same one. Mixed practices make invoices look inconsistent and invite challenges.
4. Separate billable from non-billable honestly
Recording internal work as non-billable is not wasted effort. It shows where time really goes — training, business development, supervision — and helps you price fixed-fee matters realistically next time.
5. Log time against the matter, never against "general"
Time parked under a general code almost never reaches an invoice. If the matter does not exist yet, open it first. A clean matter list makes every later step — billing, reporting, conflict checks — easier.
6. Review unbilled time weekly
A short weekly look at unbilled entries per matter catches mistakes while everyone still remembers the work. Waiting until month end turns a five-minute correction into an argument.
7. Make it visible
Lawyers improve what they can see. A simple view of hours recorded this week against a personal target does more than any reminder email.
The payoff
None of these habits require working longer hours. They simply make sure the hours already worked become revenue. Lexivo is built around this idea: timers that run while you work, entries tied to the matter from the start, and a clear view of what has not been billed yet.
This article is general information about running a law practice. It is not legal advice.