Legal Timekeeping: Are Lawyers Really Tracking Time — or Just Filling Gaps?

It’s 5:42 PM on a Friday. A lawyer stares at their billing system, trying to remember what they did four days ago. “Was that call with the client on Matter A or Matter B? Did I work on that brief before or after lunch?” Sound familiar?

Welcome to the imperfect science of legal timekeeping — a world where every minute is billable, but not always remembered.

The Myth of Real-Time Timekeeping

In theory, attorneys are expected to record their time as they go. In reality? Many don’t. The demands of litigation, court appearances, client meetings, and research rarely allow for perfect real-time documentation. Instead, many lawyers rely on what’s commonly referred to as “reconstructed timekeeping” — entering hours at the end of the day, or worse, at the end of the week (or month).

40 Hours In, Now Fill the Bucket

In some firms, the practice is not so much to track every task but to backfill a target of 40+ hours. This often means asking:

• What matters did I touch?
• How should I divide time across clients?
• Do I recall that call, that email, that review session?

This creates a dangerous game of guesswork — where time may be over- or under-attributed to a matter, often without clear precision.

The Consequences of Inaccurate Billing

For law firms, inaccurate timekeeping can lead to:

• Underbilling — Time forgotten means revenue lost
• Overbilling — Risk of ethical scrutiny or client disputes
• Poor Reporting — Inaccurate allocation skews profitability analytics

The Tech Is There — Why Isn’t It Being Used?

Time capture tools exist. From passive tracking software to integrated billing systems, lawyers can capture activity without manual entry. Yet, adoption lags — often due to culture, workflow inertia, or concerns over “being watched.”

The Path Forward

1. Track smaller increments, more often – Don’t wait until the end of the week
2. Adopt smarter tech – Look for tools that track documents, calls, and emails automatically
3. Promote a culture of accuracy – Billable hours are not just finance — they’re data

"Time is a lawyer’s most valuable asset — yet often the most carelessly managed."

Whether you're a partner, associate, or legal assistant managing time entries, take a closer look at your process. If you're spending more time guessing than tracking, it might be time to rethink how you value your time — and how it’s recorded.