Ask any private attorney what he or she likes least about practicing law and having to record time in 0.1 increments would more than likely be number one.  As a former litigator, I can speak firsthand about the drudgeries of billing time. Although it can be a tedious and time-consuming endeavor, it is not an intellectually difficult task, and is an essential part of the business of law.

 Although there are many aspects to the art of recording billable time, there is arguably none more important than the billing narrative. It is crucial for attorneys to keep accurate and detailed time entries to help their clients understand the price and value of services rendered.  When attorneys fail to clearly explain the tasks that were undertaken, all of the effort that they put in working for their clients may not be fully compensated.   Worse yet, if a dispute over fees should occur or if the attorney-client relationship becomes acrimonious, inadequate time narratives can result in the loss of substantial legal fees, reputational harm, overbilling, fraud allegations, and malpractice claims.

Read more of this highly informative and practical white paper where we explore Rule 1.5(a) of the Model Rules specifically addresses the reasonableness of fees.