Log In

  1. Courses
  2. ›Business of Law Course
  3. ›File Management and Diary Systems Learning Module
  4. ›Time Management (continued)

Time Management (continued)

Always Track Your Time and Strive for Precision

Even in situations where you are working on alternative fee arrangements, such as contingent fee agreements, you should be tracking how much time you spend each day on a file. This serves at least two purposes:
  • It allows you to determine how effectively you are spending your time.
  • It provides evidence as to the fairness of your fee, which will serve you should your client ask to have the fee examined by a reviewing officer under subsection 85(1) of the Law Society Act, 1996, or if the client decides to transfer his file to another lawyer.
 
In addition, properly tracking your time rather than making an estimate at the end of the week, for example, may lead to higher billable hours as you might be apt to underestimate the amount of time you spent on a file.
 
Make sure your time keeping records are easy to understand and that you provide sufficiently detailed explanations of the services you performed. A notation such as “2.5 hours for work performed on File XR” is not sufficiently descriptive. Adopt the practice of recording time right after completing the work onto time sheets, and recording your docket daily.
 
Case management technology can assist you by providing detailed breakdowns of the amount of time you are spending on files, in what areas of law, as well as providing you the information you need to bill for your time.
 
Whether you are using software or a paper system to track time, consider the value in tracking the following information:
  • the time each lawyer and staff member spends on the file;
  • a breakdown of billable and non-billable time;
  • a sufficiently descriptive explanation of the services performed;
  • a process for producing both interim and final statements of accounts; and
  • a system for generating time management reports on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
 
It is a good idea to review section 3.6 of the Code of Conduct for a more complete description of your responsibilities respecting fees and disbursements.