Paralegal Billing Cheat Sheet Template and Tips

Billing is one of the most time-consuming but critical day-to-day responsibilities of a paralegal. Whether it’s entering hours into the firm’s billing platform or helping attorneys prepare client invoices, accurate billing helps keep the practice running smoothly.

But how do paralegals separate billable from non-billable work so clients are charged appropriately? In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what paralegal billing involves, what counts as billable time, and how to improve productivity without missing a minute. 

Read on to get access to a downloadable paralegal billing cheat sheet and discover how tools like Rev can streamline the process of administrative work.

The Importance of Billing

Accurate and timely billing is the pulse of any effective legal practice. Clear tracking maintains trust with clients and ensures attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants are compensated for their time. Without proper billing, the firm risks revenue loss, client disputes, and potential compliance issues.

Paralegal billing is about more than logging hours or filling out a timesheet. All work must be thoroughly documented for transparency and to meet billable hour requirements.

What Can Paralegals Bill For?

Like attorneys, paralegals can only bill clients for substantive legal tasks, or work that directly supports legal strategy, case development, or client service. That means they can bill for drafting legal documents, performing legal research, preparing discovery materials, managing case files, summarizing depositions, and communicating with clients, as long as these tasks are necessary to the case and properly documented.

General requirements are laid out in the American Bar Association’s “Model Guidelines for Utilization of Paralegal Services,” and each firm may have its own set of additional policies. The general rule is that billable hours must provide clear, measurable value to the client. When approved, they’re typically broken down into standardized lawyer billing increments (e.g., six minutes equals 0.1 hours).

What Can Paralegals Not Bill For?

Paralegals can’t bill for purely administrative or clerical work — things like organizing supplies, running errands, or completing tasks that don’t require legal knowledge. Time spent fixing errors or performing redundant tasks is also typically non-billable. 

Some firms allow limited billing for certain internal tasks (like billing prep), but these should be clarified by firm policy or the supervising attorney.

What Is the 1,500 Billable Hour Requirement?

The 1,500 billable hour requirement is a common goal for paralegals, which averages out to roughly 29 billable hours per week. In many law firms, paralegals and attorneys must meet similar annual billable hour targets in order to stay employed.  

These quotas don’t include non-billable activities such as internal meetings, administrative work, or training. Hitting this target consistently requires paralegals to work efficiently, avoid underbilling, and minimize the time they spend on low-value tasks. Consistently falling short puts pressure on the rest of the firm and can lead to poor performance reviews or even termination. 

What Do Paralegals Charge Per Hour?

According to the most recent report from The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), the average billable rate for paralegals in the U.S. is $134 per hour. The ABA stipulates that billable hours can be based on the market rate for the local area rather than on the paralegal’s hourly salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median hourly wage for paralegals is $29.33 per hour, so there is a substantial difference between billable rates and pay rates.

Because paralegals can handle many substantive legal tasks under attorney supervision, their time is usually billed to clients at a lower rate than that of a lawyer (the median rate for a lawyer in 2023 was $257 per hour, according to data from Statista). This helps firms manage costs for clients while still delivering high-quality work.

Types of Billing Methods

Firms can use several different fee structures to bill paralegal hours to clients. Each billing model works differently in terms of how time is recorded, how clients are charged, and how work is prioritized. 

The most common types of legal billing methods include:

• Hourly billing: In the most traditional method, paralegals log time in increments and charge for the hours worked.
• Flat-fee billing: Firms may charge a specific task or matter, regardless of how long it takes to complete it.
• Contingency fee: This is most common in litigation or personal injury cases. Clients pay a percentage of the winnings, but it’s a gamble that only pays off if the case is won.
• Legal retainer: Clients pay up front to secure ongoing services. Paralegals may track time against the retainer balance until it’s depleted.
• Hybrid billing: This method combines elements of the above (e.g., a flat fee plus hourly overages), which can be useful in complex or evolving cases.
• Sliding scale: Fees are adjusted based on the client’s income or ability to pay. These are common in public interest or pro bono cases.
• Unbundled services: Clients pay only for specific tasks rather than full representation, allowing more flexibility and lower costs.
• Subscription billing: Some firms charge a recurring monthly or annual fee for ongoing access to certain legal services or support.

Practical Billing Tips For Paralegals

Billing can feel like one of the most challenging parts of a paralegal’s job. As Lindsey Corbin, an experienced paralegal with Delegate Legal, puts it: “Billing is always tricky and practice area dependent. Some firms operate on flat fees, so timekeeping isn't as important, and other firms want you to bill for each and every thing that you do.”

No matter your practice area or billing model, having smart strategies in place can help you capture every billable moment accurately and avoid costly mistakes. Below are some practical tips to make your billing smoother, faster, and more precise.

1. Use a Billing Template 

A clear, well-designed billing template can make tracking time simpler and far more accurate. Instead of sorting through handwritten notes or scattered spreadsheets, a single template helps you log client info, tasks, rates, and payment status in one place, helping you stay consistent and error-free.

Rev offers a free, ready-to-use billing template that’s simple, flexible, and law firm–ready. Just copy it to your drive, fill in task details and hours, and track your rates and status with ease. 

2. Understand Firm Policies and Best Practices

Before logging a single hour, make sure you fully understand your firm’s billing language, policies, and any applicable professional guidelines. Each firm has its own rules around billing increments, what’s considered billable, and how to describe tasks on invoices.

Beyond internal policies, paralegals should also be familiar with general standards outlined by the ABA, which emphasize accurate, transparent billing and clear client communication. Following firm and industry standards helps avoid write-downs, client disputes, and compliance headaches down the line.

3. Track in Real Time

One of the biggest billing mistakes paralegals make is waiting until the end of the day — or even the end of the week — to log time and expenses. Memory fades quickly, and it’s easy to lose track of small but important paralegal tasks, which leads to lost billable hours and vague, inaccurate descriptions.

Because I handle small transactional matters, I jump between several matters and can't just set one timer for one case, I'm constantly shuffling,” Corbin says.

That’s why it’s critical to enter your time as you go. Real-time tracking helps ensure every billable minute is captured accurately and reduces the risk of underbilling. You’ll make final invoice preparation much faster and limit the stress of accounting for tasks.

4. Be Detailed (But Concise)

When entering billing descriptions, aim for the sweet spot: clear enough to show exactly what was done, but not overloaded with unnecessary detail. Clients and supervising attorneys want to see specific, task-focused entries (for example, “Drafted first draft of motion to compel” rather than just “Worked on motion”).

However, overly long or technical descriptions can slow down review and create confusion. Provide enough information to justify the time and show value without turning each entry into a mini report. Clarity and brevity build trust and reduce billing disputes.

5. Lean on the Right Tech

Today’s tools can help you bill far more quickly and accurately than traditional methods of accounting and billing. Cloud-based time-tracking and legal billing software can help you log hours seamlessly and generate error-free invoices, while other supporting tech can ensure you bill confidently and compliantly.

A tool like Rev, for instance, helps you transcribe notes, document meetings, and keep thorough case records, so your time entries are backed by precise, verifiable details. By combining billing software with robust documentation solutions, you can spend less time chasing notes and more time staying billable and organized.

For more tech advice, check out our post on the top paralegal software to boost productivity.

6. Send Bills Promptly

Accurate, detailed billing is only helpful if invoices get sent on time. Prompt billing improves cash flow, reinforces professionalism, and keeps client expectations clear.

It’s simple human nature: Clients are more likely to pay quickly when bills arrive soon after work is performed, while details are still fresh. Delayed invoicing can lead to questions or payment delays and ultimately hurt your firm’s bottom line.

Dos and Don’ts  of Paralegal Billing

Master Paralegal Billing With Confidence

Paralegal billing doesn’t have to be overly stressful or time-consuming. By distinguishing billable from non-billable hours, tracking in real time, and following firm and ABA guidelines, you can protect your legal firm’s revenue and strengthen rapport with clients. 

Ready to make it even easier? Download Rev’s free paralegal billing cheat sheet and template. It’s designed to help you stay organized, reduce errors, and simplify your entire billing process — so you can focus more on meaningful legal work and less on paperwork.