Timesheet management has been a difficult task for attorneys since day one. However, with modern technology, there are now more resources than ever before that make the process easier – and much more accurate!
In this blog post, we’ll go over the best attorney time tracking tools out there to help streamline your billing process. So, read on if you want to learn about our top 10 picks – each one is guaranteed to help streamline your lawyer’s workflow.
10 Attorney Time Tracking Tools for Accurate Billing
| actiTIME | Practice Panther | Clio | eBillity | Bill4Time | |
| Automatic time tracking | |||||
| Cost tracking | |||||
| Mobile app | |||||
| Free version |
1. actiTIME
- Mobile app
- Calendar view
- Automatic time tracking
- Client billing
- Time off management
- Integrations
actiTIME is a work management tool that lets you get accurate time records, streamline client billing, and create error-free invoices in just a few clicks. Its desktop version supports manual time entry. However, it has a browser extension for fully automated activity tracking and a mobile app that includes one-click timers. Plus, in the mobile app, you can make time entries offline – the app syncs the data with the server whenever you’re back on the internet.
Besides, actiTIME has a robust reporting module with several productivity and money reports. With their help, you can see how many resources you dedicate to specific clients or cases and understand how much money they bring. Plus, using actiTIME’s custom fields functionality, you can categorize tasks by additional meaningful attributes (such as litigation codes, practice areas, etc.) and then easily view how much time they consume via the Custom Fields Report.
Lastly, actiTIME works equally great for solo practitioners and teams of any size. If you plan to use it alone or as part of a team of three, it will cost you nothing at all.
Pros:
- Provides super accurate time tracking data thanks to automation.
- Simple to use, even for non-technical users.
- Highly customizable settings allow you to tailor the platform to your workflow.
- The mobile app allows attorneys to track their time on the go, which is perfect for lawyers who travel often.
Cons:
- Tracks time in granular detail and provides very thorough reports, which may not be that useful for everyone.
- Doesn’t have functionality for real-time collaboration.
Pricing:
actiTIME offers a free version with basic features for up to 3 users. The price for the full version starts at $6 per user a month.
actiTIME helps us in data analysis and international reporting
actiTIME is pretty easy and understandable even for a layman. The app requires no big technical know-how. Simple user interfaces and stylish reporting became vital factors in making a decision on the application.
It helps us a lot in data analysis, client billing, and international reporting. There has been a tremendously positive impact on the process since we’ve been using the product!
2. Practice Panther
- Contact management
- Internal chat
- Mobile app
- Automated payment reminders
Practice Panther is a cloud-based law practice management software that helps attorneys streamline their daily tasks and foster better client relationships.
With Practice Panther, you can effortlessly manage your cases, track your billable hours, and even get paid faster with its sleek billing features and automated payment reminders. On top of that, the software also provides a collaborative platform for you to work and communicate with your team regarding your daily tasks.
Practice Panther has advanced reporting functionality. You can group the data on time and expenses by various parameters, compare the results for specific time periods or employees, and export it to Excel for processing in other applications.
Pros:
- Offers a centralized platform for managing everything related to your legal practice.
- Enables you to tailor your workflow to your specific needs.
- Automated reminders keep everyone on track and ensure that your practice runs smoothly.
Cons:
- It may take some time to get used to the interface and all the features Practice Panther offers.
- Not the cheapest solution out there.
Pricing:
$49 for the Solo plan, $69 per user a month for the Essential plan, and $89 per user a month for the Business plan.
3. Clio
- Online payments
- Calendaring
- Task management
- Client portal
Clio is a cloud-based practice management software designed to streamline the day-to-day operations of law firms and solo practitioners alike.
With Clio, you can track your time and expenses, manage your calendar, create and store documents, and even generate bills and invoice your clients all in one platform. This software is a true time-saver, giving you more time to do what you do best – practicing law.
But that’s not all – Clio also offers integrations with other popular legal tools such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Office, making it easy to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems.
Pros:
- Robust and flexible time tracking with multiple ways to enter time.
- Easy integration with other tools lets you streamline your workflows and avoid duplicate data entry.
- Advanced reporting and analytics help to spot patterns and trends, and make informed decisions.
Cons:
- Although Clio is user-friendly, it has a steep learning curve.
- Clio stores sensitive legal and financial data in the cloud, which raises concerns about data breaches, hacks, or unauthorized access.
- Expensive.
Pricing:
The prices for the four available plans range from $39 to $129 per user a month depending on the number of features included.
4. eBillity
- Robust invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Scheduling
- Online payments
eBillity is a cloud-based time tracking and invoicing solution with the mission to save businesses drowning in a sea of paperwork. With its help, you can track time on the go, effortlessly manage client billing, and generate professional-looking invoices in a jiffy.
With eBillity’s advanced features, you can create custom rate cards for different clients, set up automatic reminders for overdue payments, and even generate detailed reports that give you insights into your productivity and profitability. Plus, eBillity integrates seamlessly with popular legal software like Clio and Practice Panther, so you never have to worry about data entry errors or duplicate efforts.
Pros:
- Allows you to generate invoices in the legal format and keep track of your billable hours quickly and efficiently.
- Integrations with third-party software to make your life easier.
Cons:
- May not have all the features that a law firm may require.
- The lack of customization options can be frustrating.
Pricing:
The prices for time tracking functionality by eBillity range from $7.2 to $12 per user a month + monthly base fee. The plan for legal practitioners – LawBillity – will cost you $24 per user a month.
5. Bill4Time
- One-click timers
- Invoice templates
- Online payments
- Client management
The tool helps centralize legal practice management and keep track of employees’ time. Its attorney time tracking module provides a simple way to capture time spent on clients’ cases in real time.
The tool allows tracking both billable and non-billable time, and separately record non-clients’ time. To speed up and automate the attorney time tracking process, Bill4Time converts appointments to time entries.
To get billable summaries for customers and see the profitability of your practice’s activities, run built-in reports on time data and billable amounts. Customize activity types and work code lists to increase the accuracy and efficiency of resulting data.
Pros:
- Highly customizable.
- Makes it easy to generate and send invoices.
- Has built-in functionality for online payments.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have fully automated time tracking features, just one-click timers.
- High prices make Bill4Time an unviable option for smaller law firms or solo practitioners with limited budgets.
Pricing:
The prices range from $27 to $89 per user a month depending on the functionality included.
| iTimeKeep | Carpe Diem | Chrometa | Time Miner | TimeSolv | |
| Automatic time tracking | |||||
| Cost tracking | |||||
| Mobile app | |||||
| Free version |
6. iTimeKeep
- Handy integrations
- Multi-device compatibility
- User-friendly interface
iTimeKeep is a part of a large suite of apps for legal firms and attorneys. It can be integrated with Microsoft Outlook , as well billing and accounting software you already use.
This tool, like many other solutions, is designed for keeping time at the desk and on the go – but its specific feature is the ability to track the “invisible” time (i.e., billable hours completed on the go in small increments). They tend to result in significant time expenses on a larger time scale, so they are worth recording.
For that purpose, the app is available not only for desktop and mobile but also for smartwatches. With it, it’s convenient to start the timer and count hours that you work from anywhere – and not lose valuable data again.
Pros:
- Available both on Android and iOS platforms, making it easy for attorneys to enter their time on the go.
- Integrates well with many billing systems, which allows for a seamless invoicing process.
- Has a user-friendly interface that requires minimal training.
Cons:
- Some users have reported technical glitches, such as slow loading times.
- Requires an internet connection to function.
Pricing:
No info available.
7. Carpe Diem
- Billing
- Reports
- Flexible approach to time tracking
Carpe Diem (quite literally translated from Latin as “seize the day”) is a suite of productivity-boosting apps that help businesses in the service industries to take full control of their day thanks to robust time tracking and work management tools.
The unique feature of Carpe Diem’s time recording module is the “time finder,” which is designed to locate any missing time via intelligent prompts. The tool also allows users to populate timesheets based on their digital footprints and includes powerful reports that give attorneys data and insights into how they spend their time.
Pros:
- Available in the cloud, on-premise, and on mobile platforms.
- Supports time recording in both online and offline modes.
- Offers a comprehensive set of valuable features for legal practitioners.
Cons:
- There’s a learning curve to using Carpe Diem effectively.
- More suitable for resourceful businesses and large enterprises.
Pricing:
No info is available.
8. Chrometa
- Billable time tracking
- Project management
- Team management
- Integrations
Chrometa is an automatic background attorney time tracking solution that is developed to make the time tracking process effortless and increase the accuracy of the collected data. It captures time spent on various activities, categorizes it by clients and cases using special rules, and allows you to export the received data into billing systems.
Chrometa mobile apps are available for Android and iOS. They automatically track calls and meetings, so you don’t need to remember and calculate how much time you’ve spent speaking to each client. The desktop app can also be configured to track time spent away from the computer as meetings.
Pros:
- Fully automated time tracking ensures 100% accuracy.
- Categorizes time based on client and project, making it simpler to handle invoices and data reports.
- Lets you set performance metrics and track time against them.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a built-in expense tracking feature.
Pricing:
Prices range from $19 to $49 per user a month.
9. Time Miner
- Retroactive time tracking
- Integrations
- Activity reports
This app for Android and iOS devices “mines” your phone for calls, text messages, and emails and converts them into billable time records. This way, it prevents time spent on communication with customers from being left unrecorded – and unbilled.
The tool searches for new time records automatically and on-demand: you don’t need to start and stop timers before and after the call. The app’s users report that this solution is bringing them significant amounts of money by preventing under-billing.
Pros:
- Eliminates the need for manual time tracking by integrating directly with your email and calendar.
- Allows attorneys to focus on the actual work instead of spending valuable time on manual time tracking.
- Fully automated billable time tracking minimizes the risk of underbilling or overbilling clients.
Cons:
- Time Miner accesses the attorney’s email and calendar data, which raises potential privacy issues.
- Although Time Miner is impressive in its accuracy, it is not bulletproof. It might miss some time entries, especially if they are not contained in emails or calendar events.
Pricing:
The monthly price is $12.99, the annual price is $ 124.70, and enterprises pay a custom price for their subscriptions.
10. TimeSolv
- Location tracking
- Cost tracking
- Capacity reports
- Billing
TimeSolv is a handy time tracking and billing solution for legal professionals. It offers easy and intuitive time entry, accurate billing, budget planning, and rich reporting. Available on almost all devices (PC, Mac, iOS, Android), it allows time recording from anywhere both online and offline.
The tool has built-in ABA task codes that are used for LEDES billing and allows categorizing tasks by them. To stay on budget, it allows configuring time limits for specific tasks. After your time is recorded, the tool provides a summary of hours spent in any specific period: day, week, month, etc.
Pros:
- Allows you to customize your billing rates, invoices, and time entries according to your unique needs.
- Accessible through mobile and desktop devices + works offline.
- Can sync with QuickBooks and other legal practice management software, reducing the burden of double entry.
Cons:
- Does not offer a free plan, which could be a deal-breaker for some solo practitioners or small firms.
- Does not offer tools for real-time team collaboration.
Pricing:
The monthly price for TimeSolv Legal starts from $37.95 per user a month, while the starting price for TimeSolv Pro is $21.80 per user a month.
Conclusion
Now, we have seen all the top 10 tools that attorneys can use to make tracking their time easier and more accurate. The choices range from full-on robust solutions like Clio to less expensive yet still effective options like eBillity.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine which tool is right for you. However, if you’re looking for an efficient yet affordable solution, actiTIME should be your go-to choice.
Besides allowing you to track time in a fully automated way via the browser extension, actiTIME has a totally free plan! So if you want to make attorney time tracking accurate without spending a fortune, actiTIME has your back.
Sign up for a free trial today to check it out firsthand.
