Time entry for lawyers is one of the most challenging tasks in the legal profession. With the intricacy of lawful cases, the amount of  administrative work to finish, and the rising interest in precision and  responsibility, it very well may be challenging to precisely and conveniently record the time spent on each case.

Here we will investigate the reasons why time tracking for lawyers is so difficult and offer answers to help law offices become more proficient in tracking their time.

1. Complexity Of Law Cases

For lawyers, the time section is quite possibly the most difficult undertaking in the legitimate calling. This is to a great extent because of the intricacy of the cases lawyers handle.

As cases become more complicated, it frequently turns out to be harder to precisely follow how much time is spent on each task. There are various reasons why time passage for legal professionals is so difficult, with an emphasis on the intricacy of legitimate cases.

Law cases can be unquestionably perplexing, with many tasks waiting to be finished. For example researching the case, meeting observers, planning reports and actions, scheduling meetings, and eventually, showing up in court.

2. Multitasking Due To Quantity Of Cases

Lawyers often work on multiple cases simultaneously, which can make it difficult to accurately track the time spent on each case. This is especially true if they have to switch between cases frequently throughout the day. For example by taking phone calls during other activities.

Clients may have urgent needs or require immediate attention while working on a different case or client. This can disrupt the workflow and make it challenging to accurately track time spent on other tasks.

3. Large Amounts Of Paperwork

From documenting movements and petitions to planning briefs and investigating points of reference, there is a lot of desk work to finish for each case. Since many documents are time sensitive and have tight deadlines, it can be harder to precisely follow how much time is spent on each document.

The more paperwork there is, the longer it takes to review and edit it. Furthermore, if a lawyer has many documents to review and track, it can be challenging to keep track of which documents they've already reviewed and which ones still need to be reviewed. Sorting this out takes even more time.

And since legal documents can be complex, with many details and nuances that require close attention, a lawyer can never know how much time is needed. This makes forecasting the needed time or evaluating the amount of time spent more difficult.

In the end, it is simply harder to work on a lot of paperwork and documentation without getting interrupted by colleagues, phone calls, or urgent emails. Therefore, the more paperwork, the more interruptions happen. And the more challenging it is to precisely add all the time spent on a specific task at the end of a working day.

Also, read our Ultimate Time Management Guide For Lawyers

4. Changing Priorities

Priorities can shift quickly in the legal field, which can make it challenging for lawyers to accurately track their time. For example, a case that was previously a lower priority may suddenly become urgent and require more time and attention.

Or in the case of an emergency, for example, when a client is being arrested, a lawyer needs to respond immediately.

Also, clients' needs may change during the course of a case. This can require a shift in focus and need for dedication to other priorities that need more time than initially forecasted and planned.

5. Increasing Accountability

The rising interest in accountability is one of the main reasons why time tracking for legal professionals is difficult. As firms move towards a more computerized and straightforward legal process, lawyers are requested to track their time even more thoroughly. Clients are currently expecting more thorough documentation of the time spent on their cases.

Transparency and honesty are crucial in the billing process. It's important to provide clients with accurate information about all aspects of their bills, including hourly rates, disbursements, and expenses.

On the off chance the legal counselor doesn’t have an exact record, clients may address issues regarding the accountability of the hours spent on their case.

Time-Tracking Software

Time entry for lawyers is one of the most challenging tasks in the legal profession. With the intricacy of law cases, the amount of desk work to finish, and the rising interest in accountability, it tends to be hard to precisely record the time spent on each case.

However, there are solutions available to help law firms become more efficient when tracking their time. By implementing time-tracking software, lawyers and law firms can more easily track the amount of time spent on each task.

A New Way Of Tracking Time

TIQ Time helps lawyers build complete and consistent time entries with an add-on to your Practice Management System and Document Management System. To ensure that filling out a timesheet is as easy as possible for every fee-earner, TIQ Time automatically captures the time spent on activities such as drafting documents, emails, meetings, and other activities.

Would you like to create consistent, high-quality narratives for every time entry? Increase revenues and reduce leakage? And reduce time spent on filling out time?

Please request a demo, we are happy to help you set up the best time-tracking software for your firm!