Check outside counsel invoice lines against your guidelines

Fields

• Invoice line narrative
• Timekeeper role, as billed
• Matter type

Questions

1. Is the narrative a description of work actually done? Yes / No

   Read the invoice line narrative. Does it describe work done on the matter, in words written for this line? Yes: The narrative describes work, however briefly or badly. No: The narrative is blank, a placeholder such as "TBD", "see above" or "time", or template text not written for this line.

2. Does the line group two or more distinct tasks under one time charge? Yes / No

   Rule 1 of the guidelines forbids block billing. Read the invoice line narrative. Does it describe two or more distinct tasks in one line without saying how the time splits between them? One task described with several verbs, such as "draft and revise motion", is one task. Yes: Two or more distinct tasks appear and the time is not split between them. No: The narrative describes one task, or gives the time for each task separately.

3. Is any task in the narrative too vague for the client to tell what was done and why? Yes / No

   Rule 2 of the guidelines asks every narrative to state what was done, on which document, issue or witness, and why. Read the invoice line narrative task by task. Is any task described so generally that a reader of this line alone could not tell what was done or what it was for? Yes: At least one task is described only in generic words such as "work on file", "attention to matter", "review documents" or "research". No: Every task names what was done and the document, issue, witness or purpose it concerned. A task that points to another task on the line, such as "re research plan", takes that task's subject.

4. Does the line include clerical or administrative work the client does not pay for? Yes / No

   Rule 3 of the guidelines excludes clerical and administrative work at any rate. Read the invoice line narrative. Does any part of it describe scheduling, calendaring, filing, copying, scanning, printing, Bates labelling, organising files, binders or exhibits, data entry, updating the firm's systems, or work on the firm's own bills? Yes: At least one task in the line is clerical or administrative work of that kind. No: Every task in the line is legal or substantive work. Reviewing or analysing documents for their content is not clerical.

5. Does the line include a meeting, call or email among the firm's own people? Yes / No

   Rule 4 of the guidelines excludes meetings, calls and emails among the firm's own lawyers and staff. Read the invoice line narrative. Does any part of it describe communication only among people at the firm? Treat a person as firm staff when the narrative calls them an associate, partner, paralegal, colleague or team member, or says "internal" or "office conference". Yes: At least one task is a meeting, call or email among firm people, and the narrative does not say Norrfield asked for it. No: No such task appears, or every communication in the line is with Norrfield, opposing counsel, an expert, the court or another outside party.

6. Does the line include work the guidelines exclude other than clerical work and internal meetings? Yes / No

   Rule 5 of the guidelines lists further work Norrfield does not pay for: time for a timekeeper new to the matter to learn the file, training and continuing legal education, local travel, conflict checks and engagement letters, answering Norrfield's questions about the bills, overtime meals and other overhead. Read the invoice line narrative. Does any part of it describe work on that list? Clerical work and internal meetings are asked about separately and do not count here. Yes: At least one task in the line is work on the rule 5 list. No: No task in the line is on the rule 5 list.

7. Does the line include legal research? Yes / No

   Rule 7 of the guidelines needs advance approval for more than three hours of research on one issue. Code checks the hours and the approvals; this question only says whether research is billed. Read the invoice line narrative. Yes: At least one task is legal research: finding and reading cases, statutes, regulations or commentary on a point of law. No: No task is legal research. Reading the documents in the matter, or finding out the facts, is not legal research.

8. Does the line bill work that a more junior timekeeper than the one named would normally do? Yes / No

   Rule 6 of the guidelines asks for work to be done by the most junior timekeeper who can do it well. Read the timekeeper role and the invoice line narrative. Judge each task by the kind of work it is, not by how well it was done. Yes: At least one task is work a paralegal would normally do, such as indexing or organising documents, first-level review, cite-checking or preparing a routine filing, billed by a lawyer; or work a junior associate would normally do billed by a partner. No: Every task suits the timekeeper's role, or the timekeeper is a paralegal.

9. Which UTBMS litigation task code fits the main work in the line? Choice

   Read the matter type and the invoice line narrative. Choose the UTBMS litigation task code for the main work in the line: the task that most of the narrative is about. If the line is block billed, code the task described in most detail. Choose "Not litigation work" when the matter or the work is transactional, advisory or otherwise outside litigation. Code compares this answer with the code the firm billed.

   • L110 Fact investigation and development Finding out the facts: interviewing the client or witnesses informally, gathering and reading background records outside formal discovery.
   • L120 Analysis and strategy Thinking about the case as a whole: case theory, strategy memos, assessing claims, defences and risk.
   • L130 Experts and consultants Finding, retaining and working with experts or consultants before expert discovery begins.
   • L140 Document and file management Managing the matter's own documents and databases, as distinct from producing documents to the other side.
   • L150 Budgeting Preparing or revising the budget for the matter.
   • L160 Settlement and non-binding ADR Settlement analysis and negotiation, mediation and other non-binding dispute resolution.
   • L210 Pleadings Complaints, answers, counterclaims, third-party claims and amendments to them.
   • L220 Preliminary injunctions and provisional remedies Temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, attachment and other interim relief.
   • L230 Court mandated conferences Preparing for and attending scheduling, status and pretrial conferences the court requires.
   • L240 Dispositive motions Motions to dismiss, for judgment on the pleadings and for summary judgment.
   • L250 Other written motions and submissions Non-dispositive motions before trial that are not discovery motions, such as motions to transfer, amend or stay.
   • L260 Class action certification and notice Class certification motions and notice to class members.
   • L310 Written discovery Interrogatories, requests for admission and requests for production, served or answered.
   • L320 Document production Collecting, reviewing and producing documents, and reviewing documents the other side produced.
   • L330 Depositions Preparing for, taking, defending and summarising depositions of fact witnesses, including deposition outlines and exhibits.
   • L340 Expert discovery Expert reports, expert depositions and other discovery about experts.
   • L350 Discovery motions Motions to compel, for protective orders and other discovery disputes before the court.
   • L410 Fact witnesses Preparing fact witnesses for their trial testimony.
   • L420 Expert witnesses Preparing expert witnesses for their trial testimony.
   • L430 Written motions and submissions at trial Motions in limine, trial briefs, proposed jury instructions and other written submissions for trial.
   • L440 Trial preparation and support Trial preparation not tied to a witness or a written submission, such as trial exhibits and logistics.
   • L450 Trial and hearing attendance Attending trial or an evidentiary hearing.
   • L460 Post-trial motions and submissions Motions for a new trial, for judgment as a matter of law, and on costs after trial.
   • L470 Enforcement Enforcing or collecting on a judgment.
   • L510 Appellate motions and submissions Notices of appeal and motions in the appeal court.
   • L520 Appellate briefs Researching and writing the briefs on appeal.
   • L530 Oral argument Preparing for and presenting oral argument on appeal.
   • Not litigation work The matter or the work is transactional, advisory, regulatory or otherwise not litigation, so no litigation task code applies.

10. What should the approving lawyer do with this invoice line? Choice

    Read the invoice line narrative and the timekeeper role against the guidelines in the context. Suggest where the approving lawyer should start with this line. The approver makes every decision and the firm can answer every query; this only suggests a starting point. When more than one step fits, choose the one lowest in the list.

    • Approve as billed One specific task Norrfield pays for, billed by a timekeeper suited to it, with nothing vague or excluded.
    • Ask the firm to describe the work The work looks billable, but the narrative is a placeholder or too vague to tell what was done and why.
    • Ask the firm to split the time The line groups several tasks under one time charge, and every task in it is work Norrfield pays for at this timekeeper's level.
    • Review for excluded work or staffing Part or all of the line is work the guidelines exclude (clerical work, internal meetings or other excluded work), or work billed at a more senior level than it needs, whether or not the line is also block billed or vague. The approver decides whether to query it.

Lens columns

is_real_narrative, is_real_narrative_probability, block_billed, block_billed_probability, vague, vague_probability, clerical_task, clerical_task_probability, internal_conference, internal_conference_probability, other_excluded_work, other_excluded_work_probability, legal_research, legal_research_probability, role_too_senior, role_too_senior_probability, task_code, task_code_probability, suggested_step, suggested_step_probability