Imagine billable hours magically appearing on your invoices, perfectly captured without the dullness of manual entry. Sounds like a dream, right?

For lawyers, time is money.

But the reality is, valuable minutes spent on client matters often get lost in the midst of overflowing inboxes and packed schedules. Unrecorded work activities contribute to inefficiencies, with full-time employees being productive for only about 2 hours and 53 minutes a day. Furthermore, manual time tracking methods are not only inefficient but prone to errors.   

Well, there is solution to everything

Legal time tracking software offers a revolutionary solution, automating time capture, streamlining billing, and boosting your firm’s profitability.   

This blog explores how legal time tracking software can be your secret weapon for:

• Effortless Time Recording 
• Enhanced Profitability
• Improved Client Communication  
• Streamlined Workflow

Ready to unlock the true potential of your billable hours? Dive deeper and discover how legal time tracking software can revolutionize your law practice!

What is Legal Time Tracking?

Time is a lawyer’s most valuable asset. It directly impacts productivity, profitability, and client satisfaction. Given the relentless demands of deadlines, case management, court preparations, and client obligations, effective time management is crucial. One way the legal industry has been trying to tackle this problem by introducing legal process outsourcing.

Surprisingly, many law firms still rely on outdated methods like pen and paper or spreadsheets to track time. Considering the significant role time plays in a lawyer’s day, this is a missed opportunity.

In this blog, we’ll explore why precise time tracking for lawyers is essential for every legal professional and how it contributes to overall efficiency. Similar to the benefits of outsourcing legal services, implementing such a time keeping software holds many benefits which will enhance the overall business performance.

Why is The Concept of Time Management Important?

In the legal industry, time is money. That is a fact. Time is vital to legal experts for the success of their law firms. This means effective time management is mandatory in order to spend more time on the core competencies of their job. A firm revolves around time tracking and management because with proper time management, the firm’s success is guarantee.

Tired of manual time tracking? Upgrade to digital software and enjoy the benefits of automated time recording, seamless law firm billing, and valuable insights into your firm’s productivity.

How Does Time Tracking Impact on a Lawyer’s Work Life?

Legal time tracking software supports effortless time recording by automating the process, ensuring no minute goes unaccounted for. Unfortunately, only 17% of people actively track their time effectively, which presents a huge opportunity for improvement.

1. Supports Billing and Invoicing

Accurate billing and invoicing are crucial for law firms to maintain financial health and client satisfaction. By using a digital time tracking system, lawyers can ensure that their invoices accurately reflect the time spent on each case, preventing undercharging or overcharging.

This system also provides a detailed record of services rendered, minimizing misunderstandings with clients. From initial phone calls to court preparations, all aspects of legal work should be logged to ensure accurate billing and maintain strong client relationships.

2. Accuracy

By keeping track of the time spent on each legal project and task, lawyers can better estimate how long future projects will take. This helps them set realistic deadlines for clients and improve customer satisfaction. Additionally, recording time in a digital system allows lawyers to accurately charge clients for their services. 

3. Record-keeping

By recording the hours you spend on each project and task, you can accurately calculate your billable time weekly and monthly. This not only streamlines your financial records but also creates a valuable archive of completed projects. This archive can serve as a reference for future projects and discussions with clients, providing a clear overview of your past work and capabilities.

4. Improves Communication

Effective communication is crucial for any successful partnership or team. Without a clear understanding of each other’s tasks and timelines, misunderstandings and delays can arise. For example, imagine an attorney asking a paralegal to hold a call while they finish up a brief.

Without a precise time tracking system, it’s difficult to estimate how long the attorney will be, potentially leading to frustration for the client and coworker. A digital time tracking system can help prevent these issues by providing accurate and up-to-date information on project timelines, allowing for better communication and coordination among team members.

5. Streamlines Productivity

Time tracking for attorneys is a valuable tool for managing team productivity. By monitoring how attorneys spend their time, you can identify which tasks are most time-consuming and prioritize them accordingly. This information helps create efficient workflows, ensuring that employees have enough time to complete their tasks without feeling overwhelmed.

Additionally, time tracking can reveal potential inefficiencies in work processes, allowing you to implement improvements and optimize productivity.

Key Features within Timekeeping Software

Automate timekeeping

In today’s fast-paced legal environment, accurately capturing billable hours is a challenge. Manual time tracking methods often lead to lost time and revenue. Advanced timekeeping platforms offer automated solutions that can help law firms capture up to 200 more billable hours per month.

Global timer

Timekeeping should be effortless. A global timer within your legal practice management platform ensures you’re always tracking your time, no matter where you are or what device you’re using.

Tracking time in Microsoft

Task switching can significantly reduce productivity. By integrating time tracking directly into your Microsoft applications, you can eliminate the need to switch between tasks and ensure accurate time recording without disrupting your workflow

Automatically Recording Time

Clients are crucial to all businesses and so does the time spent on talking to them. Unfortunately, attorneys have a difficult time remembering their meeting minutes, and recording it manually can be even more troublesome when they are dealing with multiple clients every day of the week.

Manually tracking client call time is time-consuming and prone to errors. Automated time capture provides a solution by seamlessly recording and allocating call time, ensuring accurate billing and strengthening client relationships.

Timekeeping via mobile app

Gone are the days of desk-bound time tracking. Mobile timekeeping apps offer the flexibility to track time anywhere, anytime, catering to today’s dynamic work environment.

Customize the way to write time

Tired of rigid time entry methods? It is important to use a legal timekeeping software that offers a variety of options, including desktop, mobile, calendar, and timelines, so you can find the perfect fit for your workflow.

Automate workflow

Saving time and investing it on more crucial matters is everyone’s goal. For example, Automated billing workflows provide a solution by automating tasks and ensuring timely invoicing. This streamlines processes, saving time.

20 Must-Try Legal Time Tracking Software in 2025

Softwares have become a good part of our work life as they save us a lot of time and helps us earn money. The global time tracking software market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.40% from 2021 to 2028, largely driven by the rise in remote work.

Here we will be talking about legal time tracking software you could use. However if you would like to know more about; for example, what are legal case management software, you can check out our blog on it in Expert Legal Outsourcing. 

1. TimeCamp

Overview	TimeCamp is a comprehensive time tracking tool that also offers productivity insights, project management, and team collaboration features.
Rating	4.7 (SOURCE)
Pricing	$2.99 per month – $11.99 per month

2. Clio

Overview	Primarily designed for law firms, Clio integrates time tracking with client management, billing, and case management.
Rating	4.7 (source)
Pricing	$39 USD – $139 per user per month

3. Smokeball

Overview	Another popular choice for lawyers, Smokeball provides time tracking, document management, and billing automation.
Rating	4.8 (source)
Pricing	Available On Request

4. LawPay

Overview	While primarily a payment processing platform, LawPay also includes time tracking features specifically tailored for law firms.
Rating	4.8 (source)
Pricing	$19 no contract, monthly billing

5. WiseTime

Overview	A versatile time tracking solution that caters to various industries, including legal, consulting, and creative services.
Rating	4.8 (source)
Pricing	30-Day Free Trial. Starting at $360 user/annum.

6. MyCase

Overview	A cloud-based legal practice management software that incorporates time tracking, case management, and client communication tools.
Rating	4.7 (source)
Pricing	$49 USD per user per month

7. Myhours

Overview	A simple and intuitive time tracker that offers basic features like manual tracking, automatic time tracking, and project management.
Rating	4.8 (source)
Pricing	$8 per user per month

8. Beebole

Overview	A comprehensive time tracking solution that includes features like automatic time tracking, project management, and team collaboration.
Rating	4.6 (source)
Pricing	$6.99 per user per month

9. Timely

Overview	An AI-powered time tracker that learns your work patterns and automatically tracks your time.
Rating	4.7 (source)
Pricing	$25 per user per month

10. AccountSight

Overview	Primarily a cloud-based accounting software, AccountSight also includes time tracking features for businesses.
Rating	4.9 (source)
Pricing	$10 per user per month

11. RescueTime

Overview	A time management app that tracks how you spend your time on different websites and applications.
Rating	4.1 (source)
Pricing	Available On Request

12. Indy

Overview	A freelance platform that includes time tracking, invoicing, and contract management tools.
Rating	4.7
Pricing	$12 per user per month

13. Amberlo

Overview	A project management and time tracking tool designed for creative agencies and freelancers.
Rating	4.7
Pricing	$29 per user per month

14. actiTime

Overview	A customizable time tracking software that offers features like geofencing, timesheet approval, and expense tracking.
Rating	4.6
Pricing	$7 per user per month

15. TMetric

Overview	A cloud-based time tracking solution that integrates with popular project management tools like Trello and Asana.
Rating	4.5
Pricing	Free to $7 per user per month

16. TimeSolv Legal

Overview	TimeSolv boasts comprehensive legal time tracking and billing features. It goes beyond basic timekeeping, offering functionalities like budget management, staff monitoring, insightful reporting, and integration with legal accounting software.
Rating	4.6
Pricing	$44.99 per user per month – $49.99 per user per month

17. Todo.vu

Overview	This software isn’t strictly a time tracker, but it can be used for that purpose. Todo.vu leans more towards personal task management and project collaboration.
Rating	4.4
Pricing	$9 per user per month

18. FreshBooks

Overview	Primarily an accounting software, FreshBooks includes time tracking features alongside invoicing and expense management.
Rating	4.5
Pricing	$8.50 per month

19. App4Legal (rebrands to Lexzur)

Overview	App4Legal combines time tracking with case management, document management, and legal practice automation. It caters specifically to the needs of lawyers and legal teams
Rating	4.6
Pricing	$8 per user per month

20. Apploye

Overview	Apploye offers time tracking features alongside payroll, employee monitoring, and project management.
Rating	4.8
Pricing	$5 per user per month

Benefits of Using Legal Time Tracking Software

• Transparent Billing: With a time tracking software, you will be able able to provide clients with detailed breakdowns of time spent on their cases, ensuring transparency and building trust.
• Accuracy: With this software, accurate invoices will be generated so you can be ensured fair compensations are being rendered.
• Faster Billing Process: A timekeeping software will take manual administrative data entry from you, streamlining the billing process and improving cash flow. 
• Enhanced Profitability: This software provides valuable insights into billable hours, helping firms pin point areas of improvement and maximize profitability.  
• Improved Communication: With this software, you can be ensure better communication between lawyers and clients regarding billing and project progress 
• Precise time recording: This software automatically captures time spent on specific tasks, eliminating manual errors and ensuring accurate billing.
• Time Management: Helps lawyers manage their time effectively, optimizing productivity and minimizing wasted hours.    
• Task Categorization: This software will allow detailed categorization of tasks, making it easier to track time against specific projects or clients.   
• Audit Trails: A timekeeping software creates audit trails of time entries, ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards.
• TimeKeeping Compliance: This software helps law firms comply with timekeeping requirements and ethical guidelines.
• Task Prioritization: Prioritizes tasks based on deadlines and importance, improving overall productivity.     
• Time Optimization: This feature in a timekeeping software helps identify time-consuming tasks and inefficient workflows, allowing for optimization and improvement.   
• Automation: Time tracking softwares automate time entry and billing processes, reducing manual work and streamlining operations.    
• Integration: Integrates with other legal software, such as case management and document management systems, for a seamless workflow.

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Legal Time Tracking Software

• Ease of Use

When introducing a new a software into an long existing work environment, we always want it to be user-friendly and easy to grasp for the team to actually use the software rather than get frustrated with it complexity. Look for a time tracking software that is simple with a clear navigation system, provides customer support around the clock and provides helpful tutorials. These resources will enable the firm to adapt to the software easily, streamlining the processes promptly.

• Mobile Access

In 2024, we are all phone-dependent – thats the hard truth – and lawyers are usually on the run for case purposes. A mobile app will help lawyers and attorneys track time from anywhere, whether you’re in court, meeting clients, or working remotely. Having access to case files and data on your phone will enable a firm to save time and work efficiently, even while on the run.

• Integrations

Streamline your workflow and enhance accuracy with a time tracking tool that seamlessly integrates with your existing billing and case management systems. By automating data transfer, you’ll eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and ensure that your time entries are accurately reflected in your invoices and financial reports.

• Security

Law firms handle sensitive client information, and any breach could have severe repercussions. Therefore, choosing a time tracking software with robust security measures is essential. Another feature attractive in a software is when it offers end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits.

• Customization

Every law firm has its processes and workflows. Hence, a one-size-fits-all approach seldom works. Opt for a time tracking solution with customization options to tailor the software to the specific needs of your firm. This could include setting up personalized dashboards, custom billing rates, and specific reporting formats.

• Reporting Capabilities

Comprehensive reporting capabilities are vital for any legal time tracking software. Detailed reports provide insights into billable hours, case progress, and resource allocation. A time keeping software that offers customizable reports that can be generated in various formats makes it more appealing to clients.

These reports should make easy analysis and distribution, helping the firm make informed decisions about resource management and client billing.

• Cost-Effectiveness

Budget considerations are always at the forefront when selecting new software. While it’s tempting to opt for the cheapest solution, it’s important to consider the long-term value and return on investment. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the software by considering factors like scalability, maintenance costs, and potential savings from increased efficiency and reduced errors.

Parting Thoughts

In today’s busy legal world, it’s important to work efficiently and accurately. Legal time tracking software can help you do just that. It can automatically record your work hours, make sure your invoices are correct, and give you useful information about your firm’s performance. By using this technology, you can save time, earn more money, and improve your law practice.

In this article, we discovered 20 different, well-known time keeping software that would be a good choice for your law firms. One thing you need to keep in mind when choosing one of twenty software is that your list of requirements match the features and service the software can provide. 

Choose right and your firm will thrive. Good Luck!