Free Paralegal Invoice Template & Generator

Your invoices need to break down your time by task and matter. Clients want to see exactly what you did for each hour or partial hour you are billing. Write brief descriptions like "drafted discovery responses in Smith matter" or "reviewed and summarized medical records for Jones case." Include your hourly rate, the date of service, and the total for each entry. Attorneys and corporate legal departments track this stuff carefully for their own billing or budget reports.

Most law firms bill monthly and expect payment within 30 days. Some practices ask for retainers upfront, especially for new clients. You will draw against that retainer as you work, then replenish it when it runs low. Contingency cases are different since you do not bill until settlement, but you should still track your time religiously.

Keep contemporaneous time records. Do not wait until Friday to reconstruct your whole week from memory. You will forget half of what you did and undercharge yourself. Also, be specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the case understands the work. Vague entries like "legal research - 3 hours" get challenged or rejected, especially by corporate clients who audit their legal bills closely.