Legal Billing Guidelines Starter Pack

If billing guidelines do not exist, you cannot enforce anything. You can only argue.

This starter pack helps you create a minimum viable billing guideline document that:

• reduces invoice rework
• prevents common non-compliant charges
• sets a clear standard for invoice descriptions and evidence
• gives Finance a defensible basis to dispute charges

This is not legal advice. It is an operational control document.

What you will produce

1. A billing guidelines document you can send to vendors
2. A prohibited or restricted charges list
3. An invoice submission checklist
4. A rejection and resubmission email template

Beginner-safe definitions

Line item: a single time entry or expense entry on an invoice.

Narrative: the description of work performed, written in plain language.

Non-compliant charge: a charge that violates your guidelines (or lacks required detail).

Step-by-step implementation

Step 1: Define what must be true for an invoice to be accepted

Start with simple acceptance criteria:

• every invoice must reference a matter name or ID
• every line item must have a clear narrative
• every time entry must include date, role, hours, and rate
• expenses must include receipts when required

Step 2: Define prohibited and restricted charges

Do not try to list everything. List the common problems:

• administrative overhead
• vague work descriptions
• excessive internal meetings
• travel without approval
• premium billing without pre-approval

Step 3: Define time entry standards

If you do nothing else, enforce narrative quality.

Require narratives that answer:

• what was done
• why it was necessary
• what output was produced

Step 4: Define dispute and resubmission expectations

Make it easy:

• non-compliant items must be corrected and resubmitted
• resubmission must reference the original invoice and the corrected items
• you will not pay until compliant documentation exists

Templates

A) Billing guidelines (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Legal Billing Guidelines

Owner:
Effective date:
Applies to:
Contact for billing questions:

Invoice acceptance requirements
- Invoice must include matter name (or matter ID).
- Time entries must include: date, timekeeper role, hours, hourly rate, and narrative.
- Narratives must describe the work performed and the output produced.
- Expenses must be itemized and include receipts when required.
- Block billing is not accepted unless explicitly approved.

Time entry rules
- Minimum narrative standard: what was done, why it was necessary, and what was delivered.
- Entries must be written so a non-lawyer can understand the activity.
- Vague narratives are not accepted (example: "review documents", "emails", "attention to matter").

Billing restrictions
- Administrative overhead is not billable.
- Training and internal education are not billable.
- Excessive internal meetings are not billable.
- Travel must be pre-approved to be billable.
- Premium rates or rush work must be pre-approved to be billable.

Dispute and resubmission
- Non-compliant charges will be disputed and must be corrected.
- Resubmitted invoices must reference the original invoice number.
- Payment timing starts when a compliant invoice is received.

Confirmation
By submitting an invoice, the firm confirms it has complied with these guidelines.

B) Prohibited or restricted charges list (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Prohibited or Restricted Charges

Not billable:
- Administrative tasks (scheduling, filing, document organization)
- Internal training, onboarding, or knowledge transfer
- Duplicate attendance at routine meetings
- Vague time entries without clear narrative
- Unapproved travel time or travel expenses

Pre-approval required:
- Premium billing or rush work
- Travel and lodging
- Outsourced services and third-party vendors
- Large research projects or broad document reviews

C) Invoice submission checklist (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Invoice Submission Checklist

- Matter name or ID is included
- Time entries include date, role, hours, rate, and narrative
- Narratives meet minimum standard
- Expenses are itemized with receipts when required
- Any pre-approved items include approval reference
- Invoice contact and remittance details are correct

D) Rejection and resubmission note (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Subject: Invoice requires correction and resubmission

Hi [Name],

We reviewed Invoice [#] and identified non-compliant items under our billing guidelines.

What we need:
- Correct the non-compliant line items and update narratives or supporting documentation.
- Resubmit the invoice referencing the original invoice number.

Once we receive a compliant invoice, we will process payment according to the agreed terms.

Thank you,
[Name]

Common failure modes

• guidelines exist but are not enforced consistently
• narratives remain vague and unreviewable
• disputes do not get tracked, so recovered value is unknown