Why Time Leaks
Research consistently shows that lawyers capture only 60–70% of their actual billable time. The lost 30% is not laziness — it is the natural consequence of capturing time hours or days after the work was done. Memory is imperfect; reconstruction is imprecise.
Habit 1: Capture at the Point of Work
Start the timer before you pick up the phone. Log the email before you move to the next task. The closer the capture is to the work, the more accurate the description and the less time you will write off in review.
Habit 2: Use Descriptions that Survive Review
A time entry that says 'Research' will be challenged by a client. One that says 'Research on admissibility of expert evidence re: Nguyen v Blackwood; reviewed Holloway v Meridian [2024] EWCA Civ 000 (fictional) and subsequent Court of Appeal authorities' will not.
Habit 3: Review Daily, Not Weekly
Reviewing and approving time at the end of each day takes five minutes. Reviewing a week's worth on Friday afternoon takes an hour — and produces lower quality output. Build the five-minute review into your end-of-day routine.
Habit 4: Set a Minimum Unit
Define the smallest time increment your firm bills (typically six minutes or 0.1 hours). Apply it consistently. The debate about whether a two-minute call is billable disappears when everyone follows the same rule.
Habit 5: Bill Collaboration Honestly
When two fee-earners work on the same task, both bill their actual time at their own rate. Do not split the work to make the combined figure look smaller — clients understand parallel work; hidden work erodes trust.
Habit 6: Use the Running Timer
Gavel's dashboard timer stays visible in the sidebar no matter which page you are on. Start it when you begin a task and stop it when you finish. The description field accepts voice dictation on supported devices.
Habit 7: Close the Day's Log Before You Leave
Before you log off, open the time page and confirm that every matter you touched today has a time entry. If anything is missing, add it now — not tomorrow.