Understanding what qualifies as billable time is an important part of working as a paralegal, particularly in firms where time is billed directly to clients.

In this article from Paralegals Connect, Angela Hernandez explains that a paralegal billable hour is time spent performing substantive legal work on behalf of a client that may be charged to that client. The article also distinguishes substantive legal work from administrative or clerical duties, an important distinction when recording and describing your time.

Why It Matters for Paralegals

Accurate timekeeping is about more than reaching a billable-hour requirement. Paralegals should understand which tasks are billable, document their work clearly, and use time entries that accurately communicate the value of the work performed.

Developing strong billing habits early can help paralegals become more efficient, demonstrate their contribution to the legal team, and avoid common timekeeping mistakes.

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