How many actual hours typically go into a lawyers billable hour?

Question

How many actual hours typically go into a lawyers billable hour?

Answer 1

My attorney bills me if he has a dream about me.

Answer 2

Dear,



In answer to your question, How many actual hours typically go into a lawyers billable hour?, I say you that take a look at this site http://inquirelawyers.com it might help you



As you asked; "I might begin working at a law firm that requires 2000 billable hours per year. My simple math which does not account for saturdays worked or holidays off, finds that one would need to bill about 7 3/4 hours per day to make 2000. But how many actual hours per day would one need to be "working" in order to hit 7 3/4? Is there any kind of common ratio? For example, "an hour worked equals about 3/4 of a billable hour." Thanks very much everyone!" I hope it may help you.



Best of Luck :)

Answer 3

1. If an attorney is travelling for one client while working for another (travelling for one case while working on another by using a laptop computer on an airplane or by using a cell phone while in a car), then two billable hours may equal one actual hour. Also, some firms bill a minimum of 15 minutes for every billable telephone call from a client, so if you talk to 60 separate clients for one minute each, you might have 15 billable hours for one actual hour. On the other hand, when providing free consultations to prospective clients, one actual hour does equal zero billable hours.



2. To have 2000 billable hours per year without working weekends, you need to have at least 8 billable hours per day, probably more, not 7.75. This is because nearly everything shuts down from December 24 to January 1, so you may not have any billable hours after the 51st week of the year, because you may get sick, because of holidays and vacations, etc. Each year has 210, 211, or 212 weekdays. To reach 2000 hours at 8 hours per day, you need to work 200 days, which means that only 10, 11, or 12 days are left for holidays, vacation, sickness, etc. Considering that there are almost that many holidays in the year, it probably does not leave enough for vacation, sickness, etc.

Answer 4

The general rule that I have seen (I am a trainer for a legal specific billing software) is about 1.5 hours worked for every billable hour. Keep in mind that the hours you are suggesting, 2000 hours for a year is also the same as 40 hours for 50 weeks with 2 weeks vacation.



Basically you would need approximately 60 hour weeks - plus you don't want to forget your CLE time.