10 best time and billing software for law firms

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Ever feel like your law firm is losing billable hours without even realizing it?

Imagine trying to fill a bucket with a crack at the bottom. That’s what managing a growing legal practice feels like without accurate employee time tracking. Hours get logged late or not at all. Invoices go out wrong. Payments take longer than expected. And valuable time disappears without a trace.

Are you struggling to stay on top of billable hours across remote, hybrid, and in-office teams? 

Is payroll draining time from your legal team? 

Are your invoices missing the clarity that clients demand?

These are warning signs that your law firm’s time tracking tools may not be doing their job effectively.

As the National Law Review explains,

“Proper time tracking helps firms bill accurately, measure profitability, and identify areas where efficiency can be optimized.”

Rather than working harder, it makes more sense to work smarter by choosing a legal time tracking and billing solution that fits your firm’s real needs.

The right tool can help you track attendance, manage payroll, generate reports with productivity analytics, and even monitor activity with screen monitoring features. It can also simplify integrations, support your distributed workforce, and adapt to the way your firm operates, whether remotely, hybridly, or fully in-office.

In this article, you’ll discover the 10 best law firm time tracking and billing tools available in 2025. 

You’ll also learn a simple two-step method to help you choose the right option for your firm. Finally, we’ll walk you through three essential features that make legal billing smoother, more accurate, and easier to manage.

Let’s find the tool that helps your law firm reclaim every billable hour and boost overall productivity.

Table of Contents

• What is employee time tracking in a law firm?
• 7 common challenges law firms face with time tracking
• How time tracking tools protect client privacy
• 10 best time and billing software for law firms
• Comparison table: Law firm time tracking and billing tools
• Steps to choose the right time and billing software for your law firm

What is employee time tracking in a law firm?

Time tracking is the simple act of recording how much time you spend on different tasks throughout the workday.

In the legal industry, this means tracking every minute a lawyer spends working on client cases, answering emails, preparing documents, attending meetings, or conducting research.

These time records are used to calculate billable hours, manage payroll, and generate accurate e-billing invoices.

Time tracking helps you understand where your time is going.

Instead of relying on memory or scribbled notes, legal professionals use employee time tracking software to log activities in real time. This creates a clear, digital trail that makes it easier to bill clients correctly, review productivity, and handle payments smoothly.

Law firm time tracking is also useful for employee monitoring and workforce analytics. Whether your team is working remotely, in a hybrid, or in the office, time tracking tools can show when they’re active, what tools they’re using, and how long tasks take to complete.

It’s not just about hours worked. It’s about improving your time management, boosting productivity analytics, and reducing billing errors that could cost your firm money or damage its reputation.

Modern employee time tracking systems also support functionality like screen monitoring, payroll integration, attendance tracking, and case-based time logs. These tools often include built-in project management features and integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack through smart connections.

When time is money, tracking it accurately is not just helpful. It’s essential.

However, even when law firms understand the value of time tracking, implementing it can be challenging. From missed logs to technical friction, there are several roadblocks that stand in the way.

That’s why it’s important to look at the common challenges law firms face with time tracking and how the right tools can help overcome them.

7 common challenges law firms face with time tracking

Time tracking in a law firm sounds straightforward. But when it meets the fast pace of legal work, things often get complicated.

Here are some of the biggest challenges firms encounter with law firm time tracking, and why they matter more than you might think.

1. Lawyers forget to track time

Busy days filled with calls, hearings, and paperwork leave little room for logging every hour. Without a real-time time tracking tool, lawyers often guess or forget entries. This leads to missed billables, billing errors, and frustrated clients.

2. Manual systems slow everything down

Paper logs or spreadsheets might feel familiar, but they’re not built for accuracy. Manual time entry increases the risk of error, delays payroll, and makes it challenging to manage attendance across teams. This slows down billing and complicates payment cycles.

3. No visibility across teams

When managers can’t see who’s doing what, it creates bottlenecks. You miss the early signs of delays, and your ability to analyze workflow suffers. Without tools that offer productivity analytics, screen monitoring, and attendance tracking, you’re left working in the dark.

4. Lack of integrations

Switching between systems wastes valuable time. With better integration, your team can spend less time doing duplicate work and more time focusing on client cases.

The right tool should support smart integrations that make daily work easier, not harder.

5. Remote, hybrid, and in-office teams need different support

Your team might work from home, in the office, or a mix of both. This setup creates more complexity in tracking work hours and managing productivity. Law firms need time tracking software that works anywhere and offers features like idle time alerts, screen monitoring, and activity tracking.

6. Lawyers don’t want to feel watched

Employee monitoring has to feel fair, not invasive. When tools are too intrusive, lawyers push back. To gain buy-in, your time tracking system should run in the background, provide users with control, respect their privacy, and still deliver the insights managers need.

7. Reporting is too basic or too complicated

Without useful reports, you can’t make decisions based on data. A good law firm time tracking solution should provide you with simple yet powerful workforce analytics that track billable hours, unproductive time, and performance trends across your legal team.

Understanding these challenges is the first step. If you recognize even one of them in your firm, it may be time to upgrade how you track time.

That said, many law firms hesitate to adopt time tracking tools because of one big concern. It’s the privacy.

It’s a valid worry. Legal teams deal with sensitive client information every day. So when you bring in tools for employee monitoring or screen monitoring, it’s natural to ask: Will this put my client’s data at risk?

The good news is, the right law firm time tracking software is built to protect both lawyer privacy and client confidentiality.

How time tracking tools protect client privacy

Privacy is a big deal in law firms. When lawyers track time, they are often working with highly sensitive client data, including confidential documents, case notes, and private communications.

This is why the best law firm time tracking tools are designed to protect both client confidentiality and internal operations. They help you manage productivity, payroll, and billing without putting sensitive data at risk.

Here’s how these tools keep your information safe:

1. Blurred screenshots protect sensitive content

Many time tracking tools include screenshot features for productivity analytics. At the same time, they offer options to blur those images. This ensures no client names, legal notes, or sensitive documents are visible. Some law firms also opt to disable screenshot tracking entirely for their legal staff to maintain complete confidentiality.

2. No recording of typed information

Trusted time tracking tools only detect activity through general movements, such as keystrokes and mouse clicks. They do not capture what is being typed, which means that passwords, emails, and client casework are never logged. This protects attorney-client privilege and avoids any breach of privacy.

3. Lawyers keep control over tracking

Legal professionals can start or stop the timer as needed. For example, they might pause tracking during a confidential client call or when reviewing sensitive case materials. This level of control allows for employee monitoring that feels fair and flexible.

4. Encrypted and secure data storage

Time logs, payroll details, financial reporting, and productivity analytics are stored using encrypted systems.

These tools adhere to strict digital security protocols, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive records. This protects your firm from data breaches and keeps sensitive information secure.

5. Role-based permissions for safer access

Effective time tracking systems allow you to control who has access to what information. For instance, only payroll staff or managers may access specific productivity or attendance reports. This helps law firms stay organized while keeping client data safe from unnecessary exposure.

6. Compliance with privacy regulations

Reputable time tracking software adheres to major privacy laws, including GDPR and HIPAA, and guidance set by your local bar association. This helps your firm stay compliant while still benefiting from features like screen monitoring, productivity analytics, and workforce insights.

Tracking time doesn’t mean giving up privacy. With the right tools, you can protect your clients, support your team, and gain the clarity your law firm needs to grow with confidence.

Now that you understand how the right time tracking system can support both privacy and performance, it’s time to take the next step. That means choosing a tool that fits your law firm’s specific needs.

There are many options available. Some work well for smaller teams, while others are built to manage larger legal practices with remote, hybrid, or in-office setups. 

What matters most is finding software that is easy to use, protects client data, and includes essential features such as payroll, billing, workforce analytics, screen monitoring, and seamless integrations.

Up next, we’ll explore the 10 best law firm time tracking and billing software solutions that can help your team stay productive, accurate, and focused on client work.

10 best time and billing software for law firms

Here are the 10 best legal billing software you can use for your law office:

1. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a dependable time tracking and timekeeping software for law firms that helps you record billable hours, manage payroll, and enhance team focus. It works well whether your legal team is remote, hybrid, or fully in-office.

Time Doctor features

A. Manual and silent time tracking

Lawyers can track time manually by clicking start and sto, or use the silent mode that runs quietly in the background. This keeps the focus on legal work without constant interruptions.

B. Payroll calculations based on billable hours

Time Doctor supports payroll integration with platforms like PayPal, Wise, Gusto, and ADP. You can adjust settings based on currency, pay period, and hourly rates to fit your firm’s needs.

C. Productivity and attendance reports

The software generates easy-to-read reports showing active hours, task breakdowns, and attendance status. This helps your firm

D. Idle time tracking and distraction alerts

If the system doesn’t detect activity, it sends a gentle nudge to keep lawyers on task. Idle time is tracked based on keyboard and mouse activity, helping reduce unproductive hours.

E. Privacy-first screen monitoring

Optional screenshot tracking can be enabled to review work activity. Screenshots can be blurred to protect sensitive client information, offering a balance between visibility and privacy.

F. Integrations that simplify legal workflows

Time Doctor works with tools your firm might already use, including project management platforms and customer support systems. The Chrome extension allows you to track time without switching between tools.

Note: The admin/employer can blur the screenshot to protect the user’s privacy.

Pricing

Plans start at $6.70 per user per month (billed annually). A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

Customer ratings

• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 (530+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.4 out of 5 (400+ reviews)
  

Time Doctor makes it easier for law firms to track time, manage payroll, and stay focused while also maintaining control over privacy and workflow.

2. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is a legal billing and accounting software that helps law firms manage invoicing, retainers, and cost tracking in one place. It works well for practices of different sizes, from solo lawyers to larger teams.

QuickBooks Online features

a. Custom billing rates

You can set specific rates for each lawyer, client, or case. This makes it easier to bill accurately based on who did the work and what kind of legal service was provided.

b. Automated invoicing

QuickBooks allows you to schedule when invoices go out and helps ensure your clients receive them on time. This feature supports smoother cash flow and fewer payment delays, although it may not offer law-specific integrations like LawPay.

c. Trust accounting management

The software lets you track both trust and general retainers. This is helpful for staying organized and ensuring your firm handles client funds properly.

d. Invoice tracking and payment reminders

You can follow the status of client invoices, manage accounts receivable, and send automatic reminders when payments are overdue. This feature helps reduce follow-up time and keeps billing moving forward.

Pricing

QuickBooks Online plans start at $25 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 (8000+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4 out of 5 (3400+ reviews)
  

While QuickBooks Online offers strong billing and accounting features, it focuses less on daily productivity tracking and employee monitoring. This means law firms may need to use a second tool to track time, screen activity, or analyze team performance across remote or hybrid teams.

3. Clio

Clio is a well-known practice management platform designed specifically for law firms. It offers features that cover legal billing, case management, and task tracking all in one place. This all-in-one approach makes Clio a strong choice for firms that want to centralize their legal operations.

Clio features

a. Easy legal billing and payments

You can create detailed invoices and accept credit card payments in just one click. This helps your firm reduce billing delays and get paid faster.

b. Flexible invoice customization

Clio supports both hourly and flat-fee billing. You can adjust invoice formats using customizable invoice templates, which gives your firm more flexibility in how you bill clients.

c. Dashboard overview of work and revenue

You can view billable hours, firm revenue, and pending tasks all from one screen. This overview helps firm owners and managers stay on top of day-to-day performance.

d. On-the-go time tracking

Clio’s mobile app allows lawyers to log time and access their work even while away from the office. This is especially useful for court visits, remote meetings, or client calls.

Pricing

Clio offers paid plans starting at $49 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 (1,600+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.6 out of 5 (460+ reviews)
  

Clio focuses on being a comprehensive practice management solution, which means its time tracking and productivity features are helpful but may not be as in-depth as those offered by a dedicated time tracking platform. Firms that want deeper insights into employee monitoring, attendance tracking, or idle time may still need a separate tool to support those needs.

4. TimeSolv

TimeSolv is a legal time tracking and billing software built for flexibility. It supports lawyers who work remotely, in-office, or while traveling. This makes it a practical choice for firms that need tools that adapt to different work environments.

TimeSolv features

a. Billable hour tracking across timeframes

You can view tracked hours by day, week, or month. This gives you a clear picture of how time is spent across clients and cases.

b. Abbreviated time entries for faster logging

TimeSolv allows you to set short codes for client names or case types. For example, typing “Med” can log time for a client called Medical Home. This helps save time and keeps entries consistent across your team.

c. Bill splitting between clients

If two clients share a legal matter, the software can divide the bill automatically. This is useful for joint cases where accurate and fair billing is important.

d. Custom tags for better organization

You can tag clients, time entries, and documents with labels that make searching and sorting easier. This helps keep your firm’s records organized and accessible.

Pricing

TimeSolv plans start at $39.95 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.5 out of 5 (400+ reviews)
  

TimeSolv offers valuable tools for billing and time tracking. However, it focuses less on productivity analytics or employee monitoring. If your firm needs real-time tracking, idle time alerts, or attendance reports, you may want to pair it with a tool that provides deeper workforce insights.

5. MyCase

MyCase is a complete law practice management platform that includes everything from law firm time tracking to digital payments. It’s built to help legal professionals stay organized and productive, whether working from the office, home, or on the go.

MyCase features

a. Support for UTBMS codes and LEDES billing

MyCase helps you stay compliant with billing standards by supporting UTBMS task codes, LEDES invoice formats, and flat fees for flexible billing. This is especially useful for firms that work with corporate clients or government contracts.

b. Secure digital invoice sharing

You can send invoices directly to clients through a secure client portal or by email. This simplifies the billing process and helps you get paid faster.

c. Direct case-linked time entries

Time entries can be connected to specific cases, making it easier to organize billing and ensure that no time gets lost or misattributed.

d. Mobile time tracking across devices

Lawyers can track billable time from a desktop, iOS, or Android mobile app. This gives your team the flexibility to log hours wherever they’re working.

Pricing

MyCase plans start at $30 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 (700+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.4 out of 5 (290+ reviews)
  

While MyCase includes helpful features for billing and mobile access, it focuses more on practice management than in-depth workforce analytics. If your firm requires detailed productivity reports or screen monitoring to track time spent, you may need a separate tool to fill those gaps.

6. Cosmolex

Cosmolex is a cloud-based legal practice management software designed to help law firms handle billing, time tracking, and case-related tasks in one place. It’s designed for legal professionals who want to streamline both legal and business operations.

Cosmolex features

a. Alerts for unbilled completed tasks

Cosmolex notifies you when tasks are finished but haven’t been billed yet. This helps reduce missed billables and supports more accurate invoicing.

b. One-click batch invoicing

You can use batch invoicing software to generate invoices for multiple clients at once, saving time and keeping your billing cycle on track.

c. Personalized invoices with client details

Invoices can be customized to include information such as the last payment date and services provided. This gives clients more clarity and helps reduce billing questions.

d. Mobile access to timesheets

Lawyers can view and manage time entries on mobile or other devices. This makes it easier to track hours whether you’re in court, at the office, or working from home.

Pricing

Cosmolex plans start at $89 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 (300+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.2 out of 5 (300+ reviews)
  

Cosmolex offers useful tools for billing and case management, but it doesn’t go deep into time tracking-specific features like idle time alerts, detailed productivity reports, or employee monitoring. If your firm needs those kinds of insights, you may want to use a separate tool that focuses more on law firm time tracking.

7. Caret Legal

Caret Legal is a cloud-based practice management and accounting software designed for law firms that want to streamline billing and handle accounting in one place. It also prioritizes privacy and security, having passed a SOC 2 audit to ensure strong data protection.

Caret Legal features

a. Flexible time entry formats

You can log time using either decimal or HH:MM formats, depending on what works best for your team. This makes time tracking more intuitive and easier to adopt.

b. Built-in double-entry accounting with IOLTA support

Zola Suite includes legal-specific accounting tools like IOLTA management. This helps ensure your trust accounting is accurate and compliant with legal standards.

c. Narrative templates for time descriptions

You can use pre-set descriptions when entering time, which makes billing faster and more consistent across the team.

d. Billing options by practice area, user, or location

The software lets you break down billing by different factors, giving you more control over how fees are calculated and collected.

Pricing

Contact Caret Legal for custom pricing.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 (130+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.5 out of 5 (160+ reviews)
  

Caret Legal is strong on billing and legal accounting, but it focuses more on financial tasks than on how your team spends time each day. If your firm is looking for features like idle time tracking, distraction alerts, or detailed productivity reports, you may want to use it alongside a tool that offers better visibility into daily work habits.

8. Smokeball

Smokeball is a legal practice management platform that focuses on capturing every billable minute to support accurate payments. It combines time tracking with built-in billing and basic accounting features to help firms understand where time goes and how it affects profitability.

Smokeball features

a. AI-powered time tracking

Smokeball uses artificial intelligence to track time automatically as lawyers work in apps like Word, Outlook, and Smokeball itself. This removes the need to start or stop timers manually.

b. Auto-generated billing entries

The software automatically compiles billing entries based on the work completed. It also disables manual entries to help maintain consistent billing and reduce missed time.

c. Productivity insights by matter or team

You can view how time is spent across practice areas, specific cases, or individual staff members. This supports better decisions around workloads and team efficiency.

d. Profitability reporting

Smokeball displays profitability at various levels, including by matter, lawyer, or client. This helps you understand where the firm is making money and where time might be overextended.

Pricing

Smokeball offers custom pricing. You’ll need to request a quote to learn more.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.8 out of 5 (300+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.8 out of 5 (300+ reviews)
  

Smokeball is built around automation and ease of use, especially for time and billing. However, it offers less flexibility for firms that prefer to track time manually or require more control over features such as idle time alerts, screen monitoring, or comprehensive workforce analytics.

9. PracticePanther

PracticePanther is a legal software platform that combines case management, billing, and cloud storage in one place. It’s designed to support law firms across a wide range of practice areas, from family law to environmental law and more.

PracticePanther features

a. Trust accounting and financial safeguards

The software includes tools to track trust accounts and ensure client funds are handled correctly. This helps firms stay compliant and maintain financial transparency.

b. Detection of unbilled activities

PracticePanther can flag unbilled tasks, calls, emails, and other work. This feature helps reduce revenue loss from forgotten or missed entries.

c. Real-time tracking from any device

Lawyers can track their time as they work, whether they are using a laptop, tablet, or phone. This makes it easier to log billable hours accurately, regardless of where they are working.

d. Custom hourly rates per case

You can assign different billing rates based on the case, client, or type of legal work. This flexibility is particularly useful for firms that handle a wide range of case types.

Pricing

PracticePanther plans start at $49 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 (460+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.3 out of 5 (110+ reviews)
  

PracticePanther does a good job of helping you log billable hours, but it focuses more on recording time than breaking down how that time is spent. If your firm is looking for detailed productivity analytics or employee monitoring features, you might consider using it alongside a tool that offers more insight into daily work activity.

10. LawBility

LawBility is a legal practice management software designed to simplify billing, matter tracking, and document management across multiple practice areas. 

It helps law firms improve day-to-day efficiency while keeping billing and reporting organized.

LawBility features

a. Expense tracking on the go

Lawyers can log expenses from anywhere, whether they’re in the office or working remotely. This helps keep financial records up to date without extra steps.

b. LEDES and LSS invoice formats

LawBility supports legal-specific billing formats like LEDES and LSS, making it easier for firms to meet client and regulatory requirements.

c. GPS-based time entry tracking

The software records the location of time entries when lawyers are working away from their desks. This feature can support accountability for firms with mobile legal staff.

d. Online payments through ACH

LawBility enables clients to make secure online payments using ACH transfers and other payment options. This speeds up collections and supports a smoother billing experience.

Pricing

LawBility plans start at $30 per user per month.

Customer reviews

• Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 (2,420+ reviews)
  
• G2: 4.3 out of 5 (330+ reviews)
  

LawBility is great for handling billing and legal management. At the same time, it offers fewer tools for tracking how time is actually used throughout the day. If your firm wants deeper insights into productivity, such as idle time, task focus, or daily activity patterns, it might make sense to use it alongside a dedicated time tracking tool.

Comparison table: Law firm time tracking and billing tools

Tool	Starting Price (per user/month)	Time Tracking Type	Payroll/Payments	Productivity Reports	Mobile Access	Customer Rating (Capterra/G2)
Time Doctor	$6.70 (annual)	Manual + Silent	Yes (PayPal, Gusto, etc.)	Yes	Yes	4.5 / 4.4
QuickBooks Online	$25	Basic (add-on)	Yes	Limited	Yes	4.3 / 4.0
Clio	$49	Manual + Mobile	Yes	Basic dashboard	Yes	4.7 / 4.6
TimeSolv	$39.95	Manual + Abbreviated	Yes	Limited	Yes	4.5 / 4.5
MyCase	$30	Manual + Mobile	Yes	Some analytics	Yes	4.6 / 4.4
Cosmolex	$89	Manual	Yes	Limited	Yes	4.7 / 4.2
Caret Legal	Custom	Manual + Custom formats	Yes (w/ accounting)	Limited	Yes	4.5 / 4.5
Smokeball	Custom	AI-based (automatic)	Yes	Yes (Profitability)	Yes	4.8 / 4.8
PracticePanther	$49	Real-time tracking	Yes	Basic	Yes	4.7 / 4.3
LawBility	$30	GPS-linked entries	Yes (ACH)	Limited	Yes	4.3 / 4.3

Steps to choose the right time and billing software for your law firm

Finding the right employee time tracking and billing tool for your law firm doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these five simple steps to choose a solution that works for your team.

Step 1: Identify your must-have features

Start by listing what your firm really needs. Ask questions like:

• Do we need to accept credit card or PayPal payments?
  
• Is LEDES billing or trust accounting a priority?
  
• Do we need mobile access or support for remote teams?
  

Knowing your essentials helps narrow the options quickly.

Step 2: Focus on features that support daily legal work

The right tool should simplify your day, not add to it. Look for features like:

• Online payments so clients can pay quickly and easily
  
• Payroll support that calculates payments based on tracked billable hours
  
• Productivity and attendance reports that show how time is spent across the firm
  

These features help reduce admin work, improve law firm billing, and boost time management.

Step 3: Make sure it fits your team’s setup

Whether your firm operates in an office, remotely, or in a hybrid setting, your software should adapt accordingly. Choose a tool that supports mobile access, user roles, and flexible workflows for lawyers and support staff.

Step 4: Take it for a test drive

Always try the free trial first. If that’s not available, go for a monthly plan. Let your team test the features and make sure it fits your day-to-day needs before committing long-term.

Step 5: Look for smart integrations

Your software should integrate seamlessly with the tools you already use, such as payroll platforms, accounting systems, or legal case management tools. Integrations save time and reduce double entry, especially for billing and workforce analytics.

Final thoughts

If your firm had to submit a time report today, would you feel confident in its accuracy?

Could you see exactly how your team spends their hours, how much each case is costing, or whether unbilled time is slipping through the cracks?

That’s where a strong time tracking tool makes all the difference.

Time Doctor stands out because it does more than just track hours. It helps law firms:

• Reduce time leakage with real-time tracking and idle time alerts
  
• Improve payroll accuracy with billable hour-based calculations
  
• Monitor productivity across remote, hybrid, and in-office teams
  
• Keep sensitive information protected with privacy-first screen monitoring
  
• Save time with seamless integrations and automated reporting
  

You don’t need to juggle multiple tools or chase down time entries at the end of the week. Time Doctor streamlines the process, providing the clarity your legal team needs to stay productive and profitable.

So if your firm is ready to stop guessing and start growing, why not try a time tracking solution built with law firms in mind?

Ready to simplify law firm time tracking and billing?

Get a personalized demo of Time Doctor and see how it helps your team track hours, manage payroll, streamline payment processing and improve productivity, without compromising privacy or adding more admin work.

Book your demo now and take control of your firm’s time.