Billing time reading emails Forum

(On Campus Interviews, Summer Associate positions, Firm Reviews, Tips, ...)
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
AndroidLawyer

New
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 10:47 am

Billing time reading emails

Post by AndroidLawyer » Thu Feb 09, 2017 1:59 pm

I was curious if it is acceptable to bill time reading emails. There are sometimes when I'm not being asked to do anything on a particular transaction, but there are a lot of emails going back and forth, so I read them anyways to stay up to date on what's going on. Should I be billing this time spent reading these emails?

Anonymous User
Posts: 428544
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Billing time reading emails

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Feb 09, 2017 3:14 pm

If it is an email from a client or about a case you're working on for a client, then bill to that client. Otherwise, bill to your firm's internal billing number.

User avatar
Rlabo

Silver
Posts: 531
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:18 am

Re: Billing time reading emails

Post by Rlabo » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:54 pm

I usually bill for this (litigation though, so that may be different), but I imagine this is the type of time entry that ends up getting slashed.

User avatar
dailygrind

Diamond
Posts: 19907
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:08 am

Re: Billing time reading emails

Post by dailygrind » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:56 pm

I don't generally bill for emails unless I'm working on something concerning the email. I really wish I could get away with it, though. I'm CC'ed on a bunch of shit I don't need to be, and it takes time to read every day.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428544
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Billing time reading emails

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Feb 10, 2017 2:38 am

You bill it because you can't do your job properly without it and it is doing work for the client, but the time is built into other tasks that sound better on a billing report.

Person1111

Bronze
Posts: 496
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:10 pm

Re: Billing time reading emails

Post by Person1111 » Fri Feb 10, 2017 2:42 am

Anonymous User wrote:You bill it because you can't do your job properly without it and it is doing work for the client, but the time is built into other tasks that sound better on a billing report.
This is correct. I think it also matters whether you are allowed to block bill and whether that matter is billed in .1's or .25's.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Legal Employment”