Billing for thinking Forum

[objctnyrhnr]

By the time you get to mid level biglaw, it’s likely that you’ve accepted and perhaps endorsed the notion of your job eating into your life. So, to those people, do you ever feel compelled to somehow get compensated for your thoughts that doesn’t necessarily translate into written work product or delivearables? For example, if I take a shower and I find myself idly thinking about how I might frame the last bit of a litigation argument in an active case for a dispositive motion for a big client...and I subsequently act on that argument and it becomes a big thing...do I deserve to bill for a portion of that time I spent showering? I don’t know the answer (and I haven’t yet billed for something like this), but I am wondering if others have come across it.

[AZ123]

I don't bill for random thoughts during the day like that, but if I have to take three minutes to think about an issue while I'm drafting something I obviously bill that.

I figure the random moments I think about the case when I'm not working makes up for some of the moments my mind drifts while I am actually working haha.

[objctnyrhnr]

I don't bill for random thoughts during the day like that, but if I have to take three minutes to think about an issue while I'm drafting something I obviously bill that.

I figure the random moments I think about the case when I'm not working makes up for some of the moments my mind drifts while I am actually working haha.

That’s fair—so you see those moments as theoretically billable, but also making up for hours you also happen to bill where there’s nothing of substance that occurs? I get that.

[QContinuum]

I don't bill for random thoughts during the day like that, but if I have to take three minutes to think about an issue while I'm drafting something I obviously bill that.

I figure the random moments I think about the case when I'm not working makes up for some of the moments my mind drifts while I am actually working haha.

My approach in a nutshell. I think it's fairer to the client that way, and also I just can't be bothered to keep track of all of my random thoughts for billing purposes.

[AZ123]

I don't bill for random thoughts during the day like that, but if I have to take three minutes to think about an issue while I'm drafting something I obviously bill that.

I figure the random moments I think about the case when I'm not working makes up for some of the moments my mind drifts while I am actually working haha.

That’s fair—so you see those moments as theoretically billable, but also making up for hours you also happen to bill where there’s nothing of substance that occurs? I get that.

No, I don't really see those moments as theoretically billable. I was mostly saying that if they were billable, they would be offset by the moments I temporarily lose focus during my regular billing. I can't imagine submitting a bill to a client with ".1 thinking about case" haha.

[objctnyrhnr]

I don't bill for random thoughts during the day like that, but if I have to take three minutes to think about an issue while I'm drafting something I obviously bill that.

I figure the random moments I think about the case when I'm not working makes up for some of the moments my mind drifts while I am actually working haha.

That’s fair—so you see those moments as theoretically billable, but also making up for hours you also happen to bill where there’s nothing of substance that occurs? I get that.

No, I don't really see those moments as theoretically billable. I was mostly saying that if they were billable, they would be offset by the moments I temporarily lose focus during my regular billing. I can't imagine submitting a bill to a client with ".1 thinking about case" haha.

I mean in this scenario, I think you’d probably throw a word like “strategize” “analyze” or “evaluate” in there. Not saying it’s somwtning I have done or would do...but if I did, that’s how I’d do it.

[20181989]

I totally feel this question. Basically every time I go running, I'm pacing through my case task lists in my head for >50% of the time. But I don't bill that - instead, I give myself a little slack when I do have Word/Westlaw open. It tends to all come out in the wash.