Legal Billing Summary
Generate a client-ready billing narrative that explains fees and expenses clearly while preserving privilege.
Required Inputs
- Billing period (start/end dates), matter name, client name
- Time entries: timekeeper, rate, hours, description, date
- Expense entries: date, vendor, description, amount
- Engagement letter or billing guidelines (rates, caps, task codes, prohibited expenses)
- Milestones or phase labels (if any)
- Write-downs, discounts, or adjustments (if any)
Output Structure
Populate every section below.
1. Header
Matter | Client | Billing Period | Responsible Attorneys | Billing Guidelines Reference
2. Executive Overview
3-6 sentences on the period's major workstreams and outcomes, plus a totals table:
| Metric |
Amount |
| Fees |
$ |
| Expenses |
$ |
| Total |
$ |
| Discount/Write-down |
$ |
| Net Total |
$ |
3. Timekeeper Summary
| Timekeeper |
Role |
Rate |
Hours |
Fees |
Notes |
Notes column: explain scope (e.g., "board governance research," "drafted consent resolutions").
4. Task Category Breakdown
Default categories (override with client task codes if provided):
- Research and Analysis
- Drafting and Document Production
- Client Communications
- Internal Strategy and Case Management
- Negotiation and Counterparty Communications
- Regulatory/Compliance Work
- Filings and Formalities
- Other (define clearly)
| Category |
Hours |
Fees |
Narrative |
Narrative: explain purpose and outcome in plain English; never reveal legal advice or strategy.
5. Phase View (optional, recommended for long periods)
| Phase / Milestone |
Dates |
Key Work Performed |
Fees |
6. Expenses
| Date |
Category |
Vendor |
Description |
Amount |
Justification |
Include subtotals for material categories (filing fees, expert/consultant, travel).
7. Adjustments and Compliance
- List write-downs, caps applied, or policy-driven exclusions.
- Note block-billed entries and how they were separated.
- Confirm compliance with client billing guidelines.
8. Forward Look (optional)
2-4 sentences on expected next-period activities and cost drivers.
Privilege and Billing Safeguards
- Protect privilege: never include legal advice, mental impressions, or litigation strategy.
- Be specific: avoid vague phrases like "legal research" — always name the topic.
- Tie work to objectives: connect entries to matter goals or compliance requirements.
- Show policy compliance: rates, caps, task codes, approved expenses.
- Flag anomalies: unusual expenses, staffing changes, large time spikes.
- No duplicate billing: do not overlap timekeeper entries for the same task without explanation.
- No administrative padding: exclude admin tasks unless guidelines permit.
- Stay consistent: narrative must match time entry descriptions and invoice totals.
1---2name: billing-summary3description: Produces privilege-safe U.S. corporate legal billing summaries from time and expense data. Converts entries into client-friendly narratives with categorized hours, rates, expenses, and milestones while enforcing engagement-letter rules and ethical billing safeguards. Use when asked to create a billing summary, invoice narrative, timekeeper breakdown, expense summary, or fee narrative.4---5
6# Legal Billing Summary
7
8Generate a client-ready billing narrative that explains fees and expenses clearly while preserving privilege.
9
10## Required Inputs
11
121. Billing period (start/end dates), matter name, client name
132. Time entries: timekeeper, rate, hours, description, date
143. Expense entries: date, vendor, description, amount
154. Engagement letter or billing guidelines (rates, caps, task codes, prohibited expenses)
165. Milestones or phase labels (if any)
176. Write-downs, discounts, or adjustments (if any)
18
19## Output Structure
20
21Populate every section below.
22
23### 1. Header
24
25Matter | Client | Billing Period | Responsible Attorneys | Billing Guidelines Reference
26
27### 2. Executive Overview
28
293-6 sentences on the period's major workstreams and outcomes, plus a totals table:
30
31| Metric | Amount |
32| --- | --- |
33| Fees | $ |
34| Expenses | $ |
35| Total | $ |
36| Discount/Write-down | $ |
37| Net Total | $ |
38
39### 3. Timekeeper Summary
40
41| Timekeeper | Role | Rate | Hours | Fees | Notes |
42| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
43
44Notes column: explain scope (e.g., "board governance research," "drafted consent resolutions").
45
46### 4. Task Category Breakdown
47
48Default categories (override with client task codes if provided):
49
50- Research and Analysis
51- Drafting and Document Production
52- Client Communications
53- Internal Strategy and Case Management
54- Negotiation and Counterparty Communications
55- Regulatory/Compliance Work
56- Filings and Formalities
57- Other (define clearly)
58
59| Category | Hours | Fees | Narrative |
60| --- | --- | --- | --- |
61
62Narrative: explain purpose and outcome in plain English; never reveal legal advice or strategy.
63
64### 5. Phase View (optional, recommended for long periods)
65
66| Phase / Milestone | Dates | Key Work Performed | Fees |
67| --- | --- | --- | --- |
68
69### 6. Expenses
70
71| Date | Category | Vendor | Description | Amount | Justification |
72| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
73
74Include subtotals for material categories (filing fees, expert/consultant, travel).
75
76### 7. Adjustments and Compliance
77
78- List write-downs, caps applied, or policy-driven exclusions.
79- Note block-billed entries and how they were separated.
80- Confirm compliance with client billing guidelines.
81
82### 8. Forward Look (optional)
83
842-4 sentences on expected next-period activities and cost drivers.
85
86## Privilege and Billing Safeguards
87
88- **Protect privilege**: never include legal advice, mental impressions, or litigation strategy.
89- **Be specific**: avoid vague phrases like "legal research" — always name the topic.
90- **Tie work to objectives**: connect entries to matter goals or compliance requirements.
91- **Show policy compliance**: rates, caps, task codes, approved expenses.
92- **Flag anomalies**: unusual expenses, staffing changes, large time spikes.
93- **No duplicate billing**: do not overlap timekeeper entries for the same task without explanation.
94- **No administrative padding**: exclude admin tasks unless guidelines permit.
95- **Stay consistent**: narrative must match time entry descriptions and invoice totals.
CaseMark