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.4license: Apache-2.05---67# Legal Billing Summary89Generate a client-ready billing narrative that explains fees and expenses clearly while preserving privilege.1011## Required Inputs12131. Billing period (start/end dates), matter name, client name142. Time entries: timekeeper, rate, hours, description, date153. Expense entries: date, vendor, description, amount164. Engagement letter or billing guidelines (rates, caps, task codes, prohibited expenses)175. Milestones or phase labels (if any)186. Write-downs, discounts, or adjustments (if any)1920## Output Structure2122Populate every section below.2324### 1. Header2526Matter | Client | Billing Period | Responsible Attorneys | Billing Guidelines Reference2728### 2. Executive Overview29303-6 sentences on the period's major workstreams and outcomes, plus a totals table:3132| Metric | Amount |33| --- | --- |34| Fees | $ |35| Expenses | $ |36| Total | $ |37| Discount/Write-down | $ |38| Net Total | $ |3940### 3. Timekeeper Summary4142| Timekeeper | Role | Rate | Hours | Fees | Notes |43| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |4445Notes column: explain scope (e.g., "board governance research," "drafted consent resolutions").4647### 4. Task Category Breakdown4849Default categories (override with client task codes if provided):5051- Research and Analysis52- Drafting and Document Production53- Client Communications54- Internal Strategy and Case Management55- Negotiation and Counterparty Communications56- Regulatory/Compliance Work57- Filings and Formalities58- Other (define clearly)5960| Category | Hours | Fees | Narrative |61| --- | --- | --- | --- |6263Narrative: explain purpose and outcome in plain English; never reveal legal advice or strategy.6465### 5. Phase View (optional, recommended for long periods)6667| Phase / Milestone | Dates | Key Work Performed | Fees |68| --- | --- | --- | --- |6970### 6. Expenses7172| Date | Category | Vendor | Description | Amount | Justification |73| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |7475Include subtotals for material categories (filing fees, expert/consultant, travel).7677### 7. Adjustments and Compliance7879- List write-downs, caps applied, or policy-driven exclusions.80- Note block-billed entries and how they were separated.81- Confirm compliance with client billing guidelines.8283### 8. Forward Look (optional)84852-4 sentences on expected next-period activities and cost drivers.8687## Privilege and Billing Safeguards8889- **Protect privilege**: never include legal advice, mental impressions, or litigation strategy.90- **Be specific**: avoid vague phrases like "legal research" — always name the topic.91- **Tie work to objectives**: connect entries to matter goals or compliance requirements.92- **Show policy compliance**: rates, caps, task codes, approved expenses.93- **Flag anomalies**: unusual expenses, staffing changes, large time spikes.94- **No duplicate billing**: do not overlap timekeeper entries for the same task without explanation.95- **No administrative padding**: exclude admin tasks unless guidelines permit.96- **Stay consistent**: narrative must match time entry descriptions and invoice totals.
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