Billing Codes

Billing codes (also called activity codes or task codes) help categorize time entries for accurate billing and reporting.

UTBMS Billing Codes Administration

Important: The administration of UTBMS (Uniform Task-Based Management System) billing codes is only available from Firm Settings.

To manage UTBMS codes:

1. Go to Firm Settings
2. Select UTBMS Billing Codes
3. Add, edit, or delete codes as needed

Creating Billing Codes

Add Custom Code

Create billing code:

1. Navigate to Firm Settings
2. Select UTBMS Billing Codes
3. Click New Code button
4. Enter a Shortcut
5. Select Type
6. Enter a Task Code
7. Enter an Activity Code
8. Add a Display Order number
9. Add a Description
10. Click Save to create the new code

Code Structure

Recommended format:

• Letter + Number - A100, B200, C300
• Descriptive - RESEARCH, DRAFTING, COURT
• Hierarchical - A100 (Research), A110 (Legal Research), A111 (Case Law Research)

Best practices:

• Consistent naming
• Clear descriptions
• Logical grouping
• Not too many codes (20-30 is typical)

Using Billing Codes

Time Entry

Apply billing code:

1. Create a new time entry
2. Click the Shortcut dropdown menu
3. Select a billing code from the list
4. Complete the rest of the fields (time, description, matter, etc.)
5. Click Save to save the time entry

What Are Billing Codes?

Purpose

Billing codes categorize:

• Type of work performed
• Billable vs. non-billable time
• LEDES billing codes (for corporate clients)
• Custom firm codes

Benefits:

• Accurate client billing
• Detailed invoices
• Time analysis and reporting
• Compliance with client requirements
• Productivity tracking

Default Billing Codes

Standard Codes

Common billing codes:

• A100 - Legal Research
• A101 - Factual Research
• A102 - Document Review
• A103 - Document Drafting
• A104 - Pleading Drafting
• A105 - Discovery
• A106 - Deposition
• A107 - Court Appearance
• A108 - Client Communication
• A109 - Opposing Counsel Communication
• A110 - Telephone Conference
• A111 - Email
• A112 - Travel
• A113 - Administrative

LEDES Codes

LEDES (Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard):

• Industry-standard billing codes used collectively
• Required by many corporate clients
• Uniform Task-Based Management System (UTBMS)
• Hierarchical code structure
• Includes all standardized code categories

Important Distinction:

• LEDES refers to the entire set of standardized codes collectively
• Litigation codes are codes that start with L (e.g., L110, L120, L210, etc.)
• Not all LEDES codes are litigation codes - LEDES includes codes for various practice areas

Example LEDES codes:

• L110 - Legal Research (Litigation)
• L120 - Factual Research (Litigation)
• L210 - Pleadings (Litigation)
• L220 - Motions (Litigation)
• L310 - Discovery - Interrogatories (Litigation)
• L320 - Discovery - Depositions (Litigation)
• L410 - Court Appearances (Litigation)
• L510 - Negotiations (Litigation)