Billing Tip- Duplicate Activity
This is the first of my “Billing Tips of the Week.” These tips are designed to help all billable
timekeepers prepare entries that accurately reflect billable tasks performed, survive client,
insurance company and third-party review, and reduce deductions to billable time entries.
One of the most common deductions to billable time entries is “duplicate activity”. Simply
put, the auditors note that multiple timekeepers are billing for the same activity or task. For
example, when served with “Plaintiff’s Objections and Answers to Defendant’s First Set of
Interrogatories,” all members of the team, Principal, Associate, and Paralegal, bill for the
review and receipt of the Objections and Answers. When this occurs, auditors flag the
entries as “duplicate activity” and often elect to pay for the review by the least expensive
timekeeper, the paralegal, and write off the attorney entries.
The receipt and review of the Objections and Answers should be by the lead attorney only.
When I receive Objections and Answers, I DO NOT bill for their receipt and review. Rather, I
bill for some other activity, such as preparing a summary of the Objections and Answers or
supplementation of prior discovery responses, etc., avoiding use of “receipt and review.” If
you are reviewing the Objections and Answers for the purposes of another task, such as the
preparation of a motion, the time spent reviewing should be rolled into the time spent
preparing the motion.