Attorney Invoice Template
Create professional attorney invoices for legal services with detailed time tracking, retainer management, and expense documentation. Our template meets bar association billing requirements and includes case matter tracking. Perfect for solo practitioners and law firms. Download instantly in PDF, Word, or Excel format.
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What to Include on a Legal Invoice
Professional legal invoices should document:
Firm Information- Firm name and address
- Attorney name(s)
- Bar license number(s)
- Tax ID/EIN
- Trust account info (if applicable)
- Client name and address
- Matter/case number
- Matter description
- Billing contact
- Client ID or account number
- Date of service
- Attorney/paralegal initials
- Description of work performed
- Time spent (in tenths)
- Hourly rate
- Line total
- Filing fees
- Court costs
- Expert witness fees
- Travel expenses
- Copying/printing
- Postage and delivery
- Research database charges
- Professional fees subtotal
- Expenses subtotal
- Previous balance (if any)
- Payments received
- Retainer applied
- Current amount due
- Trust account balance
Legal Billing Methods
Attorneys use several billing structures:
Hourly Billing
Most common method. Track time in 6-minute (0.1 hour) or 15-minute (0.25 hour) increments. Different rates for partners, associates, and paralegals.
Flat Fee
Fixed price for specific services (wills, uncontested divorce, business formation). Quote upfront, collect before or at completion.
Contingency Fee
Percentage of recovery (typically 25-40%). Used in personal injury, employment cases. Only paid if case is won.
Retainer + Hourly
Client pays upfront retainer held in trust. Fees billed against retainer. Replenished when depleted.
Hybrid/Blended
Combination methods. Example: flat fee for routine work, hourly for litigation. Or reduced hourly rate plus success bonus.
Subscription/Monthly
Fixed monthly fee for ongoing services. Common for business clients needing regular legal counsel.
Attorney Rate Benchmarks
Industry standard rates for legal services:
Hourly Rates by Experience- Junior associate (0-3 years): $175-300/hr
- Mid-level associate (3-7 years): $250-450/hr
- Senior associate (7+ years): $350-550/hr
- Partner: $400-800+/hr
- Paralegal: $100-200/hr
- Legal assistant: $75-150/hr
- Criminal defense: $200-500/hr
- Family law: $200-400/hr
- Personal injury: contingency 33-40%
- Corporate/M&A: $400-1,000+/hr
- Real estate: $250-450/hr
- Immigration: $200-400/hr
- Estate planning: $250-500/hr
- Intellectual property: $350-700/hr
- Simple will: $300-1,000
- Power of attorney: $150-350
- LLC formation: $500-1,500
- Uncontested divorce: $1,500-3,500
- Trademark application: $1,000-2,500
- Contract review: $500-2,000
- Small matters: $2,500-5,000
- Medium complexity: $5,000-15,000
- Complex litigation: $25,000-100,000+
- Generally billed at cost
- Some firms add 10-15% admin fee
- Must disclose in engagement letter
Legal Billing Compliance
Ensure invoices meet ethical requirements:
Bar Association Rules- Fees must be reasonable
- Billing must be transparent
- Itemized statements required
- Trust account rules followed
- Written fee agreements recommended
- Contemporaneous recording
- Specific task descriptions
- Avoid block billing
- No vague entries ("research," "attention to matter")
- Include date and timekeeper
- Client funds kept separate
- Regular accounting provided
- Funds only used for client matter
- Interest to state bar program
- Detailed records maintained
- Hourly rates for all timekeepers
- Expense billing policies
- Retainer terms
- Interest on overdue balances
- Withdrawal of representation terms
- Overbilling or padding time
- Duplicate billing for same task
- Excessive research time
- Billing for administrative tasks
- Improper expense charges