Billing narrative

For anyone billing by the hour who wants entries a client won't push back on.

A billing narrative is the written description attached to a time entry — what was done, on what, and why it took the time it took. It's the part of the invoice a client actually reads before deciding whether to pay it.

Why it matters for a solo or small firm

Solos lose real revenue to vague narratives, not to overbilling. 'Email correspondence' as a 0.3 line item invites a write-down request; 'reviewed opposing counsel's discovery objections and drafted response re: privilege log' does not.

Example

Raw note: 'call w/ client, 20 min.' A defensible narrative: 'Telephone conference with client re: settlement demand strategy and response deadline (0.3).'