Burnout is always one step away And guess what? It still will never be enough. A friend billed 3,000 hours last year, which is insane. This translates to working at least 8.2 hours every day for the year, which includes weekends and holidays.
As we mentioned, many law firms require their lawyers to work between 1,700 and 2,300 billable hours per year, depending on their situation. This means working between 142 and 192 hours per month, or between seven and ten billable hours per day.
In Philadelphia, Orange County, CA, San Diego, and the San Jose area, most offices required either 1,900 or 1,950 hours; in Miami, most firms required either 1,900 or 2,000 hours.
1500 billable hour requirement translates to an average of approximately 29 billable hours per week over the course of a year (assuming a 52-week work year).
Most law firms set a yearly billable hour target for their associates. Using an attorney billable hours chart can help in systematically documenting and managing these targets. This number is usually between 1,700 to 2,300 hours which is the average billable hour requirement.
Law firms usually set a standard number of hours for attorneys and paralegals each year. This number typically ranges from 1,400 to 1,700 hours for paralegals. For associates, the range is usually between 1,700 and 2,200 hours. This annual target translates to about 120 to 180 billable hours per month.
In most cases, non-billable hours include time spent in meetings, working on internal projects, or simply conducting any operations not defined in the project scope.
Cutting down on non-billable hours: Strategies for reducing... Examine the hours logged by the employees. Identifying and categorising non-billable activities. Setting clear guidelines for internal hours usage. Implementing tools and processes for efficiency. Communicating the guidelines to the staff.
Some common billable tasks include: Performing any direct work for a client's project. Researching and collecting information for a client or project. Attending meetings that are relevant to a project.