Free Attorney Timesheet Templates (Excel + PDF) – Track Billable Hours Easily

April 16, 2025

Free Attorney Time Sheet & Billable Hours Templates (Excel & PDF)

Managing billable hours efficiently is critical for attorneys and law firms. Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a larger firm, a well-structured attorney time tracking template can help ensure accurate billing and reduce unbilled hours. In this post, you'll find free, downloadable attorney timesheet templates in Excel and PDF formats. These templates are designed to help you track billable hours, legal time entries, and client billing with ease

  • Attorney Time Tracking Template (Excel): Automatically calculates time entries, applies 0.1-hour rounding, and projects billable totals.
  • Printable PDF: Ideal for courthouse days or offline tracking. Clean, easy-to-use format.

No forms. No signup. Just click the links below and start using. Completely free, no commitment of any kind.

Attorney Timesheet Template

When lawyers talk about a time sheet vs. a timesheet, they usually mean the same thing. Still, many attorneys specifically search for a “timesheet template” to log daily or weekly hours.

An attorney timesheet template helps track:

  • Client or matter name
  • Task descriptions (research, drafting, calls, court time)
  • Start/end times
  • Billable vs. non-billable work

We’ve included a free attorney timesheet template in Excel and PDF below. It’s simple to use and can be customized to your firm’s billing style.

But here’s the catch: while timesheets are great for tracking, they still rely on manual entry. Adeu eliminates that manual step by automatically recording emails, calls, and document edits in the background. Adeu also assigns them to the right case. So, when you are tired of manual timesheets, start your free trial.

Why We Offer This Free Attorney Time Tracking Template

We’re the team behind Adeu — an AI-powered lawyer time tracking application. But we understand that many attorneys still rely on templates and spreadsheets. These free attorney billable hours templates hopefully solve your urgent requirement today. When you’re ready to scale beyond manual tracking with automated time tracking, we’ll be here waiting for you.

This is our way of helping you now and earning your trust for the future.

Attorney Billable Hours Template Excel

Many law firms specifically want an “attorney billable hours template Excel” because Excel is flexible and easy to share across teams.

We’ve included a free download that has:

  • Pre-built columns for Date, Client, Matter, Activity Code
  • Automatic totals for billable vs. non-billable hours
  • Space for hourly rates and tax if needed

Open and download the Google Sheets template

If you find yourself updating Excel every day, remember: Adeu connects directly to your daily work — Outlook, Word, calls, and more. That means your “template” is always filled in automatically.

What’s Included in the Time Tracking Template Download

Attorney_Time_Tracking_Template.xlsx

  • Automatically calculates start and end time into duration.
  • Applies 0.1-hour rounding for billing.
  • Totals billable hours and calculates projected fees based on your rate.
  • Weekly pivot-ready layout.

Attorney_Time_Tracking_Printable.pdf (Printable version)

  • Same format, blank cells.
  • Print-ready on A4 or Letter size.
  • Ideal for court, depositions, or off-grid days.

Download both versions below:

Download the Google Sheets (Excel) template
Download the printable PDF

Want to skip the manual logging? Try ADEU’s AI-powered time tracking for attorneys – automate your billing today.

Who Should Use These Templates?

These templates are made for:

  • Solo practitioners logging time manually.
  • Legal assistants who track hours across multiple attorneys.
  • Small firms that don’t yet use legal billing software.
  • Lawyers in court or offline environments needing a printable format.
  • Consultants and legal contractors who need a clean and transparent billing method.

How to Use

  1. Input your hourly rate in the settings tab.
  2. Enter your client and matter codes in the top row.
  3. Log start and end times — the sheet calculates the duration.
  4. Rounded hours and projected fees appear automatically.
  5. Summarize by day or week using built-in pivot tables.
  6. Export to PDF or email the workbook directly to your billing department.

If you're in court or without a laptop, simply print the PDF and track manually.

Tips for Accurate Attorney Time Tracking & Billing

Accurate time tracking isn’t just about logging hours — it’s the foundation of your law firm’s revenue. Here are practical tips to ensure your billing is precise, compliant, and profitable:

Tip 1: Track Time Immediately After Tasks

Don’t wait until the end of the day (or week). Record your time right after each task to avoid forgetting billable minutes. Even short calls and quick emails can add up significantly.

Tip 2: Break Time Entries into Detailed Descriptions

Use specific activity descriptions like:

  • “Drafted contract revision for Client X – 1.2 hrs”
  • “Reviewed discovery documents – 0.9 hrs”

Clear descriptions improve transparency, justify invoices, and reduce disputes. Do not think "I will update the description later" - you wont.

Tip 3: Separate Billable and Non-Billable Hours

Not all time is billable — internal meetings, admin work, or marketing efforts should be tracked separately. Use a template that allows categorization.

Tip 4: Use Consistent Billing Increments

Many firms bill in 6-minute (0.1 hour), 15-minute (0.25), or even 30-minute blocks. Be consistent, and make sure your template reflects this.

Tip 5: Audit Your Time Sheets Weekly

Regular reviews help catch:

  • Missed entries
  • Duplicate tasks
  • Unjustified non-billable time
    Set a recurring reminder to audit your timesheets every Friday.

Tip 6: Use Technology to Reduce Manual Entry

Manual Templates and timesheets work — but they’re prone to human error. Consider using AI-powered tools like Adeu to track your activity and assign time to the right matters automatically.

Tip 7: Train Your Team

Ensure everyone in the firm follows the same time tracking process. Provide onboarding for new hires and refreshers for senior staff to avoid inconsistent records.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an attorney time sheet template?

A time sheet template for attorneys is a pre-formatted document used to log billable hours per client and matter. It helps lawyers track time efficiently, ensuring accurate invoicing.

Can I use this for hourly billing?

Absolutely. The Excel template is built also for hourly billing. Template also supports rate-based projections per entry and per week.

What is 0,1-hour rounding?

Legal billing often uses 6-minute increments (0.1 hours). In our template you choose the accuracy for each task.

Is this template really free?

Yes. No signups, no payment walls. Just click to open and download.

Can I edit the Timesheet Templates formulas?

Yes. Everything is open. First you create a copy of the timesheet and then you can change rates, add columns, or customize it further.

When Spreadsheets Aren’t Enough

Spreadsheets work! Until they don’t. Once cases get busy, it’s easy to forget calls, emails, or quick edits that never make it into your Excel log. That’s lost revenue. If you think you will remember all the details later, you are fooling yourself.

Adeu AI solves this gap by running quietly in the background. It captures time from calendars, emails, and documents automatically, and then drafts entries for you to review. Instead of remembering what you did, you simply approve and edit what Adeu tracked.

If you’ve ever felt your manual logs start to crack under pressure, it’s probably time to see what a dedicated lawyer time tracking tool can do.

lawyer time tracking application.

Bottom Line

A clean attorney time sheet template is still the fastest way to get organized and bill your clients today. Download our free Excel and PDF templates, put them to use, and see how much easier billing becomes.

And when you’re ready for the next step — upgrading from manual to automated — Adeu is here to make every billable minute count, without spreadsheets.

Download Templates

Download the Excel template
Download the printable PDF

Download Adeu for Free

If you want to take step further and move into automated tracking and report creation: Download Adeu for free