Professional services: honest time recording and billing
For trainees, paralegals, accounts assistants, junior accountants and billing staff in law and accountancy firms, and others in professional services who record time or prepare bills. No prerequisites; 'Professional services: client confidentiality and conflicts of interest basics' is a useful companion. You'll learn to write accurate time entries a client could understand, recognise billing practices that would mislead a client, explain the basis of fees in writing, prepare a fee breakdown from time records, and handle estimate overruns and referral commissions. Jurisdiction: UK examples from two regulators: the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Code of Conduct and guidance for solicitors in England and Wales, and the ICAEW Code of Ethics for chartered accountants. Other regulators and other countries (for example US state bar rules) have their own requirements; follow your firm's policy and your own professional body. This course is not legal advice and doesn't grant a professional qualification or practising certificate.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 105 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Write accurate time entries with narratives that describe the work a client is paying for
- Identify billing practices that would mislead a client or take unfair advantage of them
- Explain the basis of fees to a client in writing at the start of a matter
- Calculate a fee breakdown from time records, charge-out rates and write-offs
- Handle an estimate that will be exceeded and a referral commission as the professional rules require
Course outline
- 1.Writing accurate time entries with narratives that describe the workLesson · 18 min
- 2.Identifying billing practices that would mislead a client or take unfair advantageLesson · 18 min
- 3.Explaining the basis of fees to a client in writing at the start of a matterLesson · 16 min
- 4.Calculating a fee breakdown from time records, charge-out rates and write-offsLesson · 18 min
- 5.Handling an estimate that will be exceeded and a referral commissionLesson · 14 min
- 6.Professional services: honest time recording and billing: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 13 questions
- 7.Professional services: honest time recording and billing: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, RFLs and RSLs (paragraphs 1.2, 1.4, 8.6, 8.7)
- SRA guidance: Transparency in price and service
- SRA Transparency Rules
- SRA guidance: Client care letters
- ICAEW Code of Ethics 2026 (applies from 1 July 2026): sections 110, 320 and 330
- ICAEW helpsheet: Fee information
- ICAEW helpsheet: What if you have not issued an engagement letter?
- ICAEW practice resources: Time recording
- ICAEW practice resources: Fees and charge-out rates
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