Your Client Wants a LEDES Invoice. Here's What to Do
Insurance carriers and corporate legal departments often require invoices in LEDES format, submitted through an e-billing portal. If you're a solo or small firm using Toggl, Clockify, Harvest, QuickBooks or a spreadsheet, you don't need to switch billing systems.
1. Get these from the client
- The format (almost always LEDES 1998B) and the portal they use.
- Their matter, claim or file number — it goes in CLIENT_MATTER_ID.
- Their billing guidelines — approved rates, increments, what's not billable.
- Whether they require UTBMS codes (litigation L-codes plus A-codes is the usual set).
2. Code your time
Add UTBMS task and activity codes to each entry (as tags, a task, or at the start of the description). See the code list.
3. Create and check the file
Export the period's time entries, drop them into LedesReady, set each timekeeper's ID, classification and rate once, fill in the invoice details and download. The file is validated before download, and a pre-bill review flags entries the client's reviewer is likely to cut.
4. Upload to the portal
Upload the .txt file to the client's portal. If it's rejected, drop it on the LEDES fixer to see why.