Insights & resources

Time59 Blog

Articles focused on billing best practices, strict trust accounting compliance, and strategies to help your firm get paid faster.

2026

Hands recording time on a printed timesheet beside a desk clock — six-minute increments turn scattered minutes into consistent entries

July 23, 2026

Attorney Billing Increments Explained: The 6-Minute Standard

Most legal work is billed in six-minute increments — tenths of an hour. A two-minute email becomes 0.1. A twenty-minute call becomes 0.4.

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An attorney following up on an unpaid invoice by phone — a calm, early call resolves more late payments than any letter

July 16, 2026

What to Do When a Legal Client Doesn't Pay

Almost every solo attorney eventually faces the same uncomfortable situation: the work is done, the invoice went out, and the payment never arrived.

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A professional reviewing a bound ledger beside stacked bank statements — monthly three-way reconciliation keeps trust records coherent

July 9, 2026

Trust Accounting for Solo Attorneys: IOLTA Basics and Common Mistakes

For solo attorneys, no part of practice management carries more regulatory weight than the client trust account.

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A solo attorney working through rate calculations with a calculator and planning papers — a defensible hourly rate starts with your real numbers

July 2, 2026

How to Set Your Hourly Rate as a Solo Attorney

Setting an hourly rate is one of the first financial decisions a solo attorney makes, and one of the least structured.

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A solo attorney logging a time entry immediately after a client call — capturing work as it happens keeps billing accurate

June 23, 2026

Solo Attorney Best Billing Practices

For solo attorneys, billing is more than an administrative task. It directly affects revenue, cash flow, and the overall stability of the practice.

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An attorney methodically reviewing legal documents — the review stage sits at the center of every billing workflow

June 4, 2026

Legal Billing Workflow Explained for Attorneys

For many attorneys, billing feels more complicated than it should.

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A busy attorney walking between meetings while taking a call — the fragmented moments where billable time quietly disappears

May 22, 2026

The Real Cost of Missed Billable Hours for Attorneys

Most attorneys do not notice missed billable hours immediately.

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A handwritten timesheet and pen on a desk — manual tracking relies on memory and end-of-day reconstruction

May 7, 2026

Manual vs Automated Time Tracking for Attorneys

For many attorneys, time tracking is not the problem. The method used to track time is.

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A busy professional surrounded by stacks of paperwork — fragmented workdays are where billable time quietly disappears

April 28, 2026

How Attorneys Lose Billable Time, and How to Stop It

For most attorneys, lost billable time does not come from lack of effort. It comes from small gaps throughout the day. A quick client call, a short email, a few minutes reviewing a document, these mom

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A calculator and financial documents on a desk — the free vs paid decision comes down to real numbers, not sticker price

April 12, 2026

Free vs Paid Legal Billing Software for Lawyers (2026 Guide)

If you are searching for free legal billing software, you are likely trying to solve a practical problem: reducing overhead while still managing billing effectively. That instinct makes sense, especia

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An attorney comparing billing platforms side by side on dual monitors — feature-by-feature evaluation is the heart of the Bill4Time vs Time59 decision

March 30, 2026

Time59 vs Bill4Time: Complete Comparison (2026)

Bill4Time vs Time59: Overview of Time Tracking and Billing Software

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An attorney working through billing tasks on a laptop in a modern law office — platform fit shows up in the daily workflow

March 30, 2026

Time59 vs TimeSolv: Complete Comparison (2026)

Time59 and TimeSolv are cloud-based time tracking and billing software platforms used by attorneys, consultants, and professional service providers to track billable hours, generate invoices, and mana

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Two colleagues weighing billing platform options across the table — pricing philosophy shapes the entire comparison

February 16, 2026

Time59 vs Other 2026 Billing Alternatives for Solo Attorneys

Choosing billing software as a solo attorney is not simply a feature comparison. It is a revenue decision. The right billing software protects billable time, simplifies invoicing, maintains trust comp

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2023

A row of law books beside an open laptop — the best legal billing software blends legal-specific features with everyday usability

April 9, 2023

Top 5 Best Legal Billing Software Options for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms

As a solo attorney or small law firm, managing your billing and finances can be a daunting task. You need to keep track of billable hours, generate invoices, and ensure timely payments, all while prov

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2022

A professional comparing two printed documents side by side — free and paid billing software trade cost for capability

January 31, 2022

Free vs Paid Legal Time Billing Software: Which Option is Best for Your Law Firm?

As a solo attorney or small law firm, choosing the right legal time billing software is crucial for managing your finances and ensuring profitability. With numerous options available, ranging from fre

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2021

Sending an invoice from a laptop — online invoicing shortens the gap between finished work and payment

July 17, 2021

Best Online Invoicing Software for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms: Time59 Simplifies Billing

Efficient and professional invoicing is crucial for solo attorneys and small law firms looking to streamline their billing processes, improve cash flow, and enhance client satisfaction. The best onlin

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A clock on the desk of a working professional — accurate time capture is the foundation of law firm profitability

March 11, 2021

Best Time Tracking Software for Small Law Firms: Why Time59 is the Optimal Choice

Time is a precious commodity for small law firms, where accurate tracking of billable hours directly impacts profitability and success. Choosing the best time tracking software is crucial to ensure th

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2020

A clean Mac workspace — web-based legal billing runs the same on macOS as anywhere else

November 20, 2020

The Best Legal Billing Software for Mac: Time59 vs. the Competition

As a solo attorney or small law firm using Macs, finding the best legal billing software can be a challenge. You need a solution that seamlessly integrates with your Apple ecosystem, offers robust fea

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A tidy small-firm workspace with laptop and books — free billing tools often lack the legal-specific features solo practices need

August 4, 2020

The Best Free Legal Billing Software: Is It Really Worth It?

As a solo attorney or small law firm, managing your billing and finances is crucial for maintaining profitability and ensuring the success of your practice. While paid legal billing software options l

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Receipts gathered beside a laptop — consistent expense tracking keeps reimbursable costs from slipping through

June 8, 2020

Best Expense Tracking Software for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms: Time59 Takes the Lead

Solo attorneys and small law firms face unique challenges when it comes to managing expenses and maintaining profitability. Accurate expense tracking is crucial for monitoring cash flow, identifying c

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2019

A summary checklist beside a keyboard — the project summary list gives clients a clear view of work billed

June 10, 2019

Invoice Project Summary List

Time59 has a new report. It's called the Invoice Project Summary List.

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May 20, 2019

Follow Time59 On LinkedIn!

Did you know there are more than 60,000 solo and small firm attorneys with profiles on LinkedIn?

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2018

Navigating software on a monitor — streamlined client tabs cut the clicks between everyday tasks

April 18, 2018

Improved Client Tab Navigation

You are probably familiar with the drop down box of letters on the Clients tab that lets you navigate to the first client whose name begins with the selected letter.

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An attorney and client completing an agreement — contingency matters need billing that tracks work without hourly invoices

March 8, 2018

Contingency Billing In Time59

Time59 can be used for contingency billing, and there are different ways to approach this.

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2017

A cloud data center corridor — running on Microsoft Azure gives Time59 enterprise-grade reliability

June 16, 2017

Time59 Now Running On Azure

Time59 is now running on Microsoft's global cloud computing infrastructure, Azure.

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2016

Editing a record on screen — moving a time entry to the correct client now takes a single step

October 6, 2016

Change Client On Existing Time and Expense Records

Up until now there was no way to change the client on an existing time or expense record without deleting the record and re-entering it for the desired client.

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A calculator beside invoice totals — the balance footer now presents amounts in a cleaner format

May 15, 2016

Invoice Balance Footer On Invoice

Until now there have been three Invoice Footer format options.

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A developer working through code — steady, deliberate development keeps Time59 reliable

March 15, 2016

Our approach to software development

At Time59 we believe that our users know best. When they suggest a new feature, we listen carefully. Not all feature requests are immediately added to the program. A lot depends on the size and scope

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2015

November 18, 2015

LawPay Integration

Time59 is now fully integrated with LawPay. LawPay is an online payment provider designed to meet the specific needs of lawyers. To learn more about LawPay go to lawpay.com or call 866-376-0950.

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Recording figures in a ledger — evergreen retainers keep trust balances replenished as work proceeds

March 9, 2015

Evergreen Trust Accounting

"Evergreen" trust accounting is now available in Time59.

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2014

A handshake across the desk — fixed-fee arrangements give clients cost certainty up front

December 28, 2014

Fixed Fee Billing

Time59 now has true fixed fee billing functionality.

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A clean, modern invoice on the desk — the redesigned Time59 invoice is clearer for clients at a glance

October 22, 2014

The New Time59 Invoice

The Time59 invoice has been upgraded in a big way. Many of the features most requested by users are now available.

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A sunlit desk in late summer — the August 2014 update delivered improvements across the platform

August 20, 2014

Updates And New Features

Time59 recently unveiled a new website design and cosmetic updates to the Time59 application itself.

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Rows of secure data servers — Time59 keeps your billing records stored and accessible for the life of your account

June 10, 2014

Access Your Data Forever

If you are self-employed as a lawyer, Time59 is a great choice for time and billing. If you are currently a Time59 user you already know that.

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A monthly calendar on the desk — new calendar view options make scanning tracked time faster

March 19, 2014

New Options For Calendar View

The Calendar View tab in Time59 provides a handy overview of the time you've entered.

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2013

A fresh workspace at the start of the day — My Time59 marks a new chapter for the platform

December 4, 2013

Announcing My Time59

Introducing My Time59 — a mobile web app that lets every timekeeper in a law firm record billable time and expenses from any device, synced automatically to the firm's main Time59 account.

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A name plate on a professional desk — showing the timekeeper name adds accountability to each invoice line

June 25, 2013

Display Timekeeper Name On An Invoice

This post discusses a new option that allows you to display timekeeper names on invoices.

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Reviewing a document layout on screen — small invoice refinements add up to a more professional bill

May 20, 2013

Invoice Improvements

A number of improvements have been made to the invoice over the past month.

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A printed client account statement with a pen on the desk — clear statements keep clients informed about balances and payments

January 23, 2013

Account Statement For Client

Time59 has a new feature called Account Statement For Client. It's a document that displays a summary of a client's account activity and includes a request for payment. It's a great tool for managing

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2012

December 7, 2012

Default Invoice Message

Time59 allows you to place a message at the bottom of the invoice. Many Time59 users place a standard message here such as "Thank you for your business." or basic payment instructions.

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2011

An account balance summary on screen — the sidebar now shows the numbers attorneys check most

November 10, 2011

Change To Balance Sidebar

The Time59 "Balance Sidebar" refers to the column on the right hand side of the Invoicing & A/R tab. It's a handy tool to quickly see which clients owe you money.

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