Chargeable hours

[j0hn]

I am a trainee solicitor and am supposed to time record 6 hours of chargeable work a day. I am finding this extremely difficult and my firm is constantly putting pressure on me to meet these targets. If I do not meet these targets can I be sacked/have my training contract terminated early? Thanks everybody.

[carpediem]

I was always told that it was extremely difficult to sack a trainee unless they did something REALLY bad (like something criminal) on the otherhand there's nothing stopping them continually moving you between departments/ office etc and generally making your life hell.

But they should be training how to achieve the 6 hours billing. If I was you, I would ask the training partner for tips on how to improve or find a friendly solicitor i the department that can help you, it might be simply a case of you not knowing exactly what you can bill for.

[NicB]

Is it a lack of work or do you not understand the units / what is chargeable?

[sumoking]

If you have a stop clock on your time recording system use that rather than a time sheet and retrospective entering system.

also when you dictate ask for time to be entered, you may have to agree this with secretary first.

1st place i worked wanted 6.30 chargeable and you had to report at the end of the day to the partner in charge how much you had charged and then provide an explanation if under 6 hours.

[j0hn]

It certainly isn't lack of work. My problem is that I work in Legal Aid and that I don't have much experience in this particular area yet. I'll given an example - we usually charge 30mins max for an initial advice letter because that's pretty much all the legal services commission will let us charge. This would be fine if it only took me 30mins to write (as it probably does if you're more experienced, like my superiors, and dictate the letter, like my superiors) but, because I'm trying to learn rather than simply just applying what I already know it takes me more than 30mins, sometimes about an hour.

[sumoking]

if it takes you that long put that down.

the firm might not be able to recover the full whack but your boss will be able to look at the system and see how you spend your day.

[carpediem]

My old boss used to point out that Trainee's charging rates are less than qualified solicitors so you would expect the work to take longer!

Its just a skill like anything else, and something that comes with practice.

[j0hn]

Thanks for the sympathetic discussion everyone, I fell slightly less depressed now.

[marcpiano]

Charge your attendance notes if they're fairly lengthy - if one or two units dictating/typing a lengthy attendance note saves ten units + of another fee earner reviewing your work to find out where you're at/what you've done, I doubt anyone will have an issue with that!

[Del]

My firm doesn't have billing targets, anyone else in a similar position?