Is there a free legal invoice template in Word?

Yes. Fill in the invoice above and choose Word (.rtf): it opens in Word, Pages or Google Docs as an editable document with its tables intact.

How do I bill in 6-minute increments?

Record each entry in tenths of an hour, rounding up: 1 to 6 minutes is 0.1, 7 to 12 minutes is 0.2. Choose a 6-minute billing unit rounded up and the template rounds every line up to the next tenth. It also bills in 5, 10 or 15 minutes, or the exact time, rounded up or to the nearest unit.

Do US legal invoices include sales tax?

Usually not: most states do not tax legal services. A few tax some services, so check your state before you leave tax off.

What is a LEDES invoice?

A text file in a fixed format, usually LEDES 1998B, that corporate clients' e-billing systems read. Each line carries UTBMS task and activity codes. This template makes the readable invoice; e-billing clients need the LEDES file as well.

How do I show a retainer or trust funds on an invoice?

Total the invoice first, then show the amount applied from the trust account as a deduction, so the client sees both the charges and what remains due. Only apply funds the client agreed could pay the bill.

Can paralegals, notaries and mediators use it?

Yes. Any professional who bills time at an hourly rate can use it; put the role in the By column and the rate on each line.

Built by Unison Labs

Legal invoice template and generator

Q: What must a solicitor's invoice include?

As a VAT invoice: a unique number, the date and tax point, the firm's name, address and VAT number, the client's name and address, a description of the services, the amounts before VAT, the VAT rate and the VAT due. Add the SRA number and the client's rights on the bill.

Pick the jurisdiction and currency, add the time entries, rates and expenses, and the invoice adds itself up on the right, with a summary by timekeeper. Download it as a PDF or a Word file, or print it.

Your invoice

Jurisdiction

Currency

Firm and client

Firm name

Firm address

Client

Client address

MatterMatter number

Invoice

Invoice number

Invoice date

Payment due (days)Billing period

Time entries

Billing unit

Rounding

HoursRate ($)

Date

Narrative

HoursRate ($)

Date

Narrative

HoursRate ($)

Date

Narrative

HoursRate ($)

Date

Narrative

HoursRate ($)

Date

Narrative

Expenses

Amount ($)

Date

Description

Amount ($)

Date

Description

Balance

Previous balance ($)Applied from trust ($)

Preview

Invoice

Harper Lane LLP200 Market Street, Suite 1400San Francisco, CA 94105

Invoice number: 1047Invoice date: [Date]Payment due: [Due date]

Bill to:Northwind Supply, Inc.Attn: Maria Chen, General Counsel48 Harbor RoadOakland, CA 94607

Matter: Northwind Supply v. Castell Logistics (2026-0142)Services for: October 2026

Professional services

Date	By	Description	Hours	Rate	Amount
10/02/2026	DW	Review warehousing agreement and termination notice; call with M. Chen on claim strategy	1.4	$450.00	$630.00
10/06/2026	AK	Research California law on liquidated damages clauses in storage contracts	2.3	$300.00	$690.00
10/09/2026	AK	Draft complaint for breach of contract and breach of implied covenant	3.6	$300.00	$1,080.00
10/13/2026	DW	Revise complaint; email client with draft and open questions	0.8	$450.00	$360.00
10/20/2026	JP	Prepare exhibits and file complaint; arrange service on defendant	1.2	$150.00	$180.00

Total fees (9.3 hours): $2,940.00

Summary by timekeeper

Timekeeper	Hours	Rate	Amount
DW	2.2	$450.00	$990.00
AK	5.9	$300.00	$1,770.00
JP	1.2	$150.00	$180.00

Expenses

Date	Description	Amount
10/20/2026	Superior Court filing fee, complaint	$435.00
10/22/2026	Process server, service on Castell Logistics LLC	$95.00

Total expenses: $530.00

Summary

Fees: $2,940.00
Expenses: $530.00
Total this invoice: $3,470.00
Balance due: $3,470.00

Payment is due by [due date]. Please quote invoice number 1047 with your payment. Questions about this invoice are welcome; please raise them with us before the due date.

A template to check before it goes out, not legal or tax advice. Balance due $3,470.00. US legal services usually carry no sales tax; check your state.

What goes on a legal invoice

The firm, the client and the matter number at the top; the invoice number, date and due date beside them. Then a line for every time entry: the date, who did the work, what they did, the time in tenths of an hour, the rate and the amount. Expenses come next, then the totals: fees, expenses, any tax, funds applied from trust, and the balance due.

A client who can check every line pays faster. ABA Formal Opinion 93-379 says a lawyer may bill only the time actually spent and may not bill two clients for the same hour, so the entries are also the firm's record that it billed fairly.

The sample invoice, worked through

The sample has three timekeepers. The partner bills 2.2 hours at $450, which is $990; the associate 5.9 hours at $300, $1,770; the paralegal 1.2 hours at $150, $180. Fees come to $2,940 for 9.3 hours. With $530 of expenses, the invoice totals $3,470.

Every line is rounded once and the totals add the rounded lines, so the columns add up as printed. Rounding up to tenths is per entry: three separate 4-minute calls bill as 0.3 hours, not 0.2. The billing increment chart shows what any time bills as.

Narratives clients pay without query

Say what was done and why, one task per entry. "Research" at 2.3 hours invites a question; "Research California law on liquidated damages clauses in storage contracts" does not. Many corporate billing guidelines refuse block billing, several tasks under one time figure, and cut vague entries outright. Narratives are easiest to write the day the work is done, which is what Sixminute does from the work itself.

Solicitors' invoices and VAT in England and Wales

A VAT-registered firm issues a VAT invoice: a unique number, the date and tax point, the firm's name, address and VAT number, the client's name and address, a description of the services, the amounts before VAT, the rate and the VAT charged. Legal services carry the standard rate of 20%.

Expenses split in two. A true disbursement paid as the client's agent, such as a court fee, is outside the scope of VAT and is passed on at cost. A recharged expense, such as travel or copying, is part of the firm's own supply and carries VAT. On £2,940 of fees and a £95 recharged expense, VAT is £607. The client may also ask the court to assess the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.

LEDES and UTBMS codes

Insurers and large companies often bill through e-billing systems that take a LEDES file, not a PDF. Each line carries a UTBMS task code, such as L110 for fact investigation, and an activity code, such as A103 for drafting. Look them up in the UTBMS code list and put them in the narrative until your billing system produces the LEDES file.