50+ Professional Billing Description Examples for Australian Lawyers

Writing professional billing descriptions is one of those skills that law school never teaches. Junior lawyers often struggle with the right level of detail, the correct tone, and the formal language conventions expected by partners and clients. Even experienced practitioners fall into habits of vague or inconsistent descriptions.

This guide provides copy-ready examples across every common billing category in Australian legal practice. Whether you’re recording a client conference, drafting correspondence, or attending a court mention, you’ll find the right phrasing here.

The golden rules of billing descriptions

Before diving into examples, here are the principles that separate professional descriptions from sloppy ones:

• Be specific. “Work on file” tells the client nothing. “Perusal of and attending to affidavit of John Smith sworn 15 March 2026” tells them exactly what you did.
• Name the parties. Always reference who you spoke with, wrote to, or received documents from.
• State the purpose. Don’t just say what you did — say what it was regarding.
• Use third person. “Attendance at conference with client” not “I met with the client.”
• Use formal Australian conventions. “Perusal of and attending to”, “thereto”, “hereto”, and “the above matter” are standard.

Attendances & conferences

Attendance entries are typically the highest-value descriptions on any invoice. They record face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and video conferences.

• Attendance at conference with client regarding progress of matter and next steps
• Attendance at conference with client and counsel regarding preparation for hearing listed 28 March 2026
• Telephone attendance upon client regarding settlement offer received from the respondent
• Telephone attendance upon solicitor for the defendant regarding discovery timetable and outstanding categories
• Attendance at conference with client at office to take instructions regarding proposed sale of business
• Attendance upon client via AVL regarding mention hearing at Local Court and review of matter status
• Telephone conference with barrister regarding advice on prospects and quantum assessment
• Attendance at conference with client and expert witness regarding preparation of supplementary report

Correspondence

Correspondence entries cover emails, letters, and other written communications. Always specify sender, recipient, and topic.

• Perusal of and attending to correspondence from solicitor for the respondent regarding discovery obligations
• Preparing and forwarding correspondence to client enclosing copy of expert report and advising thereon
• Attending to email from opposing solicitor regarding proposed consent orders and responding thereto
• Preparing correspondence to the Land and Property Information division regarding transfer documentation
• Perusal of and responding to correspondence from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority regarding complaint reference
• Preparing and forwarding letter of demand to the debtor regarding outstanding invoices in the sum of $45,000
• Attending to email chain between parties regarding agreed amendments to the shareholders agreement
• Preparing correspondence to client providing update on status of proceedings and anticipated next steps

Document review & drafting

These entries cover the preparation, review, and revision of legal documents.

• Review and consideration of draft lease agreement and annexures thereto
• Perusal of affidavit of Jane Smith sworn 12 March 2026 and annexures thereto
• Preparation of statement of claim including particulars of loss and damage
• Drafting and settling commercial lease for premises at 123 George Street, Sydney
• Detailed review of and attending to amendments to the contract for sale of land
• Preparation of deed of settlement and release incorporating agreed terms
• Reviewing and annotating contract for sale of commercial property and advising client thereon
• Preparation of will and testamentary trust for client including specific bequests and residuary estate provisions
• Drafting powers of attorney (general and enduring) in accordance with client instructions
• Attending to revisions of shareholders agreement following receipt of comments from all parties

Research & advice

• Research into applicable limitation periods under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) and advising client thereon
• Detailed consideration of prospects of success having regard to available evidence and applicable authorities
• Research into recent case law regarding assessment of damages for breach of fiduciary duty
• Preparation of memorandum of advice regarding client’s rights and obligations under the lease
• Consideration of and advising upon tax implications arising from the proposed restructure
• Research into regulatory requirements for proposed financial services licence application

Court & tribunal

• Attendance at mention hearing before Magistrate Chen at Burwood Local Court
• Preparation for and attendance at directions hearing in the Supreme Court of New South Wales
• Attendance at mediation at the offices of the mediator, duration 4 hours
• Preparation of submissions for interlocutory application regarding discovery
• Attendance at NCAT hearing regarding residential tenancy dispute
• Filing and serving notice of motion and supporting affidavit
• Preparation of court book and bundle of authorities for hearing
• Attendance upon court registry regarding filing of amended pleadings

File management & administration

• Attending to file notes and updating matter chronology following conference with client
• Preparation and service of section 34 notice pursuant to the Legal Profession Uniform Law
• Attending to conflict check and opening new matter file
• Preparation of costs disclosure letter in accordance with Part 4.3 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law
• Attending to billing and preparation of itemised tax invoice for work performed to date

Common mistakes to avoid

Too vague

• “Work on file” — what work? Which part of the file?
• “Emails” — to whom? About what?
• “Research” — into what topic? For what purpose?
• “Meeting” — with whom? Regarding what?

Too informal

• “Called the other side about docs” → “Telephone attendance upon solicitor for the respondent regarding outstanding discovery”
• “Drafted the contract” → “Preparation of contract for sale of land including special conditions”
• “Looked at the affidavit” → “Perusal of and attending to affidavit of [name] and annexures thereto”

How AI can help

Writing dozens of descriptions per day is tedious, repetitive work. AI tools like LexUnits generate professional billing descriptions automatically from meeting recordings, emails, and documents. The AI uses formal Australian legal language and produces descriptions with the specificity shown in the examples above.

For example, if you upload a 30-minute client conference recording, LexUnits generates an attendance entry with the actual meeting duration and detailed description, plus follow-up task entries for work arising from the meeting — all in proper billing language.

See also: The Complete Guide to Time Billing for Junior Lawyers and The Complete Guide to Legal Time Recording in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a good legal billing description?

A good billing description is specific, uses formal Australian legal language, identifies the parties involved, states the purpose of the work, and avoids vague terms like “work on file” or “various tasks”. It should be detailed enough that a client reading the invoice understands exactly what was done.

Should billing descriptions use first person or third person?

Australian legal billing conventions use third person and passive voice. Write “Attendance at conference with client” rather than “I met with the client.” Common openings include “Perusal of”, “Attending to”, “Preparation of”, and “Review and consideration of.”

Can AI generate professional billing descriptions?

Yes. Tools like LexUnits generate billing descriptions from meeting recordings, emails, and documents using formal Australian legal language. The AI produces descriptions with proper terminology, party references, and topic specificity, which lawyers can then review and adjust.