How to Write Better Billing Descriptions as an Australian Lawyer

Every Australian lawyer knows the feeling: it's 6:30pm, you've had back-to-back attendances all day, and now you need to record your time. The temptation is to write "work on Smith matter" and move on. But vague billing descriptions cost your firm money, invite cost disputes, and — if they ever end up before a costs assessor — can result in entries being disallowed entirely.

Good billing descriptions do three things well: they identify exactly what was done, they name the relevant parties and documents, and they communicate value to the person reading the bill. This guide covers how to get all three right, with examples across the most common task types in Australian practice.

Why Description Quality Matters

Under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, clients in NSW and Victoria can request an itemised bill showing the work performed and time spent. In other states, similar provisions exist under the Legal Profession Act. If your time entries say "emails" or "research", a costs assessor has very little to work with — and will likely reduce or disallow those entries.

Beyond compliance, your billing descriptions are the primary way your clients understand what they're paying for. A well-written entry builds trust. A vague one raises questions.

The Anatomy of a Good Billing Entry

A professional billing description in Australian practice typically follows this structure:

Task type + subject matter + parties/documents + context

The professional version tells the partner, the client, and any future costs assessor exactly what happened. It uses the correct task type ("telephone attendance upon"), identifies the client by name, and specifies the subject matter discussed.

Common Task Types and How to Describe Them

Attendances

The word "attendance" is standard in Australian billing for meetings, calls, and conferences. Always specify the mode (telephone, in person, video) and name the parties involved.

Correspondence

Distinguish between drafting correspondence and reviewing it. "Preparing" or "drafting" is active work; "perusing" or "receiving and considering" is review.

Document Review and Drafting

Always name the document. If you're reviewing multiple documents, group them logically rather than listing each one individually.

Research

Research entries are among the most commonly challenged on assessment. Always specify what you were researching and why — connect it to the matter strategy.

Six Rules for Better Descriptions

1. Use the right verb. "Attendance upon" (not "meeting with"), "perusal of" (not "reading"), "preparing and forwarding" (not "sending"). These terms are standard in Australian costs assessment and carry specific meaning.
2. Name names. Identify clients, witnesses, opposing parties, counsel, and experts by name or role. "Attendance upon counsel" is better than "meeting about case".
3. Reference documents. Don't just say you "reviewed documents". Name the document: the affidavit, the contract, the disclosure statement, the expert report.
4. Connect to the matter. "Drafting letter" tells the reader nothing. "Drafting correspondence to the Australian Financial Security Authority regarding discharge of mortgage over the Surry Hills property" tells them everything.
5. Be honest about time. If a task genuinely took 0.1 hours, bill 0.1 hours. Padding time is a disciplinary matter. Under-recording is lost revenue. Both problems start with inaccurate descriptions.
6. Record contemporaneously. The biggest cause of vague descriptions is delayed time recording. If you write entries at the end of the week, you won't remember the details. Record as you go or immediately after each task.

Practice Area Variations

Different practice areas have their own conventions. In litigation, references to "the plaintiff", "the defendant", and specific motions or applications are standard. In conveyancing, you'll reference the property address, the contract for sale, and specific requisitions. In family law, refer to parties by name and reference specific orders, parenting arrangements, or property pools.

Whatever the area, the principle is the same: specificity communicates competence and value.

What About AI-Generated Descriptions?

One of the most effective ways to improve description quality is to capture the detail at the point of work — not hours later from memory. AI tools can help by converting meeting recordings, emails, and documents into structured billing entries with professional descriptions in real time.

For example, rather than trying to remember what was discussed in a 45-minute client conference, you can upload the recording and receive entries like "Attendance at conference with Mr Chen regarding proposed amendments to shareholders' agreement, due diligence timeline, and completion mechanics" — formatted in proper Australian billing style with time calculated from the actual recording duration.

The key advantage is that AI captures details you would otherwise forget by the end of the day, while producing descriptions in the formal style expected by partners and costs assessors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good billing description in Australian legal practice?

A good billing description identifies the task type (attendance, perusal, drafting), names the relevant parties and documents, references the matter context, and communicates value to the client. It should be specific enough that a costs assessor or partner could understand what was done without further explanation.

How long should a billing description be?

Most billing descriptions should be 15 to 40 words. Shorter entries risk being too vague for audit purposes, while excessively long entries suggest over-description rather than substantive work. The key is specificity, not length.

Can AI help write better billing descriptions?

Yes. AI tools like LexUnits can generate professional billing descriptions from meeting recordings, transcripts, emails, and documents. The AI produces descriptions in proper Australian legal billing format with correct terminology, which lawyers can then review and adjust.