How to Build Attorney Timesheets in ClickUp

ClickUp makes it easier for law firms and solo attorneys to track billable hours, organize case work, and prepare clean invoices using structured timesheet templates. This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to translate the ideas from the attorney timesheet templates into a practical workflow you can use every day.

Why Use ClickUp for Attorney Timesheets

Legal work demands accurate time tracking, consistent documentation, and reliable reports. Instead of manual spreadsheets or scattered notes, you can build a repeatable process in ClickUp that supports billing, compliance, and team collaboration.

Using a dedicated workspace for legal time entries gives you:

• Centralized tracking of billable and non-billable hours
• Clear links between time entries, matters, and clients
• Flexible templates you can reuse across cases
• Better visibility into workload and profitability

Step 1: Set Up a Legal Space in ClickUp

Start by creating a dedicated Space for your firm or legal practice area. This keeps all your matters, tasks, and timesheets organized in one place.

1. Create a new Space named after your firm or department (for example, “Litigation” or “Corporate Law”).
2. Add standard folders such as “Active Matters,” “Closed Matters,” and “Administrative.”
3. Within “Active Matters,” create one List per client or matter.

This structure lets you connect time entries directly to individual cases, which is essential for precise billing.

Step 2: Create an Attorney Timesheet List in ClickUp

Next, build a dedicated List that will act as your attorney timesheet. You can create one shared List for the whole team or one List per attorney, depending on how your firm bills.

1. In your legal Space, create a new List called “Attorney Timesheets” or “Weekly Timesheets.”
2. Set the default view to “Table” so your entries resemble a spreadsheet-style timesheet.
3. Enable time tracking for this List so every task can store precise time entries.

This List will become your central hub for entering and reviewing billable time.

Step 3: Add Legal-Focused Custom Fields in ClickUp

To match typical attorney timesheet templates, enhance your List with legal-specific custom fields. These help you capture context for every time entry and make billing easier later.

Recommended custom fields include:

• Client (Dropdown or Text)
• Matter / Case Name (Text)
• Practice Area (Dropdown, e.g., Litigation, IP, Corporate)
• Billing Type (Dropdown, e.g., Hourly, Flat Fee, Contingency)
• Billable? (Yes/No or Checkbox)
• Billing Rate (Number or Currency)
• Phase / Stage (Dropdown, such as Discovery, Drafting, Negotiation)

These fields bring your ClickUp timesheet close to a traditional attorney template while staying flexible enough for different matters and clients.

Step 4: Build a Reusable Timesheet Task Template in ClickUp

Instead of creating each entry from scratch, build a task template that follows the structure of an attorney time entry. This helps you stay consistent across all matters.

1. In your “Attorney Timesheets” List, create a sample task like “Time Entry Template.”
2. Fill in your custom fields with generic placeholder values.
3. Add a clear task description layout, for example:
   • Date of work
   • Detailed description of work performed
   • Client and matter reference
   • Billing notes, if any
4. Save this task as a template so you can use it whenever you log new time.

Now each new time entry created from this template will follow the same structure your billing team expects.

Step 5: Log Time on Legal Tasks in ClickUp

Once your structure is in place, you can start recording time. There are two main approaches: logging time directly in legal tasks or logging each entry as a separate timesheet task.

Option 1: Track Time on Matter Tasks in ClickUp

This works well when you already manage your case work as tasks.

1. Open a matter-related task, such as “Draft Motion to Compel.”
2. Use the time tracking button to start a timer while you work or to add time manually.
3. Include a short description for each time entry that matches your billing narrative style.
4. Use custom fields to label the client, matter, and billing details, or rely on the task hierarchy if it already reflects the matter structure.

Option 2: Use a Dedicated Timesheet Task in ClickUp

This option mirrors a traditional daily or weekly timesheet.

1. Create one task per day or week from your timesheet template.
2. Within that task, add separate time entries for each activity.
3. Reference the client and matter in the description of each entry.
4. Use comments or subtasks if you want a more detailed breakdown by matter.

Either method will work; choose the one that best fits your existing practice management process.

Step 6: Create Attorney Timesheet Views in ClickUp

To review hours and prepare invoices, configure custom views that show your time entries clearly.

ClickUp Table View for Timesheet Review

Use Table view to audit and export time.

• Group by “Assignee” to see hours per attorney.
• Group by “Client” or “Matter” to see time per case.
• Show columns for “Time Tracked,” “Billable?,” “Billing Rate,” and “Practice Area.”
• Use filters to display only billable items or a specific date range.

ClickUp Calendar View for Daily Entries

Calendar view is helpful for spotting gaps or overlaps in your schedule.

• Switch to Calendar view on your timesheet List.
• Display tasks by due date or start date to see when the work occurred.
• Filter the view by attorney to review one person’s week at a time.

These views give partners, billing staff, and administrators a quick way to confirm that all billable time is captured before invoicing.

Step 7: Export and Share Timesheet Data from ClickUp

Once your time entries are ready, export them for billing or integrate them into your existing accounting process.

1. From the Table view, use the export option to download time data as a CSV file.
2. Share views with your finance team so they can access live timesheet information.
3. Use filters to export only certain matters, clients, or date ranges.

This keeps your invoicing and reporting aligned with the detailed work your attorneys record in the system.

Best Practices for Legal Time Tracking in ClickUp

To make your timesheet workflow sustainable, apply a few consistent habits.

• Ask attorneys to log time on the same day the work is performed.
• Standardize billing narratives, abbreviations, and codes across your firm.
• Review weekly reports for missing or incomplete entries.
• Store firm-wide conventions and examples in a shared Doc within your workspace.

If you want additional help structuring workflows and documentation for search visibility, you can learn more about SEO-focused process design at Consultevo.

Turn Attorney Templates into a ClickUp System

Attorney timesheet templates are most useful when they become part of a living system. By creating a legal Space, adding custom fields, building timesheet templates, and setting up views for review and export, you transform manual time tracking into a reliable, repeatable process.

Use these steps to adapt the ideas from the official attorney timesheet resources to your own practice, then refine your ClickUp setup over time as your firm’s needs evolve.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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