Time-entry cleanup and billing-narrative drafts
SI suggests clearer wording for draft time entries from the attorney's own notes, and flags entries that look incomplete, duplicated, or oddly long.
Admin and operations help for solo attorneys and small firms. SI drafts and organizes; attorneys review and decide. No legal advice, no filing-ready work product, and client confidentiality comes first.
Worth knowing: Administrative support only: this is not legal advice and does not replace attorney judgment. An attorney reviews and approves anything client-facing or substantive, and client-confidential information is used only with the firm's agreements, access controls and consent. SI never adds, invents, or inflates time, and never decides what to charge. Fees must be reasonable, and billing for time spent using SI is the attorney's call under the ethics rules. ABA Formal Opinion 512 discusses this.
The problem
Time entries are entered late, vague, or inconsistent, so bills are harder to review and harder to explain.
What SI does
SI reviews draft time entries against the day's calendar and the attorney's own notes, suggests clearer narrative wording in the firm's style, and flags entries that look incomplete, duplicated, or oddly long.
Examples
The same job looks different in different businesses. These are illustrations, not client results.
- Small commercial-litigation firm
A vague "work on file" entry is rewritten as a draft narrative based on the attorney's own note from that day, and the hours are left unchanged.
- Solo family-law practice
Two entries that sit on the same calendar block are flagged as possible duplicates for the timekeeper to resolve.
- Two-attorney estate-planning firm
An entry much longer than the calendar block is flagged, and the draft does not change the recorded time.
What it takes to set up
GemmiSI sets this up on your own equipment and accounts; your data stays with you. Before connecting anything that holds client information, the firm reviews the vendor's terms, data retention and training practices, confirms access controls, and obtains any required client consent. Start with sample or de-identified material. Give SI read access to draft time entries, the calendar, and the attorney's notes, or a de-identified export of the same. Include a few past narratives the firm considers clear, with client details removed. Setup is often a few days.
What a human still checks
- The timekeeper confirms the work was actually done and the time is accurate, edits the narratives, and approves the bill.
- An attorney reviews and approves before the bill leaves the firm.
- SI never sends, files, or posts on its own.
- The firm decides what client data SI may see, and starts with non-confidential or de-identified samples when testing.
Try it yourself
Paste this into your SI tool of choice and swap the [bracketed] parts for your own details. It asks SI to stop and show you before it does anything.
Compare these draft time entries [paste] with this calendar [paste] and these notes [paste]. Suggest clearer narrative wording in this style [paste examples]. Flag entries that look incomplete, duplicated, or much longer than the calendar block. Do not add time, change hours, or decide what to charge. Pause and show me before sending, filing, posting or changing anything. Use only the sample or de-identified information I provide; do not include client-confidential details.
Next step
Want this built? Book a free 30-minute consult
Bring one real example, such as an export, an inbox, or a spreadsheet. We will map the steps and decide what SI drafts and what you approve.