I just noticed a post from Robert Ambrogi about a tool called “Attorney Timekeeper“. Simplifying time tracking goes a long way toward ensuring accurate and complete billing. The “Attorney Timekeeper”, however, costs $50 per month. That’s more than excessive.
I long ago found Toggl. It does a wonderful job of tracking time and, in its basic version, can be used for free. For $10/mo (or a little less, if you pay in advance), they throw in a ton of features, but I’ve yet to upgrade – the unpaid version does a wonderful job of meeting my needs. They also offer more expensive plans with super-advanced features.
I pin my Toggl page in Chrome, so it’s easy to remember to start/stop the counter. I’ve also installed their mobile app on my phone for time tracking on the go. They also offer a desktop widget for those who don’t have a browser open all the time (though, the counter will keep going even if the site isn’t open).
I once worked at a firm that used paper timesheets, keeping time was always a pain. My current employer’s timekeeping system is web-based, but requires a lot of data entry for each record. It’s far simpler to use Toggl to keep a “rough” of my time as I go, then enter it into the office system at the end of the day. I spend far less time managing timekeeping and more time doing productive work.
Toggl is free. Give it a try.