📄 Invoice Template

Legal Services Invoice Template

Law firm invoice with billable hours. Example: 12.5 hrs @ $450/hr = $5,625 + disbursements $380.

What a legal invoice should itemise

• The matter name and matter number
• The costs agreement or disclosure the fees are charged under
• Each item of work, with date, fee earner, time recorded and rate
• Disbursements listed separately, and marked as paid or unpaid
• Counsel’s fees and court filing fees identified individually
• Amounts drawn from trust, and the trust balance remaining
• GST, and the total now payable

Costs disclosure is what makes the bill enforceable

Legal costs are regulated in every Australian jurisdiction, and a bill that departs from what was disclosed is the kind a client can have assessed. The requirements — thresholds, the form of disclosure, and a client’s right to an itemised bill on request — differ between states, so check the rules that apply to your practice. What is constant is that the bill should be readable against the disclosure the client received.

• Flag in writing as soon as an estimate is likely to be exceeded, before the work is done
• Keep the narration specific enough to justify the time without disclosing privileged detail to a third-party payer
• Account for trust withdrawals on the invoice itself, not in a separate statement

Third-party and insurer billing

• Follow the insurer’s rate schedule and billing guidelines or the invoice will be reduced without notice
• Where a client is not the payer, be careful how much matter detail the narration reveals
• Retain the file and the bills for the period your regulator requires

Related templates

General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice. For contracts and tax documents, confirm your obligations with a qualified professional or the relevant authority.