The verdict in three sentences
A 15-lawyer New York firm billing by the hour loses on average 8 % of its hours to missed entries, roughly 190,000 USD of recoverable fees a year. Market tools (Clio, MyCase, Smokeball) cost 49 to 149 USD per user per month, while a custom time capture and billing module plugged into your existing stack costs 30,000 to 60,000 USD. The right choice depends less on the licence fee than on the tool's ability to capture time where it happens: email, calendar, phone and drafting.
Why hours get lost
Practice management studies agree: end-of-week entry from memory forgets short work (6-minute calls, follow-up emails, reviews). These micro-tasks add up over a year.
| Source of loss | Share of lost hours | Typical example | Technical fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unrecorded emails and follow-ups | 30 % | 12 emails of 5 min a day | One-click entry from Outlook |
| Short phone calls | 20 % | 6 calls of 6 min a day | Call log linked to the matter |
| End-of-week entry from memory | 25 % | Rounding down | Daily reminders and timer |
| Poorly allocated meetings and hearings | 10 % | Travel time forgotten | Automatic calendar import |
| Reviews and internal memos | 10 % | Partner reviewing a draft | Mobile entry and dictation |
| Time on flat-fee matters | 5 % | Untracked overrun | Budget consumption alert |
The best tool is the one lawyers use without thinking. A module that adds three clicks per entry will be bypassed.
Off-the-shelf or custom: the 2026 comparison
| Criterion | Clio | MyCase | Smokeball | Custom module |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 49 to 149 USD/user/month | 39 to 89 USD/user/month | 49 to 219 USD/user/month | 30,000 to 60,000 USD + 12 to 15 %/year |
| Outlook time capture | Yes, add-in | Partial | Yes, automatic | Yes, matched to firm workflow |
| Mixed fee arrangements (hourly, flat, contingency) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, firm-specific rules |
| Pre-bills and partner approval | Standard | Standard | Standard | Custom workflow |
| Reuse of existing stack (DMS, accounting) | Migration often required | Migration required | Migration required | Plugs into existing tools |
| Rollout time | 2 to 6 weeks | 2 to 4 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks | 10 to 14 weeks |
Off-the-shelf suits a firm willing to change its practice management system. Custom makes sense when the firm already has a DMS (iManage, NetDocuments), accounting and habits it does not want to break, and only lacks the capture and billing layer.
Three-year total cost
| Item | Off-the-shelf (109 USD/month avg) | Custom module |
|---|---|---|
| Licences or build | 15 × 109 × 36 = 58,860 USD | 44,000 USD |
| Rollout, configuration, migration | 4,500 to 9,000 USD | Included |
| Training | 1,700 to 3,500 USD | 1,700 USD |
| Maintenance and changes | Included | 3 × 6,600 = 19,800 USD |
| Three-year total | 65,060 to 71,360 USD | 65,500 USD |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
With similar three-year costs, the difference lies in adoption and ownership. Above 25 users, the gap widens in favour of custom.
Mini case study
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David, managing partner of a 15-lawyer firm in Midtown Manhattan, records 15,000 billable hours a year. With 8 % leakage, about 1,300 hours are never entered. The custom module, with Outlook capture and calendar import, recovers 40 % of them, or 520 hours. At an average rate of 450 USD and an 82 % realisation rate (hours accepted by clients), the gain reaches 191,880 USD a year. For a 44,000 USD project plus 6,600 USD yearly maintenance, payback comes in about 3 months.
FAQ
How many hours does a law firm lose to missed time entries?
The 2026 order of magnitude is 5 to 12 % of hours worked, 8 % on average. For 15 lawyers, that is about 1,300 hours a year.
What do Clio, MyCase or Smokeball cost in 2026?
Budget 39 to 219 USD per user per month depending on vendor and tier. For 15 users, licences cost between 7,000 and 39,400 USD a year.
Is a custom module compatible with client confidentiality rules?
Yes if it is hosted in the US, encrypted and has granular matter-level permissions, in line with ABA Model Rule 1.6. The specification should include access logs and daily backups.
How long does a time tracking rollout take?
Ten to 14 weeks for a custom module, 2 to 8 weeks for a vendor tool. Plan 2 hours of training per lawyer and adoption follow-up during the first month.
Can the module handle flat fees and contingency arrangements?
Yes, mixed billing rules are configurable: hourly, flat fee with an overrun alert at 80 %, contingency. The pre-bill is approved by the partner before sending.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of lawyers, your current tools and billing arrangements: we will price a time capture module between 30,000 and 60,000 USD, delivered in 10 to 14 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
