Glossary
Contemporaneous time capture
Recording time entries at or close to the time the work is performed — not reconstructed from memory later.
Definition
What is contemporaneous time capture?
Contemporaneous time capture is the legal billing practice of recording time entries at or close to the time the work is performed, rather than reconstructing from memory at the end of the day or later. "Contemporaneous" means occurring at the same time — in a billing context, it means the entry is created while the work is still fresh, not recovered after the fact.
Why it matters
Why contemporaneous capture matters for legal billing
Contemporaneous entries are generally more accurate, more complete, and more defensible in billing disputes than reconstructed entries. The specifics of legal work — what was discussed, what was decided, what follow-up was agreed — fade rapidly after the work occurs. Subsequent tasks, calls, and meetings intervene and blur earlier details.
Many professional responsibility guidelines encourage or require contemporaneous timekeeping precisely because of this quality gap. An entry recorded while context is clear produces a better billing narrative than one reconstructed hours later from partial memory. Specific, complete narratives are less likely to be challenged, written down, or questioned by clients at invoice review.
CaseClock
How CaseClock supports contemporaneous capture
Voice-first capture is one way to achieve contemporaneous timekeeping. A 30-second voice entry immediately after a task, call, or meeting is materially closer to contemporaneous than a 5-minute reconstruction at end of day. CaseClock is designed around this principle — the capture step happens in the moment, before the next task begins, while the context is still clear.
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