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10 WAYS TO STOP CHARGEABLE TIME KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT

Chargeable time is something that, perhaps unsurprisingly, plays on every lawyer’s mind at some point during their career and an issue that we tackle frequently with clients at the Carvalho Consultancy.

As former private practice lawyers ourselves, we now work helping lawyers thrive in their careers and find their passion for what they do again. In this short article I will share some of the initial advice that often helps our clients. I hope it helps you if chargeable time is currently weighing on your mind.

Life as a Lawyer can be hectic, causing many of us to carry around a vague sense of insecurity while dealing with clients, colleagues and counterparties. Beneath that feeling of insecurity however, there are often underlying worries. ‘Am I meeting the expectations of the firm or certain partners?’, ‘Am I matching my peers?’, ‘Am I good enough to do this?’.

While we might be having these thoughts, we often avoid looking directly at the core issues. Over time this can drive us to work harder and harder, enjoy life less and less and feel increasingly insecure.

If the core of the issue for you is that you feel the hours you are recording are not what are expected of you, then here are ten initial thoughts which can help our clients to move forward:

1. You do have control. One of the main changes I notice in clients after a few sessions is an increased sense of recognition that situations are flexible, and they often have far greater ability to make changes than they might at first feel. The main cause of burnout is feeling at the mercy of events. When you slowly take back control in a well-planned way it can be immensely liberating.

    

2. Avoidance. Many people have a vague idea of where they are in terms of hours but avoid engaging with the detail. Sound familiar? Take a moment to think about it. Is the resistance really helping, or is your strategy for avoiding discomfort actually creating more discomfort? Overcoming the initial resistance takes effort and awareness, but there is often relief once you’ve done so as you open the door to progress.

    

3. How do you want your work to look? Do you want to be meeting or exceeding your target? If you are making a conscious decision to prioritise other areas of work (such as business development) or life (such as a young family) and these decisions can be supported within the firm, then perhaps it’s time to relax into the fact that this means fewer hours for a time.

    

   However, if you are trying to excel in all areas of work – hours, management, BD etc – try and think about what the reality of this will look like? You may feel (for example, if you are seeking a promotion) that you can agree with yourself to a period – say, two years – of full throttle work on all fronts. It can be helpful having a time frame in mind and a vision of what you are willing to do in order to avoid burn out or other areas of life suffering. Careers are like a marathon, not a sprint – and you can’t go full-pelt all the way through.

    

4. Getting clarity on the numbers. Once you know what you are trying to achieve, check what this means in terms of numbers? Do you know what your target is? What does that mean you need to record each day? For some clients, simply agreeing with themselves that they will record a certain number of hours each day can be very helpful. You can then build social, BD and management time around the chargeable part of your day.

    

5. Organisational obstacles. If you are working hard on chargeable tasks but that’s not reflected in your hours, what is the reason? There may be simple organisational things you can do – often people are resistant to using timer software, but if you can make it work for you this can make a big difference. If you’re having difficulty with this, could you commit to getting further training on it? Or you may decide that in order to increase your hours you will block out a section of each day and put yourself into ‘do not disturb’ mode.

    

6. Limiting beliefs. Are there more fundamental obstacles at play? Do you, for example, feel that you are not ‘worth it’ which leads you to under-record the time you spend on work and feeling frustrated? Do you feel that your productivity is fading, and procrastination is rising? Are you disengaged and generally fed up? If so, rather than simply plugging away and trying to survive each day, it’s probably time to start working through the issues. It may sound obvious - but sometimes we need to hear this: if we don’t take steps to change direction then it’s highly likely that we will stay in the same place. If nothing changes, nothing changes, as the saying goes.

    

7. Growth mindset. A phrase we hear a lot of clients say is, ‘I am just not someone who meets their target’. If you’ve found yourself saying things like this, try reframing the issue. Try looking at this as an inherently flexible situation and a learning opportunity. We know from the field of positive psychology that adopting a ‘growth mindset’ increases performance and enjoyment in the things we do. I’ve included a book recommendation below for those who are interested…

    

8. Incremental steps. If you are aiming for complete transformation immediately, I hate to say it, but you are going to become frustrated. Instead, think about the first small steps that you can take. As you start to make changes, confidence will grow and other opportunities for development will present themselves. Try to set one or two realistic first steps and if possible, have someone who can hold you accountable for these.

    

9. Motivation. It can be transformative to reflect on our motivation when trying to implement change and looking at the deeper values that we want to live by. We lawyers are often stubborn creatures, and historically we react better to the carrot than the stick. Try and ask yourself, ‘What exactly do I want to achieve from all of my efforts at work and in life?’ and ‘How do these aims tie in with my deeper values?’ And by the way, it’s ok if you don’t know the answer right now…!

    

10. Support. Another frequent theme in sessions with clients is a feeling of a lack of internal/external support. Especially now, with remote working, people are finding it hard to talk honestly and openly with colleagues about issues, and if you are with your friends or family the likelihood is that you don’t want to be talking about chargeable time! (Or at least I hope not). But lawyers are human beings, not billing cyborgs - we need to open up to others and discuss our issues like anybody else. If you are feeling weighed down by issues such as your hours, start thinking about how you can get support to work through it.

As I said at the beginning of this piece, chargeable hours feel like an issue for all lawyers at some point during our careers – it’s a natural reaction to this slightly odd way of structuring working time.

If, however, it has started to become overwhelming, I can offer reassurance that with the right support you can make progress in the right direction. It might be time to explore the issues in a supportive environment and clarify what you really want to achieve in your career. By establishing a realistic plan, which fits with the reality of the job, you can take back control and thrive in your work again.

Further reading

If interested in the growth mindset, have a look at “Mindset” by Carol Dweck.

Lexis Webinars are also partnering with The Carvalho Consultancy to provide webinars on therapy, coaching and training, click for the webinars.

About us

The Carvalho Consultancy is an award-winning therapy, coaching and training agency. We support lawyers with the ups and downs of life and the job, providing practical, insightful support. And we should know – we’re lawyers ourselves!  Website:

Connect with us on LinkedIn: search for Adam Carvalho / Annmarie Carvalho