Reviewing an invoice well means reading it the way your guidelines are written: one rule at a time, one line at a time.
1. Check the header
Confirm the matter number, billing period, and that the firm is on the approved panel for this matter. Confirm the invoice falls inside the matter budget.
2. Check timekeepers and rates
Compare every timekeeper against the approved staffing list and rate sheet. Look for new timekeepers who appear without approval, and for rates that changed before the agreed effective date.
3. Read the narratives
Flag entries that are:
- Block billed — several tasks recorded under one time entry.
- Vague — "review documents," "attention to matter," "work on file."
- Administrative — scheduling, file organization, or clerical work billed at professional rates.
4. Look across lines
Some violations only appear when you compare entries:
- Several timekeepers billing for the same internal conference.
- Duplicate review of the same document by multiple associates.
- Daily totals that exceed reasonable limits.
5. Check expenses
Match expenses to the guideline's expense policy: travel class, meals, research charges, and markups.
6. Record the reason for every adjustment
Each reduction should cite the guideline section it is based on. This keeps appeals short and makes your enforcement consistent across firms.
Doing this at scale
This process is thorough, but it takes time most teams don't have. 42B performs this first level review on every invoice, so your reviewers only spend time on the decisions that need them.