Professional invoice templates for freelance paralegals and legal support professionals billing solicitors, law firms, and direct clients.
A paralegal invoice is a formal document issued by a freelance or independent paralegal to a solicitor, law firm, barrister's chambers, or direct client for legal support services rendered. It captures all billable work undertaken on a matter, from legal research and drafting to document management and client liaison, with sufficient detail to satisfy both the instructing firm and, where necessary, costs assessment. Unlike in-house staff, freelance paralegals must manage their own billing, VAT obligations (if registered), and payment terms. A well-structured paralegal invoice references the matter name or file number, the instructing fee earner, and itemises time spent with brief task descriptions. This level of detail makes the invoice defensible if a client queries a charge and supports accurate matter cost tracking on the firm's side. Many freelance paralegals charge hourly rates and work across multiple matters for the same firm simultaneously. Using a consistent invoice format with clear matter coding reduces back-and-forth and speeds up payment, which solicitors' firms typically process monthly.
| Service | Typical Rate | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Legal research | 45 | hour |
| Drafting correspondence | 45 | hour |
| Document review and bundling | 40 | hour |
| Court filing preparation | 45 | hour |
| Client attendance (telephone or in person) | 50 | hour |
| Land Registry or Companies House search | 12 | search |
Freelance paralegals typically invoice at the end of each month or upon completion of a discrete task. Reference every matter separately on the invoice, even if the same firm instructed you on multiple files. Firms process invoices by matter code, so combining matters on a single line creates reconciliation delays. For hourly work, list each day's tasks chronologically with time recorded to the nearest 6-minute unit (0.1 hours), matching the time-recording conventions used by the instructing firm. Include a narrative that is clear enough for a costs draftsperson to assess, but not so verbose it obscures the total. If you incur disbursements such as court fees, Land Registry charges, or courier costs, list these separately with receipts attached or available on request. Pass these through at cost unless your agreement with the firm includes a handling uplift. Set your payment terms at 14 or 30 days and include your bank details on every invoice. Larger firms often have purchase order requirements, so confirm this before your first invoice to avoid rejection. If you are VAT-registered, apply the standard 20% rate and include your VAT number on every invoice.