Check time entries against billing rules

What you need

Your firm-approved AI assistant · prepared files

• Access to the selected Clio Manage time entries and the applicable client-approved billing guidelines/version.
• Only a timekeeper can verify the work actually performed and approve a corrected narrative; billing judgments remain human.
• Firm-approved Excel; optional Copilot entitlement and tenant approval for the exact minimized data. Native Excel analysis can be done manually if Copilot is absent.
• Keep raw exports and identifying source pointers in a separate restricted location. The AI workbook contains only approved alias-based tables and visible policy/scope text, never raw client records on another tab.
• Use synthetic inputs first. Keep real data in firm-approved accounts and processing, with appropriate access, confidentiality and retention controls. Aliases alone do not anonymize records. Never paste credentials, API keys or unnecessary client details.

How to use

Documentation-checked proposed route; source collection and human approval required

1. 1

   Read actual selected time entries

   Clio Manage · Matters > selected matter > Activities (or main Activities with date/user filters)

   Select a small defined invoice/period sample. Inspect each actual time entry’s description, duration, rate and any activity/task codes; use Edit only to view details and close without saving. Record the entry reference and actual fields locally.

   Expected output

   Observed entry records and a sample/period note; no generated entries or export claims.

   Next step

   Retain restricted source references for every entry_id.

   Check before continuing

   Confirm the selected item is a time entry, not an expense or flat-fee quantity; note currency, rounding and missing fields.

   Step documentation 1 ↗Step documentation 2 ↗
2. 2

   Map the observed records to the starter input

   Excel and authorized staff · Separate analysis workbook > Home > Format as Table

   In entries.csv assign matter aliases and preserve actual_recorded_minutes, rate_if_needed, actual_work_description, activity_code and task_code exactly as supported. Minimize descriptions only with reviewer approval and preserve their meaning. Copy the applicable approved-guidelines.txt into a visible Guidelines worksheet with version and scope. If sensitive descriptions are not approved for Copilot, complete the same review locally without AI. Create named tables for Entries and Guidelines. Put the policy and review scope in visible worksheets or paste them into the next prompt.

   Expected output

   Entries and Guidelines tables; unknown codes/rates stay unknown.

   Next step

   Check the mapping against each original source before using AI.

   Check before continuing

   Aliases and missing policy fields are staff-created; do not relabel a native export as the kit schema. Unknown stays blank/unknown, not false or zero.

   Step documentation 1 ↗
3. 3

   Review the bounded evidence with Copilot

   Excel Copilot, optional · Approved analysis workbook > Copilot icon at lower right > Chat only

   Use Chat only and submit the prompt. Without Copilot: compare each entry to the supplied guideline clauses and write questions/edits in a separate review column.

   Excel Copilot, optional promptReview Entries against the supplied Guidelines only. Return entry_id, exact guideline reference, observed issue, missing evidence and a proposed faithful narrative edit only if supported by the existing description. Preserve actual_recorded_minutes, rate and codes. Do not invent tasks, split or combine time, pad duration, infer privileged strategy or decide whether a charge is legally recoverable. Where the description cannot support a compliant edit, ask the timekeeper a specific question. Cite rows and guideline text.Copy step 3 prompt

   Expected output

   Guideline-linked exception checklist and conservative draft edits.

   Next step

   Copy the draft exception list to the reviewer; retain row references.

   Check before continuing

   Check every flagged row and the scope. A fluent answer is not evidence of completeness; no automatic workbook or source-system edits.

   Step documentation 1 ↗Step documentation 2 ↗
4. 4

   Approve the review result

   Final human review

   Responsible staff reviewer · Reviewed local worksheet

   The timekeeper and billing reviewer inspect original entries, approve or reject every proposed edit and keep the approved guideline version with the audit. Apply any actual change separately through the firm’s billing process.

   Expected output

   Approved correction list, with original minutes and source records retained.

   Next step

   Any external message, source change, payment or deletion requires its own authorized process.

   Check before continuing

   No automatic rewriting or bulk save; a plausible narrative is not proof the work occurred.

   Step documentation 1 ↗

What you’ll get

billing-exceptions.csv: entry_id, guideline_version, rule_id, possible_exception, source_rows, reviewer_status; suggested narrative edits in a separate file. No live changes.