From work done to invoice sent
Reviewed WIP converts to a VAT-compliant invoice in one step. UK billing conventions, disbursements, and aged debtors are all handled. No separate billing system needed.
How does legal billing software work for a UK law firm?
Legal billing software turns recorded time and disbursements into an invoice without re-entering anything. Writford lets you review unbilled work in progress, convert it to an invoice in one step, apply the correct VAT treatment per line, and then track what is outstanding and for how long.
- Do I have to re-key time onto the invoice?
- No. Reviewed work in progress becomes an invoice directly, so billing is a review step rather than a data entry task. That is the point at which most firms lose recorded hours.
- How is VAT handled on a bill?
- VAT is worked out once when the bill is raised and stored on the invoice, with the rate shown against each line rather than only in the totals. Disbursements are classified so court fees and counsel fees are treated correctly.
- Can I see who owes money and for how long?
- Yes. The aged debtors report shows outstanding invoices banded by age, so a partner can see what has drifted past thirty, sixty or ninety days without building a spreadsheet.
- Does it handle disbursements?
- Yes. Court fees, counsel fees, Land Registry searches and expert reports are recorded against the matter as they are incurred and flow into the next invoice grouped and totalled.
- Can I bill several matters at once?
- Yes. Work in progress can be reviewed across matters and billed in a batch, which is how most firms actually run a billing run rather than one file at a time.
Reviewed work becomes an invoice, not a data entry task
Once you have reviewed and approved your work in progress, Writford converts it to a draft invoice in one action. No re-entering hours, no copying time entries into a separate billing system. The work you recorded is the invoice you send.
- WIP review screen shows all unbilled time across matters
- Approve, adjust, or write off entries before billing
- Convert approved WIP to invoice draft in one click
- Edit invoice narrative before sending
- PDF invoice generated ready to send or download
VAT, disbursements, and UK conventions handled correctly
UK legal billing has specific requirements that generic billing tools get wrong. Professional fees carrying the VAT your firm actually charges, disbursements that may be zero-rated, court fees recorded separately, and a proper aged debtors report to track what is owed and for how long. These are built in, not bolted on.
- VAT applied at the rate each line actually carries, and not at all if your firm is not registered
- Disbursements recorded separately with correct VAT treatment
- Court fees, Land Registry fees, and counsel fees handled
- Aged debtors report shows outstanding balances by matter
- Compliant VAT invoice format for every bill raised
Billing that reflects what actually happened
When time recording is connected to the matter, billing reflects the real work. Research sessions, document reviews, and correspondence are captured as they happen and flow through to the invoice. Clients receive bills that describe what was done, not a reconstruction of what you can remember.
- Time flows from matter activity to WIP without re-entry
- Specific entry descriptions reduce client disputes
- Unpaid invoices tracked with aged debtors visibility
- Full billing history per matter, accessible at any time
- Subscription and billing management from firm settings
Further reading
Free templates
Editable Word documents, drafted for England and Wales. No account needed.