Communication Activities
The A200 series covers all communication activities, categorized by the party communicated with. These codes distinguish between internal firm communications, client communications, opposing counsel contacts, and interactions with courts, vendors, and witnesses.
Activity & Task Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| A201 | Communications between attorneys and staff within the law firm regarding the matter, including team meetings, strategy calls, and internal emails. |
| A202 | Communications with the client regarding the matter, including status calls, reporting, strategy discussions, and responding to client inquiries. |
| A203 | Communications with opposing counsel or their representatives, including settlement discussions, discovery negotiations, and scheduling. |
| A204 | Communications with the court, government agencies, or tribunals, including status conferences, scheduling matters, and procedural inquiries. |
| A205 | Communications with outside vendors retained in connection with the matter, including experts, e-discovery providers, investigators, and consultants. |
| A206 | Communications with fact witnesses and potential witnesses, including interviews, preparation sessions, and scheduling. |
| A207 | Communications with external parties not covered by other A200 codes, including media, regulators, and other third parties. |
Where the Honor System Breaks Down
Communication codes are where minimum billing increments cause the most damage. Most firms bill in 0.1 or 0.2 hour increments, but many round up to 0.3 hours (18 minutes) as a minimum for any communication regardless of actual duration. A 2-minute email to opposing counsel gets billed as 0.3 hours under A203. Multiply this across dozens of daily communications and the padding becomes substantial. A partner who sends 10 short emails per day, each billed at 0.3 hours, generates 3 hours of billing from what might be 30 minutes of actual work. A201 (Internal Firm Communication) is the communication code most susceptible to duplicative billing. When a partner, two associates, and a paralegal all bill 0.3 hours for the same 15-minute team call, the client pays 1.2 hours for a single brief conversation. This is compounded when the same information is then communicated to the client (A202), generating additional entries that restate the same content. A202 (Client Communication) deserves special attention because it often includes 'prepare for and participate in call with client,' which bundles preparation time and call time into a single entry. A firm might bill 1.5 hours for a 30-minute client call, with the additional hour attributed to 'preparation.' While some preparation is appropriate for substantive calls, routine status updates should not require equal or greater preparation time.
Read: The Honor System in Legal Billing arrow_forwardBest Practices
Require firms to identify the duration and participants for all A201 entries exceeding 0.3 hours
Cross-reference A201 entries across timekeepers to identify duplicative billing for the same communication
Establish that A202 entries must separately identify call duration and preparation time when preparation exceeds the call length
Require that A203 entries reference the specific subject discussed with opposing counsel
Cap minimum billing increments at 0.1 hours and reject entries that apply higher minimums to brief communications
How CounselAudit.ai Helps
CounselAudit.ai automatically validates UTBMS codes on every invoice line item, flags misclassifications, and ensures your outside counsel follow proper coding standards for the Communication Activities phase.
See all features arrow_forwardOther UTBMS Phases
Fact Investigation & Development
The L100 series covers all early-stage litigation activities, from initial fact gathering through strategic analysis and budgeting. These codes apply when attorneys are assessing potential claims or defenses, gathering evidence, engaging experts, and developing case strategy before formal pleadings are filed.
Pre-Trial Pleadings & Motions
The L200 series covers the formal initiation and early procedural phases of litigation, including drafting and filing complaints, answers, motions to dismiss, preliminary injunctions, and dispositive motions. These codes apply once litigation has been commenced through formal pleadings.
Discovery
The L300 series covers all discovery-related activities, from written discovery and document production through depositions, expert discovery, and e-discovery. This is typically the most expensive phase of litigation and requires the closest scrutiny during invoice review.
Trial Preparation & Trial
The L400 and L500 series cover all activities related to preparing for and conducting a trial, from witness preparation and exhibit assembly through jury selection, trial proceedings, and post-trial motions. These phases represent the culmination of litigation and carry the highest daily billing rates.
Appeal
The L600 series covers all appellate proceedings, from brief writing and oral argument preparation through post-decision activities. Appellate work is typically handled by specialized attorneys and involves distinct billing patterns from trial-level litigation.
Counseling & Advisory
The L700 series covers non-litigation advisory work, including strategic counseling, regulatory advice, tax planning, and general corporate counsel services. These codes are used for matters where the attorney's role is to advise rather than to litigate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are UTBMS communication activity codes? expand_more
Communication activity codes (A200 series) cover all forms of professional communication including client meetings, opposing counsel negotiations, court communications, internal team conferences, and written correspondence. These codes capture the substantial time attorneys spend communicating rather than drafting or researching.
How can clients control costs from communication activities? expand_more
Clients should set expectations about communication frequency, specify preferred channels, limit the number of attorneys attending meetings, and require that routine updates use email rather than billed phone calls. CounselAudit.ai flags excessive communication entries and identifies patterns like multiple attorneys billing for the same meeting.
What communication billing patterns indicate potential overbilling? expand_more
Red flags include multiple attorneys billing for the same conference call, excessive time for routine status updates, vague entries like 'various communications regarding case status,' and partner-rate billing for administrative scheduling. CounselAudit.ai identifies these patterns by cross-referencing communication entries across timekeepers on the same matter.
Why is it important to track communication costs separately? expand_more
Communication costs can represent 15-25% of total matter spending. Tracking them separately reveals whether firms are over-communicating internally at the client's expense, whether status calls are replacing efficient written updates, and whether appropriate staff levels attend meetings rather than billing multiple senior attorneys.