Lawyers keep signing up to TallyHo, and I have no idea why. I did a bit of digging - now I’m just going to ask them.
I build TallyHo for freelancers - designers, developers, copywriters. Lawyers were not on my radar. I figured most are salaried and someone else handles the invoicing, but seems that’s not always the way.
Salaried, But Still on the Clock
From what I can tell (at least here in NZ), law firms still run on chargeable hours, even for salaried associates. Bonuses and the path to partnership hinge on hitting an annual hours target, often 1,800+ a year. That means time tracking happens whether you’re billing a client directly or just reporting hours up the chain.
Barristers here are also almost always sole traders - no firm, no payroll. And under NZ Law Society rules, legal fees need to be “fair and reasonable.” If a client disputes a bill, accurate time records are what the Law Society asks for.
Enlighten Me
So I’m asking you: why are lawyers, barristers, and other lawyer-y people choosing TallyHo over legal practice management software like Smokeball, Actionstep or Clio? Is it the price, the simplicity, end-of-day logging that doesn’t need a timer running through a hearing - or something else entirely?
And where are you coming from!? Did a colleague mention it, did you stumble onto it some other way - I’m curious how a tool built for freelancers found its way into chambers.
Email me and tell me. I’d genuinely like to know.
Steve Leggat runs TallyHo, a time tracking tool built for freelancers, sole traders - and lawyers!