Kalamos - Legal Time and Billing Platform with Client Guidelines Checked Before Submission

Dashboard, my time week, billing queue, pre-bill review and invoices, plus the running timer and time entry panel on every page. All 16 demo pre-bills open their own review.

Each e-billing pre-bill runs 9 outside counsel guideline rules before it leaves the firm, from 0.1 hour increments and block billing to rate caps such as AS at €260 and travel at 50%, each with pass, warn or fail and its source clause.

A billing partner's write-downs are measured against firm policy on every pre-bill. Above either limit the request goes to the managing partner, and Approve stays blocked while a guideline fail or an over-limit write-down is open.

Clients in 11 countries billed in EUR, USD and GBP under 3 VAT treatments, 6 of them on 4 e-billing platforms, with 16 matters, 12 timekeepers, 16 pre-bills and 23 invoices.

Time Rebuilt After the Fact

With no phone-friendly way to record time, lawyers reconstructed the week from memory. Hours went missing, and vague narratives such as "work on file" or "attention to" went straight onto client invoices.

Every Client Has Its Own Rulebook

About 35 corporate clients require LEDES invoices through platforms such as Legal Tracker, CounselLink, TyMetrix 360 and Brightflag, each with outside counsel guidelines on increments, block billing, rate caps, staffing and expenses. A breach surfaced only when the platform rejected or cut the invoice, often six weeks later.

Arrangements Nobody Was Tracking

Matters run hourly, fixed fee, capped or hourly with a budget, with rates set by timekeeper, client and matter. Pre-bills were printed, marked up by hand and re-keyed, capped matters overran without anyone noticing, and partners waited for the monthly finance pack to see WIP or debtors.

VAT and Payments Across Borders

Cyprus clients pay VAT at 19%, EU business clients get no Cyprus VAT under the reverse charge once their VAT number is checked in VIES, and clients outside the EU are generally outside scope. Invoice numbers can never be reused, and payments from third parties or unexpected countries have to wait for the MLRO.