Uniform Task-Based Management System

The Uniform Task-Based Management System (UTBMS) is a set of codes designed to standardize categorization of legal work and expenses. The coding is reflected in legal bills sent from a law firm to its corporate clients. Law firms will usually use coding on time and expenses for those clients who explicitly request it.

Fees, which are charges for attorney and legal assistant time, are coded with task and activity codes. Task codes may also be summarized into phase codes, Expenses are coded using a set of expense codes.

There are four sets of task codes: Litigation, Project, Counseling and Bankruptcy). The codes themselves are composed of a letter (the first letter of the task code set), followed by a three-digit number. The set used for a given matter (i.e., case or transaction) depends upon the nature of that matter. Therefore, tasks will often be reported without reporting the phase, as this can be deduced from the task. Within a given task code set, a task may be assigned to only one phase. The hieracrchy is uniform in the Litigation and Bankruptcy task code sets. In the Project set, only the second phase contains more then one task. The Counseling set has only a single level. In such situations, a code may be considered both a phase and a task, and it may be necessary to program the time and billing software this way.

There is a single set of activity codes, which is used in conjunction with each of the four task code sets. While phase and task indicate There is also a single set of expense codes, which are independent of phase/task/activity codes.

Many clients who use UTBMS also use electronic billing, usually with the LEDES standard.

The following codes are taken from http://www.abanet.org/litigation/utbms/home.html

The authors hereby grant permission to use the codes and related definitions, in whole or in part, on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis. In addition, this document may be freely reproduced and distributed in any electronic or hardcopy medium, on a nonexclusive, royalty-free basis, provided that this reproduction and distribution are not for profit, and that this title page is included in its entirety.

Expense Codes

E100 Expenses (this level is a "phase", but seldom used)

• E101 Copying
• E102 Outside printing
• E103 Word processing
• E104 Facsimile
• E105 Telephone
• E106 Online research
• E107 Delivery services/messengers
• E108 Postage
• E109 Local travel
• E110 Out-of-town travel
• E111 Meals
• E112 Courtfees
• E113 Subpoena fees
• E114 Witness fees
• E115 Deposition transcripts
• E116 Trial transcripts
• E117 Trial exhibits
• E118 Litigation support vendors
• E119 Experts
• E120 Private investigators
• E121 Arbitrators/mediators
• E122 Local counsel
• E123 Other professionals
• E124 Other