Billing by the hour at law firms has always been a double-edged sword. Ensuring accurate time tracking is critical for maximizing billable hours and meeting client agreements; however, time tracking itself is notoriously time-consuming, error-prone, and a drain on productivity.

For small firms in particular, where every minute of diligent productivity counts, timekeeping shouldn’t sacrifice the actual work of the law. Yet lawyers are still clicking timers on and off in the background, searching for old emails, or manually inputting their time into Clio or some other practice management platform.

There’s a better way. It’s not just about tracking time; it’s about collecting productivity.

Why It Feels Like Time Stopped in 2025

Despite widespread adoption of platforms like Clio, legal professionals continue to experience the following common pain points:

• Forgetting to track time in the moment 
• Underbilling for client work done via email or phone 
• Manually syncing emails or notes to the correct matter. 
• Wasting time re-creating timelines for billing cycles 
• Administrative fatigue from time entry and correction

In fact, according to a 2023 Clio Legal Trends Report, lawyers bill only 2.5 hours of an 8-hour workday on average, mainly due to the inefficiencies of manual or delayed time entry.

The cost isn’t just lost revenue; it’s lost productivity, stress, and opportunity cost.

What If Time Tracking Just… Happened?

This is where automation for lawyers becomes not only helpful but transformative.

Imagine a tool that:

• Detects every client-related email 
• Automatically links it to the right matter in Clio 
• Creates the time entry 
• Does it all without your intervention, no timers, no checkboxes, no manual data entry

That’s the promise of Tempello, a legal time capture solution designed specifically for small law firms using Clio.

Let’s explore how tools like Tempello are changing more than timekeeping; they redefine productivity and profitability in your law practice.

Feature Deep Dive: How Tempello Works With Clio

Tempello is purpose-built to address the unique needs of small legal teams. Here’s how it integrates with Clio to create seamless AI time tracking:

1. Smart Email Detection

Tempello scans your inbox and identifies every email related to an active matter. Using machine learning and metadata, it auto-categorizes communications with near-perfect accuracy.

2. Matter Syncing

Instead of manually matching time to a matter, Tempello uses Clio’s open API to link time entries to the correct matter based on email content, sender, and context.

3. Auto Time Booking

Time is automatically captured based on your firm’s preferences e.g., per email, per email chain, or block billing. You can adjust before approval, but most lawyers don’t need to.

4. Transparent Review Process

You remain in control. The Tempello Dashboard shows the time captured, giving you complete oversight before invoicing.

5. Security & Compliance

Emails are never stored. Tempello uses end-to-end encryption and complies with SOC 2 best practices, ensuring confidentiality and trust.

The Measurable Benefits: More Billable Time, Less Admin

Small firms using Tempello report the following average outcomes:

These numbers matter. Over a year, that 20% increase in billings could mean an additional $50K–$100K per attorney, without hiring more staff or raising rates.

Case Study: The 8-Lawyer Firm That Gained 96 Hours a Month

Client: Boutique Litigation Firm, Toronto

• Firm size: 8 lawyers, five support staff 
• Challenge: Lost time from unlogged emails and admin overhead 
• Solution: Full Tempello integration with Clio and Gmail 
• Result:
  • 96 lawyer-hours reclaimed monthly 
  • 18% increase in average invoices 
  • Zero pushback from clients (time logs are now more transparent)

“Tempello is the silent assistant we didn’t know we needed. It’s just always on—capturing time we used to lose.”

— Managing Partner, Toronto