S.D. Florida cuts social security fee award 33.4% over block billing

What happened

The fee applicant sought $7,219.12 under the Equal Access to Justice Act for 29.6 hours. The court awarded $4,808.89, a reduction of $2,410.23, or 33.4%. The court reduced the block billed entries by 40%, covering 9.88 hours, because the entries did not show how much time counsel spent on each specific task listed. The figures do not include costs.

What the court said

the block billed entries will be reduced by 40% because there is no way to determine the amount of time counsel spent on each of the specific tasks mentioned in the block-billed entries.

Why it matters

The ruling shows that courts will cut fees when block-billed entries do not separate time by task, because the court cannot check whether each task was reasonable. A single percentage cut applied to the affected entries is a common remedy.

How to keep this out of your fee petition

• Record one task per entry, each with its own time.
• Write the entry when the work happens, not at the end of the week.
• If a task really is one unit of work, say what it was and what it produced.

Cite this ruling

See hourly rates the S.D. Florida approves and attorney fee motions in Florida federal courts.

Figures and quotes are taken from the opinion and checked against its text. Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.