Block billing: how courts cut fee awards for it
Block billing is recording several tasks in one time entry with a single total, such as 3.4 hours to review discovery, call the client, and draft a motion. A court reviewing a fee petition cannot tell how long each task took, so it cannot test whether the time was reasonable. The usual response is a percentage cut to the block-billed entries or to the whole award.
- Rulings tracked
- 215
- Median cut for this reason
- 20%
- Total fees cut in these rulings
- $38M
Median of the percentage reductions courts stated for block billing. Totals cover every reduction in those rulings.
What courts say
The Court finds that Dr. Huang's calculation represents a reasonable lodestar amount. It will impose a 10% reduction in fees for unreasonable block billing.
of the 207.4 hours billed, 108.3 hours, or 52%, were block-billed. Therefore, a 15% global reduction in attorney's fees requests is reasonable and warranted.
Although the invoices submitted seem to document at least that many hours billed, some of the time entries appear to include block billing with work performed for other matters.
Because the entries show some instances of block billing, a five-percent reduction is appropriate.
The Court finds that a fifty percent reduction is reasonable. This reduces the total by $2,250.
How to keep it 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.
More: what a fee declaration needs · fee cuts for bad time records
FAQ
What is block billing in legal billing?
Block billing is recording several tasks in one time entry with a single total, such as 3.4 hours to review discovery, call the client, and draft a motion. A court reviewing a fee petition cannot tell how long each task took, so it cannot test whether the time was reasonable. The usual response is a percentage cut to the block-billed entries or to the whole award.
How much do courts cut attorney fees for block billing?
When federal courts cut fees for block billing, the median reduction they applied was 20% (148 rulings since January 2024).
How often do courts cut fees for block billing?
In 12.2% of federal fee rulings that cut a fee since January 2024 (254 rulings).
How do you avoid block billing on a 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.
Rulings that cut fees for block billing
| Date | Court | Case | Practice area | Requested | Awarded | Cut | Recordkeeping reasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | N.D. Texas | Huang v. University of Texas Arlington | Employment | $218,172.50 | $196,355.25 | 10% | Block billing |
| Oct 16, 2026 | D. Massachusetts | Nichole Sliney Realty Team, Inc. v. Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company | Commercial | Not stated | Not stated | 15% for records | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing |
| Oct 15, 2026 | N.D. New York | Automotive Lift Institute, Inc. v. Dami Co., LLC | Intellectual property | Not stated | Not stated | See ruling | Block billing |
| Oct 15, 2026 | S.D. Florida | Global Approach, Inc. v. Scottsdale Insurance Company | Commercial | $35,684 | $33,899.80 | 5% | Block billing |
| Oct 1, 2026 | N.D. California | Fernandez Emley v. Ford Motor Company et al | Consumer protection | $27,274.80 | $18,244.75 | 33.1% | Block billing |
| Sep 30, 2026 | Bankr. E.D. Tennessee | Echo MAV, LLC aka EchoMAV, LLC | Bankruptcy | $426,730.97 | $311,852.45 | 26.9% | Block billing |
| Sep 30, 2026 | E.D. California | G & G Closed Circuit Events, LLC v. Navarro-Gonzalez | $51,122.50 | $18,616.50 | 63.6% | Reconstructed time, Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work | |
| Sep 29, 2026 | W.D. New York | United States of America v. Group Health Cooperative et al | Not stated | Not stated | 30% for records | Block billing | |
| Sep 29, 2026 | S.D. Florida | Global Approach, Inc. v. Scottsdale Insurance Company | Commercial | $35,684 | $33,899.80 | 5% | Block billing |
| Sep 29, 2026 | D. Connecticut | Loiseau v. Bozzuto's Inc | Employment | $203,525.60 | $94,201.25 | 53.7% | Block billing |
| Sep 28, 2026 | E.D. Pennsylvania | LIN v. LEES HOUSE RESTAURANT INC et al | Wage and hour | $110,935.83 | $9,952.11 | 91% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing, Vague entries |
| Sep 25, 2026 | D. Oregon | Goren v. SMA Hub, Inc. et al | $21,259.50 | $14,779 | 30.5% | Block billing | |
| Sep 24, 2026 | E.D. Pennsylvania | HICKS v. CITY OF PHILADELPHIA et al | Civil rights | $290,890 | $132,354.95 | 54.5% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing, Missing contemporaneous records |
| Sep 23, 2026 | N.D. Texas | Computer Sciences Corporation v. Tata Consultancy Services Limited et al | Intellectual property | $15,811,695.76 | $15,291,490.97 | 3.3% | Block billing |
| Sep 16, 2026 | N.D. New York | Cayuga Nation v. Parker et al | $656,599.88 | $235,743.75 | 64.1% | Block billing | |
| Sep 16, 2026 | S.D. Florida | Valley National Bank v. CaptiveOne Services, LLC et al | Commercial | $464,258.50 | $250,730 | 46% | Vague entries, Block billing |
| Sep 15, 2026 | N.D. Texas | Quiktech LLC v. H & R Block Enterprise LLC | Not stated | Not stated | 50% for records | Block billing | |
| Sep 15, 2026 | M.D. Tennessee | Apartment Insiders, LLC v. Hensen | $23,957.50 | $3,699.50 | 84.6% | Block billing | |
| Sep 14, 2026 | E.D. Louisiana | Gulf Credit, LLC v. DHD Offshore Services, LLC et al | Commercial | Not stated | Not stated | 10% for records | Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing |
| Sep 10, 2026 | D. Vermont | Browe et al v. CTC Corporation et al | ERISA benefits | $657,160 | $295,724.50 | 55% | Block billing |
| Sep 9, 2026 | E.D. New York | In re Whaleco Privacy Litigation | Consumer protection | $597,553 | $302,547.60 | 49.4% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing |
| Sep 9, 2026 | E.D. New York | In re Whaleco/Potter Handy Data Privacy Mass Actions | $597,553 | $302,547.60 | 49.4% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing | |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Bankr. C.D. California | IN Holdings, Inc and 5310 Holdings, LLC | Bankruptcy | Not stated | Not stated | 50% for records | Clerical work billed as legal work, Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing, Block billing, Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Sep 8, 2026 | E.D. New York | Dilfanian v. The New York City Department of Education et al | Employment | $365,400 | $128,370.54 | 64.9% | Block billing, Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Sep 8, 2026 | E.D. California | (HC) Vasquez Amaya v. Chestnut, et al | Immigration | Not stated | Not stated | See ruling | Block billing |
| Aug 27, 2026 | E.D. New York | Everyday People NYC LLC v. Ali | Intellectual property | $94,310 | $61,359.70 | 34.9% | Block billing |
| Aug 26, 2026 | D. Minnesota | Case Name in Immigration Case - Unavailable | Immigration | Not stated | Not stated | 50% for records | Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Aug 20, 2026 | D. Arizona | BBK Tobacco & Foods LLP v. Central Coast Agriculture Incorporated | Intellectual property | $5,526,987.50 | $2,559,745.61 | 53.7% | Block billing |
| Aug 19, 2026 | E.D. California | Gaines et al v. FCA US, LLC | Consumer protection | $37,365.68 | $7,300 | 80.5% | Vague entries, Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Aug 14, 2026 | D. Hawaii | Capstone Studios, Corp. v. Oswald | Intellectual property | $18,787.50 | $14,725.13 | 21.6% | Block billing |
| Aug 14, 2026 | D. Colorado | Joppy v. HCA-HealthOne LLC et al | Employment | $2,703,055 | $2,002,997.25 | 25.9% | Vague entries, Block billing |
| Aug 13, 2026 | W.D. North Carolina | CMT USA, Inc. et al v. Apex Tool Group LLC et al | Intellectual property | Not stated | Not stated | 30% for records | Block billing, Block billing |
| Aug 11, 2026 | D. Hawaii | Privratsky v. Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company | Commercial | $693,652.50 | $367,524.91 | 47% | Block billing, Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Aug 10, 2026 | E.D. Texas | Bounds v. Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano | Employment | $110,385 | $88,308 | 20% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Vague entries, Block billing |
| Aug 10, 2026 | S.D. California | Eoll v. General Motors LLC et al | Consumer protection | $26,290.80 | $15,109 | 42.5% | Block billing, Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Aug 4, 2026 | D. Arizona | Wagoner et al v. State Industrial Products Corporation | ERISA benefits | $30,400 | $25,625.30 | 15.7% | Block billing, Vague entries |
| Aug 3, 2026 | D. Minnesota | Ballast Advisors, LLC v. Peterson et al | $163,819.50 | $88,350 | 46.1% | Block billing | |
| Jul 29, 2026 | E.D. Louisiana | George v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. | Disability access | $371,600 | $128,375 | 65.5% | Block billing, Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Jul 9, 2026 | D. New Mexico | Eze et al v. Lunsford et al | Civil rights | $49,632.34 | $22,079.27 | 55.5% | Vague entries, Block billing, Vague entries, Block billing, Vague entries, Block billing |
| Jul 7, 2026 | D. Puerto Rico | Gonzalez-Carpio v. Bracha & Success Enterprise LLC. et al | Employment | $185,689.50 | $158,522.50 | 14.6% | Vague entries, Block billing |
| Jun 22, 2026 | N.D. Texas | Shamoun & Norman LLP v. General Radar Corp et al | Commercial | $65,456.26 | $14,944.96 | 77.2% | Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work, Clerical work billed as legal work |
| Jun 18, 2026 | W.D. Oklahoma | Giang v. DeJoy | Employment | $5,590 | $1,612.50 | 71.2% | Block billing |
| Jun 17, 2026 | D. Puerto Rico | Sanchez-Sifonte et al v. Fonseca et al | $62,020.70 | $39,413.25 | 36.5% | Block billing, Vague entries, Clerical work billed as legal work | |
| Jun 12, 2026 | D. Alaska | The United States of America v. The State of Alaska et al | Environmental | Not stated | Not stated | 15% for records | Block billing |
| Jun 10, 2026 | D. Arizona | Starboard Attitude Trust et al v. FirstFleet Incorporated | $25,407.74 | $14,560.40 | 42.7% | Vague entries, Block billing | |
| Jun 2, 2026 | M.D. Pennsylvania | Siras v. Bah et al | Not stated | Not stated | See ruling | Block billing, Clerical work billed as legal work, Missing contemporaneous records | |
| May 28, 2026 | D. Colorado | Morales Lopez v. Baltazar et al | Immigration | $37,926 | $26,223.12 | 30.9% | Clerical work billed as legal work, Block billing |
| May 19, 2026 | S.D. Texas | Saddleback Exploration, LLC v. Brunelle et al | $52,707.50 | $4,637.50 | 91.2% | Block billing, Vague entries | |
| May 7, 2026 | N.D. California | Johnson v. City of Santa Rosa et al | Civil rights | $340,677.50 | $113,044.82 | 66.8% | Block billing, Block billing |
| Apr 23, 2026 | W.D. Texas | Castro v. Kory et al | Civil rights | $674,773 | $572,902.63 | 15.1% | Block billing, Vague entries |
See all 215 rulings that cut fees for block billing
Spot an error? Email team@legaltime.ai with the case name and we will correct it. Summaries of public court opinions. Not legal advice.