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Setting Up LEDES Billing Firm-Wide in LeanLaw

How to enable and configure LEDES billing firm-wide in LeanLaw — including law firm ID, tax ID, invoice description labels, format selection (98b vs 2000), code sets, and disabling generalized codes.

LEDES (Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard) is a structured billing format used by corporate clients and insurance companies to receive and process legal invoices electronically. Before billing any LEDES-enabled client, you need to configure the firm-wide LEDES settings in LeanLaw.

📋 Subscription required: LEDES billing is available on Pro and Elite LeanLaw subscriptions only. Core subscribers cannot use LEDES.

 

What You'll Need Before Starting

  • LEDES Law Firm ID: Your firm's unique LEDES identifier — this appears in the LAW_FIRM_ID column of every LEDES file you generate.
  • LEDES Law Firm Tax ID: Required only if using the LEDES 2000 format. Not needed for LEDES 98b.

📋 Getting your LEDES IDs: If your firm doesn't have a LEDES Law Firm ID, contact the client requesting LEDES billing — they typically provide the ID format they require or direct you to the appropriate registry.

 

Accessing LEDES Firm Settings

  1. Click the gear icon ⚙️ in the top right to open Settings.
  2. In the left-hand menu, scroll down to LEDES.
  3. The LEDES Billing Settings page opens.

 

Firm-Wide LEDES Configuration Fields

Field

What to Enter

LEDES Law Firm ID

Your firm's LEDES identifier. Populates the LAW_FIRM_ID column in all generated LEDES files. Note: if using LEDES 98b format, this field also serves as your Tax ID.

LEDES Law Firm Tax ID

Your firm's tax ID. Required for LEDES 2000 format only — leave blank if using 98b.

Default Invoice Description

Controls how invoice status labels appear in LEDES files. Leave blank to use automatic labels: Draft → 'Draft', Approved → 'Interim', Open (submitted to QuickBooks Online) → 'Final'. Enter a custom value to override all invoices with a single label.

 

Choosing a LEDES Format

LeanLaw supports two LEDES formats. The format is selected per client (see Article 2), but your firm-level settings apply across both:

Format

When to Use

LEDES 98b

The most widely used format for legal e-billing. Does not require a separate tax ID field — use the Law Firm ID field for your Tax ID if required by this format.

LEDES 2000

A newer format that includes a separate tax ID field. Required by some corporate clients and e-billing systems. Requires both Law Firm ID and Law Firm Tax ID to be configured.

 

📋 Note on LEDES 98b tax: LEDES 98b lists 'Tax on Expenses' and 'Tax on Services' when taxes have been applied to QuickBooks Online line items. Variable tax codes (such as those used in Canada) are not supported in the 98b format.

 

Selecting Code Sets

Code sets determine which activity codes, task codes, and expense codes are available when timekeepers enter time and expenses on LEDES-enabled matters. Default settings activate:

  • Standard activity codes (ABA): g., A101 (Plan and prepare for), A102 (Research)
  • Standard expense codes: g., E101 (Copying), E106 (Online research)
  • Litigation task codes (L-codes): g., L110 (Fact investigation/development), L160 (Settlement)

To add or change code sets, select from the available options on the LEDES settings page. If you need a code set not listed, contact LeanLaw Support at support@myleanlaw.com.

 

Disabling Generalized Codes

By default, LeanLaw includes generalized (parent) codes like C100, C200, and C300 alongside their subcodes. If a client's billing system requires that only specific subcodes (e.g., C310 or C350) be used — not their parent categories — you can disable generalized codes:

  1. On the LEDES settings page, find the option to disable generalized codes.
  2. Toggle it on.
  3. Save settings.

With generalized codes disabled, timekeepers will only see subcodes in the code selector when entering time and expenses on LEDES-enabled matters.