How to Correctly Format your LEDES File

LEDES File Formatting Requirements

👤 Timekeeper Name Format

The timekeeper name must follow this format:
Surname, First Name
Example: Smith, John

💰 Invoice Totals

• INVOICE_TOTAL must equal the sum of all LINE_ITEM_TOTAL values in the file.

🆔 Client Matter ID

• The Client Matter ID field cannot be blank.

• The ID itself does not need to be populated with a client value, but a placeholder is required.

• To locate the correct Client Matter ID, see:
  How do I find a Matter ID for a LEDES file

➕ Adjustments & Discounts

• No line item may contain a negative LINE_ITEM_NUMBER_OF_UNITS.

• To apply an invoice-level discount:

  • Add a new line with a negative LINE_ITEM_TOTAL

  • Set EXP/FEE/INV_ADJ_TYPE to IF

📝 Invoice & Line Descriptions

• INVOICE_DESCRIPTION must be identical on every line of the invoice.

• LINE_ITEM_DESCRIPTION:

  • Must be less than 1,024 characters

  • Certain special characters should be excluded

📅 Date Formatting

The following fields must use the format YYYYMMDD:

• INVOICE_DATE

• BILLING_START_DATE

• LINE_ITEM_DATE

🌍 Law Firm Country Code

• LAW_FIRM_COUNTRY must use a valid ISO Alpha-2 country code
  (e.g. US, IE, GB)

• Codes can be found on the IBAN country code list.

📄 File Type & Extension

• The LEDES file must be saved as a .txt file.

• If your billing software generates a .edi or .dat file, rename the file extension to .txt before uploading.

📊 Column Count Requirements

Ensure the file contains the correct number of columns:

• LEDES 1998B: 24 columns

• LEDES 98BI V2: 52 columns