---
title: "How to track billable time in Notion (with six-minute rounding)"
url: https://notionforlawyers.com/post/tracking-billable-hours-notion-databases
updated: 2026-10-17
author: Raghav Handa
---

# How to track billable time in Notion (with six-minute rounding)

To track billable time in Notion, create a Time database related to Matters with date, timekeeper, start and end times (or minutes), rate and an invoiced checkbox. A formula rounds each entry up to six-minute units (0.1 hours) and calculates the amount; a view of billable, uninvoiced entries feeds your billing system.

## Key takeaways

- Record time against the matter, not in a separate spreadsheet, so every matter shows its unbilled work.
- Round with a formula: ceil(minutes / 6) / 10 gives hours in tenths.
- Buttons can stamp start and end times, removing manual entry.
- Notion tracks time; invoices, payments and trust money belong in your billing and accounting tools.

## How do you set up the Time database?

| Property | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Description | Title | What was done, written for the invoice |
| Matter | Relation | Links the entry to the matter |
| Timekeeper | Person | Who did the work |
| Date | Date | When |
| Start / End | Date with time | Optional, filled by buttons |
| Minutes | Number or formula | Entered, or calculated from start and end |
| Hours (billed) | Formula | Rounded to tenths |
| Rate | Number | Hourly rate |
| Amount | Formula | Billed hours × rate |
| Billable | Checkbox | Exclude admin and non-chargeable time |
| Invoiced | Checkbox or relation | Set when billed |


## Which formulas round time to six minutes?

Six-minute increments (a tenth of an hour) are a common legal billing unit. These formulas assume a Minutes property; check your engagement terms for the rounding your firm uses.

| Formula property | Formula |
| --- | --- |
| Minutes (from start and end) | dateBetween(prop("End"), prop("Start"), "minutes") |
| Hours (billed) | ceil(prop("Minutes") / 6) / 10 |
| Amount | prop("Hours (billed)") * prop("Rate") |

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1maiGeki6I


## Can you start and stop a timer in Notion?

Notion has no built-in stopwatch, but buttons can do the job. A 'Start' button on the matter page adds a Time entry with the matter, timekeeper and the current time as Start; a 'Stop' button property on the entry sets End to now. The Minutes formula does the rest.

- Notion: Database buttons: https://www.notion.com/help/database-buttons


## Which views make time tracking useful?

- My week: my entries this week, grouped by day.
- Billable, uninvoiced: the list to bill, grouped by matter.
- By matter: a rollup on Matters showing unbilled hours and amount.
- Non-billable: to see where unbilled time goes.


## How do you get from time entries to an invoice?

1. Review: Open Billable, uninvoiced for the matter and edit descriptions for the client.
2. Bill: Create the invoice in your billing or accounting software from those entries.
3. Mark invoiced: Tick Invoiced (or link the entries to an Invoices record) so they leave the unbilled view.


## What can time data tell you about your practice?

Beyond invoices, time data shows utilisation (billable hours against available hours), which matter types are profitable, and where non-billable time goes. Even a simple monthly review of hours by matter type changes how you price work.


## FAQ

### Can you track billable hours in Notion?

Yes. A Time database related to Matters, with formulas for rounding and amounts, tracks billable hours well.

### How do I round time to six minutes in Notion?

Use the formula ceil(prop("Minutes") / 6) / 10 to get hours rounded up to tenths.

### Does Notion have a timer?

Not built in, but start and stop buttons can stamp times on an entry and a formula calculates the duration.

### Can Notion create invoices?

Not natively. Track time in Notion and invoice from your billing or accounting software.

### Is there a Notion time tracking template for lawyers?

LawyerOS Pro with AI includes a Time database with uninvoiced, billable and weekly views.

## Sources

- [Notion: Intro to formulas](https://www.notion.com/help/formulas)
- [Notion: Database buttons](https://www.notion.com/help/database-buttons)
- [Thomas Frank: Notion formula reference](https://thomasjfrank.com/formulas/notion-formula-reference/)