Start with the specific disagreement
A dispute about billed hours is easier to address when time entries describe the task and its connection to the agreed work. Start by checking that both people are using the same rate, billing period and definition of billable activity. Then reconcile the entries that are actually questioned. A total without an explanation can leave the client guessing even when the work was performed.
Work through the facts, one step at a time
Confirm the billing rules
Review the rate, any cap and whether meetings, research, administration or revisions were included. Check rounding and minimum increments. A disagreement over these rules may explain the total without any dispute about whether work occurred.
Reconcile the questioned entries
Show the date, task, time and relevant output for each entry. Combine irrelevant internal detail into a clear description, but preserve the underlying record. Correct duplicate or misallocated entries rather than defending them.
Agree what needs further explanation
Ask the client to identify any remaining questions. If the work took longer than expected, distinguish an estimate from a cap and discuss what was communicated before the overrun. Keep future changes to billing rules explicit.
What this can look like
An invoice lists twelve hours as “project work.” Eight relate to delivery, two to client meetings and two to requested revisions. Breaking that down reveals that the client’s objection concerns meeting time rather than the delivered work.
This is an invented scenario to explain the approach, not a customer result or a prediction of your outcome.
Records worth gathering
- Time entries
- Agreed rates and caps
- Deliverables linked to entries
- Meeting and revision approvals
Keep originals and prepare copies of the relevant parts. Redact unrelated personal details before sharing. Explain any gaps in the record rather than filling them with assumptions.
Open a clearer conversation
Edits stay on this page and are lost when you leave. Nothing is sent automatically. This is a discussion starter, not a legal notice or settlement agreement.
Before you agree to the next step
Do not invent detailed time records retrospectively. If an explanation is reconstructed from other records, label it as a reconstruction and retain the original evidence.
Put any proposed outcome into specific terms: who will act, what they will do, the amount if money is involved, and the date. Identify what remains unresolved. An invitation, a discussion and a signed agreement are different stages.
What if my records are incomplete?
Explain the gap honestly. Use available deliverables, calendars and messages to reconstruct a limited account, clearly distinguishing estimates from recorded time. Do not present an estimate as an exact contemporaneous log.
Further guidance
These independent resources cover related issues. Check the location and type of case each applies to; they do not establish your rights everywhere.
A private place to prepare your side
SettleBetween provides private AI guidance for each person and a shared space to discuss approved information. You choose what to share and whether to agree. Availability depends on both parties’ locations and the dispute type.
Free to start. The case starter pays $79 only after both parties sign. The invited party never pays the agreement fee. See included access and pricing.
Prepare your side freeAI can make mistakes. This guide is practical preparation, not legal advice. Use appropriate official schemes or independent advice when needed. A discussion here does not pause external deadlines or guarantee payment.