When your team logs Fixed Fee time without selecting a specific fixed fee in the dropdown, those entries become unassigned—they're tracked as Fixed Fee time but aren't linked to any particular fee.
Unassigned time is one of the most common data quality issues in Fixed Fee billing. It undermines profitability reporting, skews allocation, and makes it harder to understand which fees are over- or under-scoped.
This article explains how to find unassigned Fixed Fee time, why it matters, and how to fix it efficiently using the tools available on both the Fixed Fees page and the Time Entries page.
What Is Unassigned Fixed Fee Time?
A Fixed Fee time entry is unassigned when:
The Billing Type is set to Fixed Fee
The Fixed Fee dropdown was left blank (no specific fee was selected)
The entry still tracks hours, descriptions, and activity codes—but LeanLaw can't connect it to a specific fee for reporting or allocation purposes.
Why Unassigned Time Matters
Unassigned Fixed Fee time creates blind spots:
Profitability is incomplete — the fee's profitability calculation doesn't include the unassigned hours, so it looks more profitable than it actually is
Allocation is inaccurate — if you use Worked Amount or Worked Hours allocation, unassigned time is excluded from the split
Reporting gaps — unassigned entries don't appear when you drill into an individual fixed fee's time entries
If a significant portion of your firm's Fixed Fee time is unassigned, your profitability data may be unreliable.
How to Find Unassigned Fixed Fee Time
You can identify unassigned time from three places.
From the Unassigned Time Alert (Fastest)
When unassigned Fixed Fee time entries exist, LeanLaw displays an alert banner at the top of the Time Entries page:
"You have 2 unassigned fixed fee time entries that need review. These entries are tracked but not linked to any specific fee."
The count reflects what you have permission to see:
If you do not have "View Time for Others" permission: the alert counts only your own unassigned Fixed Fee entries
If you have "View Time for Others" permission: the alert counts all unassigned Fixed Fee entries across the firm
Clicking the alert takes you directly to the Time Entries page with the Fixed Fee Assignment filter pre-set to Unassigned, so you can immediately review and fix the entries.
This is the fastest way to discover and act on unassigned time—no manual filtering required.
From the Fixed Fees Page
The Fixed Fees page includes an insight card showing the % of fixed fees with no time entries. While this doesn't directly show unassigned time, a high percentage may indicate that time is being logged but not associated.
To investigate further:
Open a fixed fee from the list
Go to the Time Entries tab
Check whether expected time entries appear
If time was logged on the matter but doesn't show under the fee, it's likely unassigned.
From the Time Entries Page
The Time Entries page now includes a dedicated Fixed Fee Assignment filter that makes finding unassigned time fast and straightforward.
Navigate to the Time Entries page
Locate the Fixed Fee Assignment filter
Select Unassigned
This instantly shows all Fixed Fee time entries that are not linked to any specific fee. You can further narrow results using client, matter, date range, or timekeeper filters.
How to Fix Unassigned Time
Unassigned Fixed Fee time entries are not visible from the Time Entries tab inside a fixed fee's slide-in panel—that tab only shows entries already linked to that specific fee. To find and fix unassigned time, use the Time Entries page.
Steps
Navigate to the Time Entries page (or click the unassigned time alert banner if it's visible)
Set the Fixed Fee Assignment filter to Unassigned
(Optional) Filter by client, matter, or date range to narrow results
Select the entries you want to assign
Click Assign to Fee
Choose the appropriate fixed fee from the list
Confirm the action
Note: The Assign to Fee action is only available when all selected entries belong to the same matter. If you select entries from multiple matters, the option will not appear. Filter to one matter at a time when assigning.
When to Use This Approach
You're doing a periodic cleanup of unassigned time
Multiple timekeepers have been logging time without selecting a fee
You want to fix many entries at once
You noticed unassigned entries via the alert banner at the top of the Time Entries page
For more details on all available bulk actions on the Time Entries page, see [Bulk Actions for Fixed Fee Time on the Time Entries Page].
Preventing Unassigned Time Going Forward
Fixing unassigned time is important—but preventing it is better.
Best Practices
Train timekeepers to always select a Fixed Fee when logging time on a matter with fixed fees
Review unassigned time weekly using the Time Entries page filter
Set expectations by matter — when a new fixed fee is created, let the team know which fee to associate time with
Use the Fixed Fees page insight cards to spot matters where fixed fees have no associated time
When Unassigned Time Is Acceptable
In some cases, time may be intentionally unassigned:
The fixed fee hasn't been created yet (time is logged in advance)
The timekeeper genuinely doesn't know which fee the work applies to
In these cases, leave the time unassigned temporarily and assign it during your regular review cycle.
In Summary
Unassigned Fixed Fee time is a common issue that quietly degrades your profitability data and allocation accuracy. The Time Entries page—with the unassigned time alert banner and the Fixed Fee Assignment filter—is the primary tool for finding and fixing these entries in bulk. Combine regular reviews with team training to keep unassigned time to a minimum.