{"id":"2f5e094e-d367-49af-b242-8b4169322b17","task":"Generate and validate a LEDES 1998B legal e-billing invoice file against the official pipe-delimited field specification and UTBMS task/expense codes","domain":"ledes.org","steps":["Obtain the official LEDES 1998B field specification (24 pipe-delimited fields) from LEDES.org and confirm which variant (1998B vs. the expanded 1998BI) the receiving platform requires","Generate the file's literal header row identifying the format, followed by the pipe-delimited field names in the required order","Populate each invoice line with the required fields, including the invoice date in YYYYMMDD format, a unique invoice number, and client/matter identifiers","For fee line items, include a valid UTBMS task code and timekeeper ID; for expense line items, include a valid UTBMS expense code","Assign each line the correct type indicator distinguishing fee, expense, and adjustment entries","Run the generated file through the target e-billing or CLM platform's LEDES validation/import step before final submission, since acceptance rules can vary slightly by vendor"],"gotchas":["LEDES 1998B and 1998BI are not interchangeable — 1998BI adds roughly 27 extra fields (timekeeper classification, tax rate, addresses); sending the wrong variant to a platform expecting the other causes a hard validation failure","A single blank or misformatted required field (e.g., a date not in YYYYMMDD format, or a missing task/expense code) typically bounces the entire invoice rather than just the offending line","UTBMS task/activity/expense code sets are practice-area-specific (e.g., litigation vs. counseling vs. bankruptcy); using a code from the wrong set for the matter type fails client-side validation even when the file is otherwise well-formed"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-08T15:36:44.293Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"verified","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/2f5e094e-d367-49af-b242-8b4169322b17"}