Inputs you need for attorney fee calculations in Florida
5 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Inputs you will need
Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Attorney Fee calculator.
If you’re running an attorney-fee calculation in Florida with DocketMath (calculator: attorney-fee), gather the same core inputs every time. The goal is to start from case facts and billing amounts that already exist in your file—so your modeled number can stand up to review.
Use this practical checklist to make sure you have the information DocketMath needs (and the information you’ll need to justify your time window).
Florida jurisdiction code: US-FL
Court type (optional for the calculator, but useful for recordkeeping)
Example: the date you filed a motion for fees, or the date you’re preparing the calculation for
Common examples: the date the relevant work began, a filing/service date, or the start of the period you’re claiming fees for (depending on your theory)
Common examples: a judgment date, settlement date, or the date services concluded
Attorney hourly rate(s)
Paralegal/other professional rate(s) (if your workflow includes them)
Whether you use separate rates by timekeeper or blended rates across categories
Total attorney hours
Total hours for any additional professionals
Any split if you’re modeling different phases (e.g., motion practice vs. trial prep)
Date of work
Description or task category (optional for math, but helpful for review)
Billable hours per entry
Rate applied per entry (especially if you have multiple rates)
Filing fees, service fees, transcript/deposition costs, and other litigation expenses
Tip: if you plan to show costs separately from attorney time, keep your inputs aligned with how you intend to report outputs in your final request
Examples: excluding time that falls outside your intended window, removing non-fee-related time entries, or applying a reduction factor you’ve already identified in your case review
This checklist includes a general/default 4-year baseline for time-window checking.
Default period for this workflow: 4 years under Florida Statute § 775.15(2)(d).
Important clarity note: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the materials provided. Treat the 4-year period as the general/default period for your time-window check, not as a claim-tailored rule.
Start your workflow here: /tools/attorney-fee
Where to find each input
Collect your inputs from the sources you already trust in day-to-day practice. That usually means you can defend both the dates and the numbers more easily.
**Dates (fee request date, start date, end date)
- Case docket timestamps (filing date, service date, hearing/decision date)
- Orders/judgments that establish key end dates
- Your billing system’s time range for the actual work performed
**Hourly rate(s)
- Engagement letter and retainer agreements
- Billing policies (especially if different timekeepers have different rates)
- Prior fee schedules used for your internal modeling
Hours by timekeeper
- Itemized billing export (CSV/PDF)
- Timekeeper summaries
- Spreadsheet rollups (if you already categorize work by phase)
Time entry details
- Billing export including entry dates and descriptions
- Matter management system exports (if applicable)
Costs
- Expense ledger or billing ledger “costs” section
- Receipts/expense logs used for reimbursement-style requests
Reductions/adjustments
- Redline notes from your fee review
- Internal memo documenting what you excluded and why (keep the “why” tied to dates/categories)
4-year time-window check
- Use Florida Statute § 775.15(2)(d) as the baseline 4-year period for this workflow’s time-window check.
- Reminder: this is the general/default period used for a check only (not a claim-specific determination).
Run it
Once you have your inputs, the DocketMath attorney-fee workflow is typically a matter of entering the time window, the rates/hours, and (if applicable) costs and any reductions you’re modeling.
Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Attorney Fee calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.
Step-by-step checklist
- Start date and end date for the calculation period
- Attorney **hourly rate(s)
- Hours (by timekeeper or phase, depending on your data format)
- Optional: costs
- Optional: reductions/adjustments you want reflected in the modeled output
- If your intended calculation window looks like it exceeds the 4-year baseline, flag it for review and confirm your period is consistent with how you’re justifying the request.
How the output changes when you change inputs
A good way to validate your modeled number is to change one input at a time and observe the direction of the result:
- Higher hourly rate → higher fee amount
- Total fees generally scale upward proportionally with the rate applied to your included hours.
- More hours → higher fee amount
- If you add hours (or widen the window), the total usually increases linearly with the included time.
- Change the date window → different included time
- Only the time entries that fall within your selected period should affect the computed total.
- Apply reductions/exclusions → lower fee amount
- Removing entries or applying an adjustment reduces the included hours and therefore reduces fees.
- Add costs (if included) → total request increases
- Costs typically add on top of attorney time if your workflow models them together.
Gentle practice reminder: a date-window mismatch is one of the most common causes of unsupported fee math. If your billed time spans one range (e.g., “through trial”) but your calculator window is shorter (e.g., “only the last 4 years”), make sure your dataset and your time window align.
Related reading
- Worked example: attorney fee calculations in Vermont — Worked example with real statute citations