Commerce

In commerce, double billing is the error of charging a customer twice for the same unique product. This can occur due to a change in product name or due to a software error.

Law

In law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

, double billing refers to charging an hourly rate to two clients for the same time spent working. The American Bar Association

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...

 prohibits double billing. It is tantamount to overcharging, since the amount of time actually spent working on any one client's work is less than the amount billed to that client.

Associates

Associate attorney

An associate attorney is a lower-level employee of a traditional law firm who does not hold an ownership interest as a partner.-Attorneys:An associate may be a junior or senior associate, but normally does not yet hold an ownership interest in the firm even if they have been associated with the...

 and partners

Business partner

Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...

 alike at large law firms

Law firm

A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

 face significant pressure to double bill or to "pad" their hours in order to reduce overwork. These attorneys are usually required to bill 1800 to 2000 hours per year. This can ideally work out to a 40 hour work week, but it is usually 60 or more, since most attorneys must spend one hour in the office for every two they can bill to a specific client. In 1998, Cameron Stracher

Cameron Stracher

Cameron Stracher is a writer, law professor, and media lawyer. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and teaches at New York Law School. After graduating from Harvard, he worked for one year at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., and then moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where he...

's book Double Billing suggested that double billing is common in law firms, but that implication was misleading.