Excel for Paralegals: Case Lists, Deadlines and Billing

Excel for paralegals comes down to three jobs: keeping a clean case list, tracking deadlines, and totalling time for billing. You don't need advanced features for any of them. A sortable table, two date functions (WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS) and SUMIF cover most of the daily work. This guide is for working paralegals, legal assistants and anyone preparing for a paralegal job test. It shows how to use Excel as a tool; it is not legal advice.

Set up a case list you can filter#

A case list works best as one row per matter and one column per detail, turned into an Excel table. Typical columns:

Click any cell and press Ctrl+T (Mac: ⌘T) to make it a table. You get filter arrows in every header, and new rows pick up the formatting and formulas automatically.

Three habits keep the list reliable:

• One fact per cell. Put the attorney in one column and the status in another, never "Ortiz - open".
• Drop-down lists for repeated values such as Status and Type, so "Open" is never typed as "open " with a space.
• Real dates, not text. Type 17/11/2026 or use DATE, so formulas can count with them.

To see only one attorney's open matters, filter the Attorney and Status columns. The guide to filtering data in Excel covers every filter type. Client data is confidential, so store the file where your firm's policy says and share it only with people who should see it.

Calculate deadlines with WORKDAY#

WORKDAY returns the date a set number of business days after a start date, skipping weekends and any holidays you list:

=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])

List the holidays your office or court observes in a range, for example H2:H10. If A2 holds Monday 2 November 2026, and H2:H10 includes 11 November and 26 November 2026:

=WORKDAY(A2,10,$H$2:$H$10)

The result is Tuesday 17 November 2026. Excel skipped two weekends and the 11 November holiday. Lock the holiday range with $ so it stays fixed when you fill down. The WORKDAY function guide explains each argument, and the due date formula guide shows more deadline patterns.

Some periods are counted in calendar days but must not end on a weekend or holiday. This formula returns day 30, or the next business day if day 30 isn't one:

=WORKDAY(A2+30-1,1,$H$2:$H$10)

From Friday 6 November 2026, day 30 is Sunday 6 December, so the formula returns Monday 7 December 2026.

Important: Excel only counts the days you tell it to count. Whether the start day counts, whether a period uses calendar or business days, and what happens on weekends and holidays all depend on the rules that apply to the matter. Confirm the rule with your supervising attorney, and use the spreadsheet to track and double-check dates, not to decide them.

Count business days left with NETWORKDAYS#

NETWORKDAYS counts the business days between two dates, and it counts both the start and the end date:

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

From Monday 2 November to Monday 30 November 2026, with the two November holidays listed, =NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2,$H$2:$H$10) returns 19.

For a live "days left" column, use TODAY as the start: =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(),F2,$H$2:$H$10). For calendar days, simply subtract: =F2-TODAY(). The guide to days until a deadline covers both, and the comparison of NETWORKDAYS and WORKDAY explains when each fits. See also the NETWORKDAYS function guide.

Flag deadlines that are due soon#

Conditional formatting colours a cell when a rule is true, so urgent dates stand out. Select the deadline column (say F2:F50), go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule > Use a formula, and enter:

=AND($F2<>"",$F2-TODAY()<=7,$F2>=TODAY())

Pick an orange fill. Add a second rule, =AND($F2<>"",$F2<TODAY()), with a red fill for dates that have passed. The $F2 locks the column but lets the row change, so every row checks its own date. Pair this with a Status filter so closed matters drop out of view.

Track time and billing with SUMIF#

Keep time entries in a log with one row per entry: date, matter, task and hours. Then total any matter with SUMIF:

=SUMIF(B2:B7,"M-104",D2:D7)

The result is 3.25 hours (0.5 + 1.5 + 1.25). Multiply by the hourly rate to get the amount. For two conditions, such as one matter in one month, use SUMIFS. The SUMIF function guide has more criteria examples.

Many firms bill in tenths of an hour (6-minute units). To round minutes up to the next tenth, use =ROUNDUP(B2/6,0)/10: 47 minutes becomes 0.8 hours. Follow your firm's own billing rules. The timesheet guide shows how to turn start and end times into hours.

Excel skills paralegal job tests check#

Paralegal Excel tests usually check practical tasks rather than advanced features:

• Sorting and filtering a list, and clearing the filter afterwards
• Entering and formatting dates, and adding days to them
• SUM, COUNTIF and SUMIF on a small table
• Finding a value with VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP
• Basic formatting, freezing the header row and printing a clean page

If you're not sure where you stand, take the 12-question Excel level test. For timed practice, try the basic Excel test.

Practise it#

Deadlines are where a wrong formula hurts most, so practise until WORKDAY feels automatic. Practise NETWORKDAYS and WORKDAY in a live spreadsheet: you type each formula and the sheet checks it instantly. Then practise filtering a table and practise SUMIF for case lists and billing. Or start with the exercise on this page.