Are You Blocking Travel Time on Your Calendar?

Let’s talk about something that seems small but can have a big impact on your workflow: putting travel time on your calendar.

Yes, I’m serious. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many professionals forget to include it—and how quickly it can lead to scheduling conflicts and stress. Let’s break down why you should always block travel time and how to do it in a way that supports your productivity and sanity.

Why You Should Always Schedule Travel Time

Let’s say you’ve got a court appearance scheduled at 9:00 AM tomorrow. You add the event to your calendar. Great! But… did you block time to get there? Or to get back?

Even if you’ve been to the same courthouse a hundred times (shoutout to my Cook County folks!), that’s not the point. The point is making sure:

You don’t forget to leave in time.
You can open the address in your maps app to check traffic quickly when you’re on the go.
You avoid accidentally scheduling another meeting or consult immediately after court.

And yes, even if you know where you’re going, putting the full address in the calendar helps you or your assistant pull it up instantly in Google Maps or Apple Maps. If there’s a delay or traffic jam, it gives you a heads-up to notify the court or your client in advance.

How to Set Up Travel Time

Here’s how I structure it:

1. Court Appearance (Actual Event):

9:00 AM — Hearing on Motion to Dismiss
Include the full address of the courthouse
Assigned to the actual matter/client

2. Travel to Court:

8:30–9:00 AM (or earlier depending on location)
Add this as a separate calendar event
You can label it “Travel to Court”

3. Travel Back to Office:

Block time after the hearing (e.g., 10:00–10:30 AM)
Adjust based on estimated court duration
Mark as travel or assign to a matter if it’s billable

Pro Tip: Keep It Organized and Billable

If you’re managing multiple hearings or appearances for multiple clients, break them up as individual events so that you can easily:

Track time for each case
Bill accurately
Assign matters to each appointment

For travel time:

If it’s billable, assign the matter and the appropriate rate
If it’s non-billable, assign it to an admin matter for internal tracking

Also, this system makes it easy for your admin or paralegal to track, log, or review what you did without needing a detailed debrief every time.

Standardize It with Calendar Policies

To really take the guesswork out for your team, create a calendar policy with rules like:

“If the hearing is at X courthouse, block 45 minutes of travel time each way.”
“Always include travel for in-person consults or real estate closings.”

This gives your team a framework to schedule accurately, even if you’re not the one inputting the appointments.

Scheduling Tools: Build in Buffers

If you’re using tools like Clio Scheduler or Calendly, make sure you build in buffer time before and after appointments. That way, you avoid getting booked for a Zoom call while you’re still driving back from court.

Give It a Try

If you haven’t been blocking travel time on your calendar yet, this is your sign to start! It may seem like a minor adjustment, but it goes a long way in helping you show up on time, avoid conflicts, and streamline your billing.

Looking for more ways to streamline your law firm? Check out Streamlined Legal Plus, or talk to us about how Clio can transform your practice. AND Use promo code CCC-STREAMLINED to sign up for Clio and get 3 months of streamlined.legal Plus FREE! (That’s a $1,500 value!)