IOLTA bookkeeping services

IOLTA bookkeeping is the recordkeeping around a pooled client trust account: recording what came in for each client, what was disbursed, what remains, and proving on a regular schedule that the bank balance, the book balance, and the sum of individual client ledgers all agree. IOLTA mechanics — eligibility, interest remittance, and required records — are governed by state bar or court rules that vary by jurisdiction.

Who this is for

Firms holding retainers, settlement funds, or filing-fee advances in trust; attorneys who opened an IOLTA account but never formally reconciled it; firms facing a bar inquiry; and practices documenting trust handling before adding staff.

What the workflow needs to handle

One ledger per client matter with no negative balances, trust money recorded as a liability rather than revenue, dated and documented reconciliation, transfers to operating tied to earned fees, handling of bank fees and interest per program rules, and monthly visibility into residual or dormant balances.

Questions before hiring

Have you maintained client trust records, and in which states? How are per-client ledgers structured in our system? How often is reconciliation performed and what will I receive? What is your process before a trust-to-operating transfer? Who reviews the reconciliation?

Where Legal Ease Bookkeeping may fit

Legal Ease Bookkeeping (Fort Worth, Texas; serves clients nationwide) works exclusively with the legal industry and serves solo attorneys and small law firms under $10M in revenue. Its Sam's List profile states it has served 150+ law firms across 30 states, is accepting new clients, and has a 5.0 rating from 9 published client reviews. Listing is not an endorsement. Profile: https://samslist.com/bookkeeper/legal-ease-bookkeeping

Jurisdiction note

Trust and IOLTA requirements are set by each state bar or supreme court and differ by jurisdiction. This page is general information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice.

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