Guides for running a solo or small law firm
Trust accounting, engagement letters, billing and the rest of the business side of a practice. Every rule we describe links to the primary source it comes from, so you can check it against your own state.
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What an IOLTA account is, and the rules that come with one
An IOLTA account is a pooled lawyer trust account for client money that is too small, or held too briefly, to earn interest for the client. The interest goes to your state's IOLTA program, which funds civil legal aid. Here is how it works, and what the rules ask of you.
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Three-way reconciliation for a lawyer trust account, step by step
A three-way reconciliation checks that three numbers agree: what the bank says is in your trust account, what your own account register says, and the total of every client's ledger. When they do not agree, the difference is the thing to find.
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The attorney engagement letter: what it covers, with a sample outline
An engagement letter sets out, in writing, what you will do for the client, what it will cost, and how the relationship works and ends. Most disputes with clients are easier to resolve when that page exists. Below is what it usually covers and a sample outline to adapt.
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How to start a law firm: a practical checklist for solo lawyers
Starting a solo practice is mostly a list of decisions made in the right order. This checklist walks through the ones that are hard to undo later, and points to the rules that shape them.
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Earned vs unearned fees, and when money can leave the trust account
Money a client pays before the work is done is usually unearned, and it belongs in trust until you earn it. The hard cases are flat fees and retainers, and on those the states do not all agree.