Law Firm Bookkeeping Resources

IOLTA trust accounting, partner distributions, matter-based billing, and compliance resources for law firms of all sizes.

Start Here

Pillar Guide

Law Firm Bookkeeping: The Complete Financial Management Guide

Complete guide to law firm bookkeeping — IOLTA trust accounting, partner distributions, billing models, KPIs, and when to outsource. Built for managing partners.

Read the full guide

Guides & Articles

IOLTA Three-Way Reconciliation: The Monthly Process That Protects Your License

Trust accounting is the single most frequent source of attorney discipline. Three-way reconciliation is the monthly process that prevents it — when done correctly. Here's the workflow, the common discrepancies, and the software that gets it right.

IOLTA Trust Account Reconciliation: Step-by-Step

Step-by-step guide to IOLTA trust account reconciliation for law firms. Three-way reconciliation, common violations, and compliance best practices.

Law Firm Partner Distributions, Draws & K-1 Allocations Explained

Most law firm partnership disputes start with the compensation check. Guaranteed payments, draws, K-1 distributions, and tax reserves — the mechanics most partnership agreements leave undefined until the cash gets tight.

Partner Distributions and Equity Tracking

How to track partner distributions, equity, and K-1 preparation for law firms. Covers eat-what-you-kill, lockstep, and hybrid compensation models.

Clio vs CosmoLex (2026): Category-by-Category Comparison

Most law firm software comparisons pick a winner. This one picks winners by category — pricing, IOLTA, billing, integrations, document automation — so you can match the platform to your firm's actual shape.

Best Software for Law Firm Bookkeeping in 2026

Compare the 8 best law firm bookkeeping software platforms in 2026 — Clio, CosmoLex, QuickBooks + LeanLaw. Includes IOLTA trust accounting compliance, pricing breakdowns, and specific recommendations by firm size.

Matter-Based Billing vs Flat Fee Accounting

Compare matter-based billing and flat fee accounting for law firms. Revenue recognition, WIP tracking, realization rates, and which model fits your practice.

7 Financial KPIs Every Managing Partner Should Review

The 7 financial KPIs every law firm managing partner needs to review monthly. Benchmarks, formulas, and red flags for realization rate, collection rate, and more.