They always give us good folks to work with; we enjoy working with them. At Supporting Strategies, small business bookkeeping and controller services is our core business. For over 15 years, Supporting law firm bookkeeping Strategies’ locally owned and operated offices have served thousands of companies. Working with us eliminates the need to hire a controller, an HR administrator or an accounts payable manager.

• Suppose you understand exactly what your firm is collecting and your firm’s expenses; you lower your chances of accidentally missing out on revenue.
• The bookkeeping system that every entry to an account requires corresponding opposite access to a different accounting.
• Every law firm has a responsibility to stay compliant with ethics regulations, and your firm is no exception.
• Now that we work with Lescault and Walderman, they are responsive to our needs.
• MyCase helps increase accuracy and peace of mind by providing you with all financial data (billing, payments, expenses, banking) under a single platform.

It’s a practical approach that ensures financial stability and empowers firms to focus on their core competencies. If you’re looking to move outside of the Quickbooks universe, Xero is a fast-growing and popular online software option. Xero is substantially cheaper than Quickbooks, so it might make sense if you’re just getting started. Accrual accounting is a more sophisticated method that records revenue and expenses at the time they are earned or incurred, regardless of when you receive the money. The benefit of this approach is that you have a more realistic understanding of your law firm’s income and expenses.

What is Law Firm Accounting?

It’s not as dire as comingling your business and trust accounts, but it’s a slippery slope toward unorganized accounting. Law school doesn’t teach lawyers anything about accounting, including how to manage their IOLTA. Many attorneys aren’t familiar with the rules governing these accounts and will unknowingly break these rules.

• Instead, you may use any reliable accounting software for this purpose, as there are several such software tools available on the market.
• Having a clear budget will help you track expenses, revenue, and goals so that you can make sure that you have the necessary resources available for major expenses.
• While you’ve spent years honing your skills to become a great lawyer, you didn’t learn about accounting or bookkeeping for attorneys at law school.
• What’s most important is that you get the details right so that you can stay compliant with ethics rules and help your firm grow to its full potential.
• Most lawyers do so with the help of law firm accounting software.

An accountant who prepares financial statements can provide valuable insights into the firm’s overall financial health. And an accountant who specializes in tax planning and compliance can ensure that the firm is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. There are many benefits to double-entry accounting, but the main one is that it provides an accurate record of all financial transactions. This system can be used by any size business, but it is particularly beneficial for law firms because it helps them to keep track of their expenses and income.

What are the key steps of bookkeeping for a law firm?

But setting up your finances properly won’t just make it easier to file your taxes each year—it’ll save you time, money, stress, and potentially legal trouble (yes, really!). Follow these rules and keep track of client funds every day to ensure you don’t cross any lines that can cause your firm serious problems. As a solo attorney, managing your books via accounting software may get you started. Yet, if you own a small firm with multiple attorneys, employees, or contractors, hiring a bookkeeper is more than worth it.

Be sure to keep track of all payments made, both to third parties and internally, in order to stay on top of your finances. Working from our review, we’ll provide clear and actionable recommendations for improvement related to your particular processes, software, and systems. Let’s schedule a discovery meeting so we can discuss your needs and confirm there’s a fit.