Firm Finances: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and KPIs 2023

Money leakage can be particularly damaging for law firms, which typically have an 85% collection rate, meaning that only 85% of what they bill gets paid. When it comes to accounting for law firms, there’s no one “right” method (though you may be required to take on the accrual method). Some software platforms allow you to use accrual-based books for monthly management of the firm while also creating cash-basis statements for preparing tax returns. Look into the pros and cons of both methods for your firm, then be consistent going forward to ensure your records are accurate and easy to track. By using sound bookkeeping practices to keep accurate records and consistently review the firm’s financial statements on a monthly or weekly basis, you’ll see your firm’s true financial picture. Committing to accounting for law firms will allow you to be better equipped to identify growth opportunities.

• Handling bookkeeping by yourself can be both expensive and potentially damaging for your firm.
• With QuickBooks for Lawyers, you can also manage amounts in both operating and trust accounts as well as payments and credit notes applied to bills in Clio.
• The working pattern of law firms is a little different, so the law firm bookkeeping needs to be done with a different pattern.
• Request a free assessment and talk with our Managing Director to discover how your firm benefit from Practice Alchemy’s law firm specific bookkeeping and accounting services.
• While you spent most of your life becoming a seasoned lawyer, accounting is a different area and not your expertise.
• The accrual method of accounting is an accounting method that records economic events regardless of when the cash is actually received or paid.
• A good law firm accounting software should include features such as billing and invoicing, bookkeeping, reporting and analytics, and payroll.

Quickbooks is also the leading software for integrating with practice management software, so I can see why many lawyers would choose it. The Quickbooks pricing model is still a “software as a service” though, so you can expect to pay a monthly fee. Most small businesses, including small law firms, choose the cash basis of accounting, as this method allows the firm to delay paying taxes on income until the payment comes in the door. Regardless of the size of your law firm, it’s essential to understand the best practices of accounting and bookkeeping to ensure that your business is on the right track. A minor accounting error could result in significant reputational damage, hindering future growth opportunities and client referrals. Many business owners think that they will hire an accountant but not a bookkeeper.

Law Firm Accounting and Bookkeeping 101

With our dedicated and experienced bookkeepers, you potentially transform the financial management of your law firm. Most law firms accept electronic payments, like debit and credit. The more methods of payment you have, the higher the odds are of a client law firm bookkeeping working with you. The accounting method you choose should be in place when your firm files its first tax return. It affects everything, including cash flow, bookkeeping, and tax filing. Every business requires a business bank account, law firms included.

However, leaving the task to an office manager or assistant can result in inconsistent, error-ridden financial records. And legal professionals who take on the lawyer accounting duties themselves often end up dedicating hours to non-billable administrative work. Becoming a lawyer requires a bachelor’s degree, plus a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school—seven years of full-time study in all. To practice law legally, attorneys must also pass the bar exam in the state where they want to work, be it for a law firm or a company. In contrast, the CPA designation isn’t required to work in accounting within a company, but it is for a job at a public accounting firm. The “Big Four” is the nickname used to refer collectively to the four largest accounting firms in the U.S.

Clio Manage: For legal practice management that supports accounting for law firms

We know that lazy bookkeeping practices will cost you real money and time, result in sweaty nightmares, and put your license and firm at risk. Thankfully, good bookkeeping can also result in accurate reports on demand, make billing easier and improve the way you view your finances. Help you process and send invoices, process your accounts payable, and run your payroll.

When you incorporate your business, you essentially separate yourself from the business entity. It’s called the “corporate veil,” and it protects business owners and their personal assets from legal action taken against the company. You should only ever charge your clients fees directly related to their account. You should also consider a savings account, despite interest rates often being low. Having cash in your savings account can improve your chances of being approved for loans and other lines of credit in the future.

Stop wasting time and money with inefficient systems

The purpose of double-entry accounting is to act as a safeguard against errors and to provide an accurate record of all financial transactions. If you’re not sure what tax deductions you should be watching for, our post covering the top tax deductions for lawyers and law firms is a good place to start. Both general accounting and trust accounting are necessary for your firm’s success—and integrations seamlessly tie the two areas together. So, with double-entry accounting, every financial transaction gets sorted into a specific category (assets, liabilities, or equity). Double entry accounting is a helpful practice for lawyers to know about, as it provides an extra guard against errors. Double-entry accounting is a system of bookkeeping where every entry to an account (i.e., every financial transaction) requires a corresponding and opposite entry to a different account.

For example, if a lawyer has $10,000 in their business account and $5,000 in their trust account, they would need to deposit the $5,000 into a separate trust account. The lawyer would then need to surrender any interest earned on the $5,000 to the client. Similarly, if you entertain clients frequently, you will want to keep track of those expenses as well.

Here are five common law firm accounting obstacles and mistakes you should be aware of so you can avoid them. Accrual accounting gives you an idea of what income and expenses you have during a period of time, but doesn’t give a good picture of your actual cash flow. 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.

But the right account (and right bank, for that matter) will depend on where you’re located and how you like to bank. While you didn’t get into law to practice accounting, putting in the work at the beginning will make it easier to file your taxes each year. Plus, you’ll save yourself the headache of dealing with accounting issues, and you’ll always have accurate financial statements available.

You want to stay compliant

Law firms also benefit from being able to keep client and financial data perfectly in sync. Users can also trial Xero for free before committing to use it full-time. Mismanagement of trust accounts can have serious consequences, including fines and legal repercussions.

• Within each of those categories, you may have dozens of general ledger accounts.
• While it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of accounting for law firms, you still aren’t an accountant or bookkeeper.
• For decades, a law degree was considered a guaranteed ticket to a high-paying career.
• A fundamental concept in accounting and bookkeeping, double-entry accounting states that all financial transactions have equal and opposite effects in two different accounts.
• This guide will provide an overview of law firm bookkeeping, some best practices to follow, mistakes to watch out for, and tools to make the whole process easier.