Most Common Mistakes in Legal Accounting

It’s Mid-Year: Where Is Your Business?

It's our three-year anniversary and we're kicking off Season 4! In this episode, Lynda, Sarah, and Steve celebrate the milestone and dive into one of the most important things every law firm and accounting practice should be doing right now: the mid-year business review. From checking payroll and 1099s to evaluating your tech stack, forecasting cash flow, and setting financial priorities for the second half of the year, this conversation is packed with practical, timely advice. Plus the team gets into AI, the new QuickBooks interface, and why the human touch still matters more than ever. 00:00 Podcast Anniversary Shoutout 00:35 Meet the Producer Teaira 01:22 Season Four Milestones 03:06 Midyear Review Kickoff 03:42 Client Check-Ins and Cleanup 05:38 Payroll and Tax Estimates 06:15 Software Costs and Tool Audit 07:47 AI Hype and Human Touch 11:28 AI Pitfalls and Verification 17:40 Planning Priorities and Vision 20:07 Hiring Interns and Apprentices 21:10 Cash Flow and Economic Risks 22:46 AR Review and Key Takeaways 23:42 Subscribe and Community Links 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes covering law firm bookkeeping, legal tech, and accounting practice tips. 📩 Have a question or topic idea? Email us at info@accountantslawpod.com [info@accountantslawpod.com] 🧑‍💼 Join the Accountants Law Lab Mastermind: accountantslawlab.com 🌐 Visit us at accountantslawpod.com Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

KUDO Digital Accounting Conference

Sarah is back, and she has a story to tell! Fresh off an unexpected keynote at the Kudo Digital Accounting Conference in Kosovo, Sarah shares what it was like to present to a sold-out crowd on working with US-based accounting firms, complete with surprise keynote status, a massive curved screen, live translators, and an audience that was fully present and phone-free. Lynda and Steve dig into the cultural differences, the energy of a young and engaged crowd, and why going global is more relevant than ever for accounting professionals. A fun, candid episode you won't want to miss. 00:24 Sarah Returns and Kosovo Trip 00:52 Keynote Surprise and Tech Hiccups 02:37 Conference Highlights and Leaders 04:00 Cultural Differences and Translation 05:31 Audience Reactions and Etiquette 08:01 Sold Out Crowd and Media Coverage 09:53 Travel Notes and Local Impressions 10:46 Next Year Plans and Sign Off 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes covering law firm bookkeeping, legal tech, and accounting practice tips. 📩 Have a question or topic idea? Email us at info@accountantslawpod.com [info@accountantslawpod.com] 🧑‍💼 Join the Accountants Law Lab Mastermind: accountantslawlab.com 🌐 Visit us at accountantslawpod.com Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk D Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

Navigating IOLTA Trust Accounts

Here are the updated versions without em dashes: Spotify Description Trust accounting is one of the most compliance-heavy areas in legal bookkeeping, and post-tax season is exactly the right time to audit where things stand. In this episode, Lynda and Steve dig into the common traps law firms fall into with their IOLTA and trust accounts: timing issues with Clio Pay and e-checks, commingling funds (intentional or not), the danger of moving money before it clears, and why switching bank accounts doesn't fix underlying reconciliation problems. They cover the three-way reconciliation that every firm should be doing (bank, billing software, accounting system), how to structure your chart of accounts with proper sub-accounts and a trust suspense account, and what to expect and do if the bar's attorney regulation counsel comes knocking for an audit. Whether you're new to legal accounting or doing a post-tax-season cleanup, this episode is packed with practical guidance on protecting both your clients and your license. Topics covered: IOLTA trust accounting, Clio Pay timing, three-way reconciliation, chart of accounts setup, QuickBooks Online, bar compliance, trust audits, personal injury disbursements, and more. 00:53 Trust Accounting Reset 01:28 Tax Return Reporting 02:27 One File vs Two 03:46 Bar Rules First 05:15 Clio Pay Timing Risks 07:31 PI Checks and Disbursements 11:21 Client Loans and Compliance 13:14 Choosing Legal Software 15:20 Clio vs LeanLaw Workflows 16:09 Spotting Date Errors 16:35 Retainers and Payments 17:30 Three Way Reconciliation 17:59 Account Bucketing Setup 19:06 QuickBooks Lock Feature 20:41 Trust Suspense Accounts 21:53 Reconciliation Misconceptions 22:59 Avoiding Commingling 24:43 Handling Trust Audits 25:53 Cleanup and Opening Balances 28:06 Outsourced Help and Notes 🌐 Website: accountantslawpod.com 💬 Community: accountantslawlab.com 📩 Contact: info@accountantslawpod.com [info@accountantslawpod.com] Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

Maybe Your Paralegal Shouldn’t Be Handling Bookkeeping…

Your paralegal is great at their job. That is exactly why they should not be doing your books. In this episode of Accountants Law Pod, Lynda and Steve make the case for why assigning bookkeeping to your paralegal is one of the costliest mistakes a law firm can make. From trust account disasters and reconciliation nightmares to payroll privacy risks and bar audit exposure, they break down the real consequences of this all-too-common decision and what to do instead. If you are a paralegal currently doing the books, maybe share this one with your boss... 02:20 Why Paralegals Shouldn't Bookkeep 03:15 Real World Bookkeeping Horror 05:22 Reconciliation and Cleanup Risks 08:24 Payroll Privacy Pitfalls 11:30 Software Integrations Gone Wrong 14:26 Segregation of Duties Matters 18:28 Trust Accounting Audit Readiness 21:11 War Stories From Law Firms 24:51 Key Takeaways and Next Steps 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on legal accounting, trust accounting, law firm bookkeeping, and growing a compliant and profitable law practice. 👉 Join the Accountants Law Lab Mastermind: accountantslawlab.com 🌐 Visit us at: accountantslawpod.com 📧 Submit a topic or question: info@accountantslawpod.com [info@accountantslawpod.com] Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

The Future of Legal Accounting: Trends and Predictions

The future of legal accounting is moving fast and AI is at the center of it. In this episode of Accountants Law Pod, we take an honest and sometimes hilarious look at where AI is actually delivering in legal and accounting workflows, where it is falling short, and what it means for the future of the profession. From trust accounting and docketing to bank feeds, client billing, and the very real risk of skill atrophy, this is a grounded and candid conversation about what is coming and how to stay ahead of it. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on legal accounting, trust accounting, AI in legal tech, law firm bookkeeping, and growing a legal accounting practice. 👉 Join the Accountants Law Lab Mastermind: accountantslawlab.com 🌐 Visit us at: accountantslawpod.com 📧 Submit a topic or question: info@accountantslawpod.com [info@accountantslawpod.com] 01:02 AI Takes Center Stage 02:06 Tesla AI Reality Check 03:18 Automation Myths and Trust Recs 04:35 Prompting and App Ecosystems 06:03 QuickBooks AI Skepticism 07:18 Reconciliation Limits and Nuance 09:04 Banks Security and Shifting 10:13 AI in Attorney Billing 12:58 Tool Skills and Hiring Future 15:37 Advisors to Validators 16:18 Multi Business Valuation 17:11 Real Time Accounting 17:31 Legal Data Complexity 18:49 Compliance and Cyber Risk 20:05 Keeping Human Skills 21:40 AI for Firm Operations 23:12 Meeting Analysis Insights 24:42 Curiosity and Marketing 26:20 Frontier With Foundations 28:37 Industry and Banking Shifts Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.