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This end-to-end checklist walks you through every step — from initial screening and access setup to QBO + Clio integration, data migration, and compliance sign-off — so every new engagement is organized, compliant, and audit-ready from day one.

Table of Contents
- Pre-Onboarding / Initial Screening
- Welcome & Access Setup
- QBO + Clio Integration & Setup
- Chart of Accounts Best Practice
- What to Collect
- Document & Information Collection
- Compliance & Risk Final Checks
- Onboarding Complete: Next Steps

Taking on attorney clients is exciting. Onboarding them without a system? That's where things go sideways.

THE PROBLEM:  

Attorney clients aren't like other bookkeeping clients. They have IOLTA trust accounts, bar compliance obligations, and a software stack — Clio and QuickBooks Online — that has to be connected correctly from the start. Onboarding without a system means 

  • missed steps
  • scope creep
  • compliance gaps

 

OUR SOLUTION:

This checklist gives you a complete, repeatable onboarding system built specifically for the QBO + Clio stack. From your first screening call to your first reconciliation cycle, every step is mapped out so nothing falls through the cracks — and your client is set up to stay compliant from day one.

 

WHAT'S INSIDE:

 

  • Pre-onboarding screening steps to qualify attorney clients before you invest your time
  • A welcome and access setup process that covers QBO, Clio, and bank feeds — all set up securely
  • Step-by-step QBO + Clio integration setup with trust liability mapping guidance
  • Chart of accounts best practices built for law firms
  • A complete document collection checklist so you never chase the same thing twice
  • Data migration and historical setup guidance, including what to watch for when inheriting a messy prior setup
  • Training and expectations-setting scripts so your client knows exactly how the relationship works
  • Compliance and risk final checks before you go live
  • A post-onboarding follow-up framework to lock in your monthly rhythm

  

Every attorney client you onboard is an opportunity to build a long-term, high-value engagement 

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