Fast Track Legal Accounting
Has an attorney reached out for help with their books and sparked your curiosity?
Did you just sign your first law firm client and want to feel truly prepared?
Are you considering niching your practice and wondering if the legal industry is the right fit?
You're in the right place.
What you’ll learn:
- The fundamentals of trust accounting
- How to track and manage client costs properly
- Best practices for handling attorney accounts receivable
This course gives you the knowledge and confidence to hit the ground running with your first law firm client, and build a strong foundation in legal accounting from day one.
Legal accounting isn't like any other industry —
and winging it with a law firm client isn't an option. Trust accounts, IOLTA rules, client cost tracking, and attorney billing cycles all have real compliance stakes.
One mistake can cost your client their license.
The Accountants Law Lab™ Fast Track Accounting Course was created specifically for bookkeepers and accountants who are new to legal clients — or want to get there fast.
Whether you just landed your first law firm, are actively pursuing one, or simply want to understand what makes legal bookkeeping different, this course gives you a clear, practical foundation.
What's Inside the Fast Track Accounting Course
This course breaks it all down into three core areas every legal bookkeeper needs to master.
Module 1: Trust Accounting
Trust accounts are the most compliance-heavy part of working with law firms — and the area where most bookkeepers feel the least confident. You'll learn:
- The different types of attorney bank accounts and how each is used
- What compliance actually looks like, including the three-way bank reconciliation and what to expect during a bar audit
- How to identify and correct unbalanced trust accounts before they become a problem
Module 2: Client Cost
You'll learn the difference between hard (direct) and soft (indirect) costs, how to record them correctly, and how to make sure nothing falls through the cracks when it's time to bill.
- Client expenses and costs overview
- Hard/direct costs — what they are and how to handle them
- Soft/indirect costs — often overlooked, always important
Module 3: Accounts Receivable
Attorney billing has its own structure and workflow. You'll learn the full AR cycle from pre-bill to payment — including how to handle the messy stuff.
- What AR looks like in a law firm context
- The anatomy of a legal bill
- Pre-bill, approval, submission, and AR reporting
- Write-downs and write-offs — when they happen and how to record them
- How to automate the AR process to save time and reduce errors
WHAT'S COVERED:
- The fundamentals of trust accounting and why it's non-negotiable in law firms
- How to track and manage client costs (also called advanced costs or disbursements) the right way
- Best practices for handling attorney accounts receivable — including retainers, billing cycles, and fee structures
- How to avoid the most common compliance mistakes that trip up new legal bookkeepers
- The vocabulary, systems, and confidence to show up as an expert from day one
By the end of this course, you'll have:
a working knowledge of the three pillars of legal accounting — trust, costs, and AR — so you can serve law firm clients with accuracy, confidence, and professionalism from day one.
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FAST TRACK ACCOUNTING COURSE
