# The Law Firm Accounting Software Checklist: Trust Accounting, Payments, Billing, and Bookkeeping Handoffs

Disclosure: Some links may become affiliate links after approval. This guide is educational software research, not legal, tax, accounting, or trust-accounting advice.

Audience: solo and small law firms that need cleaner billing, payment collection, trust-accounting handoffs, bookkeeping visibility, and fewer month-end finance surprises.

## Score the finance workflow before demos

| Workflow | What to verify | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Matter billing | Are invoices, retainers, and client balances tied to the correct matter? | ___ / 5 |
| Payment collection | Can clients pay online without creating trust or reconciliation confusion? | ___ / 5 |
| Trust handoffs | Who reviews deposits, transfers, refunds, and trust-to-operating movements? | ___ / 5 |
| Bookkeeping sync | Does the bookkeeper see clean deposits, fees, refunds, and categories? | ___ / 5 |
| Month-end review | Does the owner review AR, trust balances, refunds, chargebacks, and exceptions? | ___ / 5 |
| Reporting | Can the firm answer what was billed, collected, overdue, and deposited? | ___ / 5 |
| SOP documentation | Is the money workflow documented well enough for staff turnover? | ___ / 5 |

## Questions to answer before demos

1. Which system owns matter-level billing and retainer balances?
2. Which system owns the business books and accountant/bookkeeper workflow?
3. How are payment processor fees, refunds, and chargebacks reconciled?
4. Who is allowed to move money from trust to operating, and who reviews it?
5. What monthly reports does Andrew or the firm owner need to spot finance problems early?

## Starter tools to compare

- Clio, MyCase, or PracticePanther for matter-based billing and client balances.
- LawPay for legal-focused online payments and payment collection workflows.
- QuickBooks for general bookkeeping and accountant/bookkeeper collaboration.
- Zapier only for documented finance handoffs that a bookkeeper can audit.
- Notion for internal finance SOPs, month-end checklist ownership, and exception tracking.

Affiliate links are placeholders until Andrew approves applications and the site is live.