Check a trust-account payment record against the complete-records duty
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From the payment record, copy the date, amount, payee, client or matter, and the account it left. Do not say the withdrawal was authorized.
- What the lawyer must review
- Model Rule 1.15(a) requires complete records of account funds and other property, kept by the lawyer. Comment 1 says the lawyer should maintain books and records on a current basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice and comply with any recordkeeping rules established by law or court order. The comment names the Model Rules for Client Trust Account Records. Those rules were not opened. The lawyer decides whether this record is complete.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Do not begin AI assistance until the responsible lawyer has defined and confirmed its permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Review the original source set for relevant material absent from the output, including contrary evidence, qualifications and remaining gaps.
- Verify the applicable jurisdiction and the version of each relevant law, rule or instrument in force at the material time.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.