Classify money received into a client trust account or the lawyer's own funds
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- From the receipt, list the amount, who paid it, whether the file describes it as client or third-person money, an advance of fees or expenses, or the lawyer's own money, and the account the practice proposes to use. Do not move the money.
- What the lawyer must review
- Model Rule 1.15(a) requires property of clients or third persons in connection with a representation to be held separate from the lawyer's own property, and funds to be kept in a separate account. Rule 1.15(c) requires legal fees and expenses paid in advance to be deposited into a client trust account and withdrawn only as fees are earned or expenses incurred. Rule 1.15(b) allows the lawyer's own funds in that account only for bank service charges, and only in the amount necessary. Comment 1 says client and third-person money, including a prospective client's, is kept in one or more trust accounts. The lawyer decides the account.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming the tool’s capability and 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
- 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.