---
title: "Unidentified trust money register and enquiry"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money/unidentified-trust-money-register"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a41-unidentified-trust-money-register"
area_id: "A41"
kind: "checklist"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
task_ids: ["A41-A20260923-1", "A41-T1-R1"]
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-22"
---

# Unidentified trust money register and enquiry

> Register for money in the trust account that cannot yet be matched to a person or matter, an enquiry to the sender, and a prompt to consider an irregularity notice.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money/unidentified-trust-money-register  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Checklist. Steps or checks to work through and tick off.
- Practice area: [Trust accounting & handling client money](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money.md)
- Jurisdictions: New South Wales, Western Australia
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-22
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-22 against the 6 authorities it cites, for New South Wales and Western Australia.

## When to use it

Use when a deposit appears on the trust bank statement and the practice cannot tell, from the reference and the file, whose money it is. Do not use it to pay the money out or to treat it as unclaimed money.

## Used for these tasks

- [Build an unmatched and unidentified trust-money list](https://ailawframework.com/obligations/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money/build-an-unmatched-and-unidentified-trust-money-list.md)
- [Reconcile the trust ledger to the bank and the matter files](https://ailawframework.com/obligations/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money/reconcile-the-trust-ledger-to-the-bank-and-the-matter-files.md)

## How AI may be used

AI may list unmatched deposits from a bank export the principal supplies. The principal decides what is unidentified and whether it must be notified.

**AI may:**

- List deposits on the supplied bank statement that have no matching trust receipt
- Draft the enquiry letter once the principal has named the sender and the amount

**AI must not:**

- Must not post the amount to a matter because the name looks similar
- Must not decide that the receipt is or is not an irregularity
- Must not draft a payment out of the unidentified amount

**The lawyer checks:**

- Each line is still unmatched after the receipts, the ledger and the file are checked
- The amount is not sitting in a client ledger under a guessed name
- The principal has considered the Law Society's examples and has notified the regulator if the receipt is an irregularity

## Authorities

- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 138 (hold exclusively for the person on whose behalf the money is received; disburse only on that person's direction)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s138.html)
- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 147(2)(b) (trust records must disclose the true position)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s147.html)
- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 148 (deficiency in a trust account or trust ledger)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s148.html)
- [Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 154 (written notice of an irregularity as soon as practicable)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lpul333/s154.html)
- [Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 (NSW) r 48 (monthly reconciliation of the bank, the cash book and the ledgers)](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_reg/lpugr2015372/s48.html)
- [Law Society of NSW, Trust account irregularity reporting (unknown or unexpected sources listed among irregularities)](https://www.lawsociety.com.au/practising-law-nsw/trust-money-and-fidelity-fund/trust-account-irregularity-reporting)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/trust-accounting-and-handling-client-money/unidentified-trust-money-register and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*