LawAccounting vs TrustBooks
TrustBooks is trust accounting software that solo and small firms find easy to use, and it now offers firm accounting too. LawAccounting puts trust accounting, the general ledger, billing and practice management in one platform for firms that are growing past a trust-first setup.
Trust and books in one ledger.
Client trust balances, the trust liability account and the firm's books come from the same transactions.
Billing and matters in the same system.
Hourly, flat-fee, contingency and LEDES billing alongside matters, documents and payments.
Answers a managing partner asks for.
Profitability by matter, attorney and practice group, next to each matter's trust position.
A trust-first tool and a full legal platform
TrustBooks was built on a real insight. Trust accounting is where solo and small firms get into trouble, and most lawyers don't want to become bookkeepers to follow their state bar's rules. It answers that with a simple interface built around client ledgers and three-way reconciliation. It has since added firm operating accounting, integrates with QuickBooks, Clio and LawPay, and offers a tier where its own CPA handles your reconciliations.
LawAccounting takes a different approach. Trust accounting is one part of a complete legal accounting system on Salesforce, with billing, accounts payable and reporting in the same books. CaseQube adds intake, matters, documents and settlements on the same records.
LawAccounting vs TrustBooks, feature by feature
How TrustBooks compares with LawAccounting and CaseQube on trust accounting and the work around it.
| Area | LawAccounting and CaseQube | TrustBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Client trust ledgers | Yes, by client and matter. | Yes. Client ledgers are kept automatically. |
| Three-way reconciliation | Yes. | Yes, generated with every reconciliation. |
| Overdraft protection | Real-time overdraft and commingling alerts. | Blocks overdrawing a client's balance. |
| Trust bank accounts | Multiple trust accounts. | Unlimited trust bank accounts. |
| Firm operating accounting | Full general ledger, with journal entries, trial balance and financial statements. | Operating accounting on higher tiers. Many firms pair TrustBooks with QuickBooks instead. |
| Trust-to-operating transfers | Automated, with an approval trail, in the same ledger as the firm's books. | Moved within TrustBooks. If the books live in QuickBooks, the general ledger side is a separate entry. |
| Legal billing | Hourly, flat-fee, contingency, retainer and hybrid, plus LEDES 1998B and XML. | Integrates with billing tools such as Clio. |
| Accounts payable | Vendor ledgers, approval routing, payment runs and 1099 tracking. | Firm accounting features on higher tiers. |
| Matter profitability | By matter, attorney and practice group. | Client snapshots of trust and operating activity. |
| Bank connections | 15,000+ bank connections, with automatic matching. | Bank integration. |
| Practice management | CaseQube, on the same records as the books. | Integrates with Clio. |
| Done-for-you reconciliations | Not offered. | Available on the top tier, with a TrustBooks CPA. |
Where a trust-first setup starts to strain
A trust-first tool works well until the connections between systems become someone's job. Three transactions show where that happens, especially when TrustBooks runs next to QuickBooks.
The trust-to-operating transfer
When a fee is earned and moves from trust to operating, it has to land in the trust records and the general ledger. In a two-system setup that's two entries in two places. Usually they agree. When they don't, you find out at reconciliation.
Client cost advances
A filing fee or expert paid on a client's behalf touches trust if a deposit funds it, the general ledger as an advance the client owes back, and billing when it appears on the invoice. A trust tool sees only part of that.
"Is this matter profitable, and what's its trust position?"
To a managing partner that's one question. When trust, billing and the books sit in different systems, it becomes an export and a spreadsheet every month.
Where LawAccounting goes further than TrustBooks
Firms looking for a TrustBooks alternative usually aren't unhappy with their trust accounting. They're adding offices, entities, billing complexity or partners who want reports the trust tool can't produce.
Trust accounting in the same ledger as the firm's books
In LawAccounting, the sum of the client ledgers, the trust bank balance and the general ledger trust liability come from the same transactions. That means they agree by design, rather than being matched by hand each month.
Legal billing software in the same system
Time, expenses and fees flow into invoices with hourly, flat-fee, contingency, retainer, hybrid and split billing. Corporate and insurance clients get LEDES 1998B and XML files with UTBMS codes, and invoices go through a pre-bill review first.
Matter profitability reporting
LawAccounting reports profitability by matter, attorney and practice group, with WIP, realization and budget vs actual. A partner can see what a matter earns and what's held in trust for it in the same place.
Multi-entity and multi-office accounting
LawAccounting keeps the books for several entities and offices in one system, with consolidated reporting. If your firm runs more than one entity, ask TrustBooks to show you how it reports across them.
Payables, approvals and the month-end close
Vendor bills go through approval routing before payment runs, and every vendor keeps its own ledger and 1099 tracking. Defined accounting periods give the finance team a controlled month-end close.
Which platform is right for your firm
Stay with TrustBooks if you're a solo or small firm, trust accounting is your biggest worry, your matter volume is modest, and you're comfortable with TrustBooks' firm accounting or a bookkeeper who keeps the link to QuickBooks working. Its simplicity and optional CPA service have real value.
Move to LawAccounting when you add an office or entity, client cost advances become a significant part of your books, you need matter profitability without a spreadsheet, or reconciling trust against the general ledger has turned into someone's monthly project.
A test worth running on your current setup: pick one trust deposit from four months ago and follow it from deposit to client ledger, to the fee it paid, to the trust-to-operating transfer, to the revenue entry and to the client's invoice. If you have to open more than one application, that's where your reconciliation risk sits.
Already on TrustBooks? How to migrate from TrustBooks to LawAccounting
Trust migrations are the most sensitive data moves a firm makes, because opening balances have to be right on day one. LawAccounting includes migration support for firms moving from their current system.
- Scope the move. Our team scopes your migration and quotes it before you commit.
- Move your data. We bring your accounting data into LawAccounting and set up your trust and operating accounts.
- Train your team. Training is part of the migration work, so your staff knows the system before you go live.
Whichever vendor you choose, ask them to show that the first three-way reconciliation in the new system ties to the last one in the old system before you go live.
LawAccounting vs TrustBooks FAQs
What is TrustBooks?
TrustBooks is cloud trust accounting software for law firms. It keeps client ledgers, generates three-way reconciliations and blocks overdrawing a client's balance, with firm operating accounting available on higher tiers.
Is TrustBooks only for trust accounting?
Not anymore. Trust accounting is its focus, but higher tiers include operating accounting for the firm. Many firms still pair TrustBooks with QuickBooks for the general ledger.
Does TrustBooks do operating accounting?
Yes, on its higher tiers. LawAccounting includes a full general ledger, accounts payable, billing and financial reporting in the same system as trust accounting.
Does TrustBooks integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. TrustBooks integrates with QuickBooks, Clio and LawPay. LawAccounting doesn't need QuickBooks, because the general ledger is part of the platform.
Does TrustBooks do three-way reconciliation?
Yes. TrustBooks generates a three-way reconciliation every time you complete a reconciliation. LawAccounting also reconciles trust three ways, in the same ledger as the firm's books.
Does TrustBooks prevent overdrawing a client balance?
Yes. TrustBooks is built to stop a client's trust balance from being overdrawn. LawAccounting alerts you to overdrafts and commingling in real time and records an approval trail on trust transfers.
Can TrustBooks track matter profitability?
TrustBooks shows client snapshots of trust and operating activity. LawAccounting reports profitability by matter, attorney and practice group, with WIP, realization and budget vs actual.
Is TrustBooks good for growing law firms?
TrustBooks is especially popular with solo practitioners and small firms. A growing firm should check how it handles billing, multiple entities and matter profitability, since those are usually the reasons firms move on.
What is the difference between TrustBooks and LawAccounting?
TrustBooks is trust-first accounting software that has added firm accounting. LawAccounting is a complete legal accounting system on Salesforce, where trust accounting, billing, the general ledger and practice management share the same records.
What are good alternatives to TrustBooks?
It depends on your firm. LeanLaw adds legal billing and trust accounting on top of QuickBooks Online. CosmoLex combines practice management with built-in legal accounting. LawAccounting, with CaseQube, suits growing firms that want trust, billing, the books and practice management in one platform.
How do I migrate from TrustBooks?
Start with a scoped migration plan that covers your accounting data and trust records. LawAccounting includes migration support, quotes each migration before you commit and includes training as part of the work.
Make your firm's trust and books easier to run together
See trust accounting, billing and the general ledger working from the same transactions. Book a demo and bring the trust deposit you'd want to trace from start to finish.