Sarah is back, and she has a story to tell!

Fresh off an unexpected keynote at the Kudo Digital Accounting Conference in Kosovo, Sarah shares what it was like to present to a sold-out crowd on working with US-based accounting firms, complete with surprise keynote status, a massive curved screen, live translators, and an audience that was fully present and phone-free.

Lynda and Steve dig into the cultural differences, the energy of a young and engaged crowd, and why going global is more relevant than ever for accounting professionals.

A fun, candid episode you won't want to miss.

00:24 Sarah Returns and Kosovo Trip
00:52 Keynote Surprise and Tech Hiccups
02:37 Conference Highlights and Leaders
04:00 Cultural Differences and Translation
05:31 Audience Reactions and Etiquette
08:01 Sold Out Crowd and Media Coverage
09:53 Travel Notes and Local Impressions
10:46 Next Year Plans and Sign Off

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📩 Have a question or topic idea? Email us at info@accountantslawpod.com

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Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk D

Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

Here are the updated versions without em dashes: Spotify Description Trust accounting is one of the most compliance-heavy areas in legal bookkeeping, and post-tax season is exactly the right time to audit where things stand. In this episode, Lynda and Steve dig into the common traps law firms fall into with their IOLTA and trust accounts: timing issues with Clio Pay and e-checks, commingling funds (intentional or not), the danger of moving money before it clears, and why switching bank accounts doesn't fix underlying reconciliation problems.

They cover the three-way reconciliation that every firm should be doing (bank, billing software, accounting system), how to structure your chart of accounts with proper sub-accounts and a trust suspense account, and what to expect and do if the bar's attorney regulation counsel comes knocking for an audit.

Whether you're new to legal accounting or doing a post-tax-season cleanup, this episode is packed with practical guidance on protecting both your clients and your license.

Topics covered: IOLTA trust accounting, Clio Pay timing, three-way reconciliation, chart of accounts setup, QuickBooks Online, bar compliance, trust audits, personal injury disbursements, and more.

00:53 Trust Accounting Reset
01:28 Tax Return Reporting
02:27 One File vs Two
03:46 Bar Rules First
05:15 Clio Pay Timing Risks
07:31 PI Checks and Disbursements
11:21 Client Loans and Compliance
13:14 Choosing Legal Software
15:20 Clio vs LeanLaw Workflows
16:09 Spotting Date Errors
16:35 Retainers and Payments
17:30 Three Way Reconciliation
17:59 Account Bucketing Setup
19:06 QuickBooks Lock Feature
20:41 Trust Suspense Accounts
21:53 Reconciliation Misconceptions
22:59 Avoiding Commingling
24:43 Handling Trust Audits
25:53 Cleanup and Opening Balances
28:06 Outsourced Help and Notes

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Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.

Your paralegal is great at their job. That is exactly why they should not be doing your books.

In this episode of Accountants Law Pod, Lynda and Steve make the case for why assigning bookkeeping to your paralegal is one of the costliest mistakes a law firm can make. From trust account disasters and reconciliation nightmares to payroll privacy risks and bar audit exposure, they break down the real consequences of this all-too-common decision and what to do instead. If you are a paralegal currently doing the books, maybe share this one with your boss...

02:20 Why Paralegals Shouldn't Bookkeep
03:15 Real World Bookkeeping Horror
05:22 Reconciliation and Cleanup Risks
08:24 Payroll Privacy Pitfalls
11:30 Software Integrations Gone Wrong
14:26 Segregation of Duties Matters
18:28 Trust Accounting Audit Readiness
21:11 War Stories From Law Firms
24:51 Key Takeaways and Next Steps

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on legal accounting, trust accounting, law firm bookkeeping, and growing a compliant and profitable law practice.

👉 Join the Accountants Law Lab Mastermind: accountantslawlab.com

🌐 Visit us at: accountantslawpod.com

📧 Submit a topic or question: info@accountantslawpod.com

Accountants Law Pod is hosted by Lynda Artesani, Sarah Prevost, and Steve Libhart and directed/produced by Teaira Burge and The Proper Trust. Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay - Edited by audiovideo_uk

Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, financial, or professional advice.