Bookkeeping and Trust Accounting for Dallas Law Firms
Dallas–Fort Worth is home to a large concentration of corporate headquarters, and its legal market follows: commercial litigation, corporate and transactional work, intellectual property, and employment law, alongside strong personal injury, family, and workers’ compensation practices. A&W Associates provides remote bookkeeping and trust accounting for Dallas law firms, from solo practitioners to growing litigation boutiques.
Commercial Litigation and the Texas Business Court
Texas opened its specialized Business Court in 2024 to hear complex commercial disputes, with a division serving Dallas. Commercial litigation firms carry large hourly matters with significant expert and e-discovery costs, so we track work in progress, client cost advances, and retainer balances matter by matter and report them monthly.
Patent and Trademark Practices
The USPTO’s Southwest Regional Outreach Office is in downtown Dallas, and Texas federal courts carry a heavy patent docket. Dallas IP firms often advance official fees for prosecution clients while running costly litigation. We record USPTO fee advances separately from litigation expenses and make sure both are billed back. See our IP law firm bookkeeping page.
Texas Trust Accounting in Practice
Under Texas Rule 1.14, a lawyer holding money for clients or third parties keeps it in an account labeled as a trust or escrow account and keeps complete records of it for five years after the representation ends. In day-to-day terms, that means a ledger for every client, documented transfers of earned fees, and a reconciliation that ties the bank balance to the client balances. We handle all three each month.
Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury in DFW
Claimant attorney fees in Texas workers’ compensation cases must be approved by the Division of Workers’ Compensation or a court and generally may not exceed 25 percent of the recovery. Personal injury settlements bring their own lien and disbursement records. We keep approval documents and settlement statements with each matter so every fee transfer is supported.
Franchise Tax and Payroll for Dallas Firms
Dallas firms do not withhold state income tax, but most firm entities file the annual Texas franchise tax report, generally due May 15. We keep revenue, payroll, and owner distribution records organized so your CPA can prepare it without a scramble.
Practice Areas We Support in Dallas
- Business, corporate, and commercial litigation firms
- Intellectual property practices
- Employment law firms
- Workers’ compensation and personal injury practices
- Family law firms handling community property divorces
Remote Service From Our Florida Office
We work with Dallas firms remotely through cloud-based accounting and the practice management software you already use, and we schedule around Central time. Contact us to talk about your firm, or see our law firm bookkeeping services by practice area.
This page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Attorneys should review the trust accounting rules applicable to their jurisdiction and consult appropriate legal counsel or a CPA when necessary.
