Accounts, trust, and transactions

The Accounts area is where your firm keeps track of the money it holds: the operating account you run the business from, savings, and any trust or client-funds accounts you are required to keep separate. Every account carries a running balance, and behind each one sits a full ledger of deposits, withdrawals, and payments so you can always see where the money came from and where it went.

This page covers what each kind of account is, how to create and manage them, how to record and void transactions, and how Esqase keeps each account's balance perfectly in step with its ledger.

Before you begin

• Where to find it. In the sidebar, open the Billing group, then click Accounts. (If you have collapsed the sidebar groups, expand Billing first.)
• What you can do depends on your role. Esqase treats accounts and transactions as two separate areas of permission:
  • Accounts: to add, edit, archive, restore, or delete an account you need Create, Update, or Delete access for accounts. Firm owners and administrators have full access by default. Attorneys and staff usually have view-only access, so they can open accounts and read balances but will not see the Add account button or the row actions.
  • Transactions: to record a deposit, withdrawal, or trust deposit you need Create access for transactions, and to void one you need Update access. By default, attorneys can view transactions but not create or void them, and staff cannot see transactions at all. Owners and administrators can do everything.
• If your role does not include a given permission, the matching button simply will not appear. Your firm owner or administrator can adjust this. See Roles and permissions.

Operating, savings, and trust accounts explained

Esqase groups the accounts your firm holds into two broad families, because the law treats them very differently.

• Operating and Savings accounts hold your firm's own money: the fees you have earned, your day-to-day spending, and reserves. These are the accounts where invoice payments are normally deposited.
• Trust accounts hold money that belongs to your clients or to third parties, not to the firm. You hold it on their behalf until it is earned or disbursed. Lawyers are required by their bar to keep this money in a separate account and never to mix ("commingle") it with firm funds. Esqase offers several trust account types so you can label yours correctly:
  • Trust Account (a general client-trust account).
  • IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts): a pooled trust account whose interest is paid to a state bar foundation rather than to the firm or the client.
  • Escrow: funds held pending the completion of a transaction.

When you choose one of these trust types, Esqase automatically turns on trust-accounting features for that account: a separate Clients tab, a per-client balance for every client whose money sits in the account, and stricter rules when you record a deposit (you must pick a category and, in most cases, name the client).

View the accounts list

The accounts list is the home of this area. It shows every account your firm holds, with its type, bank, masked account number, currency, and current balance.

1. In the sidebar, open the Billing group and click Accounts.
2. Review the table. Each row shows the Account name, Type, Bank, Account No. (the last four digits, masked as ****1234), Currency, Balance, Status, who last updated it, and when.
3. Use the status tabs above the table to switch between:
   • All every account.
   • Active accounts in normal use (the default view).
   • Archived accounts you have set aside but not deleted.
4. To narrow the list, use the controls in the toolbar:
   • Search accounts filters by name as you type.
   • Account type is a faceted filter; pick one or more types to show only those.
   • Clear filters appears once you have changed anything from the default, and resets the search, type filter, and status tab.

To open an account and see its full detail, click View at the start of its row (or use the row's "..." menu for other actions).

Create a financial account (operating or savings)

Add an operating or savings account when you want to track your firm's own funds and have a place to deposit invoice payments.

1. On the Accounts page, click Add account in the top right. (You will only see this button if your role includes Create access for accounts.)
2. The Add account dialog opens. Fill in the fields:
   • Account name (required): a clear label such as Operating Checking. Up to 128 characters.
   • Account type: choose Operating or Savings. This is searchable, so you can start typing to filter.
   • Bank name: the name of the bank, for example Chase. Optional.
   • Last 4 digits (required): the last four digits of the account number. Esqase stores and displays only these four digits, never the full number.
   • Currency (required): defaults to your firm's currency. You can pick another from the list.
   • Initial balance: the opening balance for the account. This is recorded as the account's first deposit, so the ledger and balance start out in agreement. It cannot be negative. Leave it at 0 for a brand-new account with no starting funds.
   • Description: optional notes about the account, up to 500 characters.
3. Click Create account. Esqase saves the account, records the opening balance as its first deposit, and shows a confirmation. The new account appears in the list.

Create a trust, IOLTA, or escrow account

Set up a trust-type account to hold client or third-party funds. The steps are the same as for an operating account, but choosing a trust type unlocks trust-accounting features.

1. On the Accounts page, click Add account.
2. In the Add account dialog, set Account type to Trust Account, IOLTA, or Escrow (or Client Trust Account, depending on your country).
3. Complete the remaining fields (Account name, Bank name, Last 4 digits, Currency, optional Initial balance and Description) exactly as you would for any account.
4. Click Create account.

Because you chose a trust type, the account now behaves differently from an operating account:

• Its detail page gains a Clients tab that breaks the balance down per client.
• When you record money into it, Esqase requires a deposit Category and, in most cases, the Client the money belongs to.
• It is excluded from the list of accounts that can receive invoice-link payments, so client funds stay separate from firm income.

Edit, archive, restore, and delete an account

You can correct an account's details or move it through its life cycle from the accounts list or from the account's own detail page. The available actions depend on whether the account is active or archived, and on your permissions.

Edit an account

1. From the list, find the account and click the "..." menu at the start of its row, then choose Edit. (On the account's detail page, use the "..." menu next to New transaction and choose Edit.)
2. The Edit account dialog opens with the current details. Change the Account name, Account type, Bank name, Last 4 digits, Currency, or Description.
3. Click Save changes.

Archive an account

Archiving hides an account from the default Active view without deleting it or its history. Use this for accounts you have closed at the bank but want to keep for the record.

1. Open the account's "..." menu and choose Archive.
2. In the Archive account? confirmation, click Archive account. The account moves to the Archived tab and can be restored later.

Restore an account

1. Switch to the Archived tab.
2. Open the account's "..." menu and choose Restore. The account returns to the Active list.

Delete an account

Deleting is permanent and is only offered for accounts that are already archived.

1. Switch to the Archived tab.
2. Open the account's "..." menu and choose Delete (this requires Delete access for accounts).
3. In the Delete account? confirmation, click Delete account. The dialog warns that this cannot be undone.

The account detail tabs

Open an account by clicking View on its row. The detail page shows the account's name and breadcrumb at the top, a New transaction button and a "..." menu on the right, and a set of tabs in the main area. A sidebar on the right lists the account's full information.

Which tabs you see depends on the account type:

• An operating or savings account shows Overview and Transactions.
• A trust-type account also shows a Clients tab in the middle.

Overview

The Overview tab gives you four summary cards at a glance:

• Bank balance the account's current balance.
• Funds in the total of everything that has come into the account (deposits, transfers in, payments, interest), across the account's lifetime. Voided rows are excluded.
• Funds out the total of everything that has left the account (withdrawals, transfers out, fees, refunds). Voided rows are excluded.
• Net change the difference between funds in and funds out, shown with an up or down indicator.

The right-hand Account information sidebar repeats the key facts (Name, Type, Bank, Account number, Currency, Balance, Status) plus an Account ID you can copy, and the created/updated history.

Clients (trust accounts only)

The Clients tab appears only on trust-type accounts and answers the question every trust account must be able to answer: how much of this account belongs to each client?

• The same four summary cards appear at the top.
• A Top 5 clients by balance card shows the largest active client balances as a simple bar list, so you can see at a glance who holds the most funds.
• A Clients table lists every client with money in the account and their individual Balance. Use Search clients to find a specific name.
• Click View on a client's row to jump to the Transactions tab already filtered to that client, so you can see exactly which deposits and disbursements make up their balance.

Transactions

The Transactions tab is the account's full ledger. Each row is one entry, with columns for:

• Date the date of the transaction.
• Type for example Deposit, Withdrawal, Payment, Transfer in, Transfer out, Refund, Fee, Interest, or Adjustment.
• Client and Invoice / Matter the people and records the entry relates to, where they apply.
• Reference a check or reference number.
• Funds out and Funds in the amount, shown in the correct column depending on whether money left or entered the account (money out is shown in red).
• Balance the running balance after that entry.
• Who last updated it and when.

The summary cards sit above the ledger and update to match whatever filter you have applied. Use Search transactions, the Type filter, and (on trust accounts) the Client filter to narrow the view. Clear filters resets everything.

Record a deposit or withdrawal

On an operating or savings account, you record both deposits and withdrawals through the same form. Esqase decides which it is from the sign of the amount you enter.

1. Open the account and click New transaction at the top right. (You need Create access for transactions.)
2. The New transaction dialog opens. Fill in the fields:
   • Amount (required): enter a positive amount for a deposit (money coming in) or a negative amount for a withdrawal (money going out).
   • Date (required): defaults to today. Pick the date the transaction actually occurred.
   • Source / destination: where the money came from or went to. Optional.
   • Payer / payee: the person or organization on the other side. Optional.
   • Payment method: for example Check, Wire, or ACH. Optional.
   • Check or reference no.: a check number or other reference. Optional.
   • Description: a rich-text note explaining the entry. Optional but recommended.
3. Click Save transaction. Esqase records the entry, updates the account's balance, and shows a confirmation. The new row appears at the top of the ledger.

Record a trust deposit

Recording money into a trust account is stricter than into an operating account, because every dollar has to be tied to a client (and sometimes a matter). Esqase enforces these rules so your trust ledger stays compliant.

1. Open the trust account and click New transaction.
2. In the dialog, fill in the fields. The form shows extra fields because this is a trust account:
   • Amount (required): must be a positive number. Trust deposits cannot be negative.
   • Date (required): defaults to today.
   • Category (required): the kind of trust deposit. Choose from:
     • Client Retainer / Deposit the most common case: funds a client has paid you to hold.
     • Bank Interest / IOLTA interest credited to the account.
     • Court-Ordered Deposit funds deposited under a court order.
     • Third-Party Deposit funds received from someone other than the client.
     • Other.
   • Client: the client whose funds these are. Required for every category except Bank Interest / IOLTA.
   • Matter: the matter the deposit relates to. Optional in general, but required when the category is Court-Ordered Deposit. The matter list narrows to matters tied to the client you picked, so choose the client first.
   • Source / destination, Payer / payee, Payment method, Check or reference no., and Description work as on any transaction.
3. Click Save transaction. The deposit is added to the ledger, the account balance goes up, and the client's per-client balance on the Clients tab increases by the same amount.

Record a trust deposit from a matter

If you are already working inside a matter, you can record a trust deposit without leaving it. The matter is filled in for you.

1. Open the matter and use its Record trust deposit action.
2. The Record trust deposit dialog opens. It is the same transaction form, but the Matter is already set to the current matter and the Category defaults to Client Retainer / Deposit.
3. Set the Amount, confirm the Client and Category, add any optional details, and click Save transaction.

The deposit is recorded against the correct trust account and shows up in both the account's ledger and the matter's own transactions. For more on the matter workspace, see The matter workspace.

Void a transaction

You cannot edit or delete a posted transaction, because the ledger is meant to be a permanent record. Instead, when an entry is wrong, you void it. Voiding keeps the original row in the ledger marked Voided and reverses its effect on the balance, so your history stays intact and auditable.

1. On the Transactions tab, find the entry and open its "..." menu, then choose Void transaction. (You need Update access for transactions, and the entry must not already be voided.)
2. The Void this transaction? dialog opens. Enter a short Reason explaining why you are voiding it, for example Entered the wrong amount; corrected by reversing entry. A reason is required.
3. Click Void transaction.

Esqase marks the row Voided, removes its amount from the running balance, and records who voided it, when, and the reason you gave. Voided rows are append-only: they stay visible in the ledger but cannot be edited or restored.

View transaction details

To inspect an entry without changing it, open its read-only details view.

1. On any ledger (an account's Transactions tab, or the Transactions area inside a matter or contact), click View at the start of the entry's row.
2. The Transaction details dialog opens. It shows every field on the entry, read-only: Amount, Date, Type, Status (Posted, Pending, Voided, or Archived), the deposit Category if any, the Client and Matter, the related Invoice, Source / destination, Payer / payee, Payment method, Check or reference no., and the Description.
3. Click Close when you are done.

Search and filter the ledger

The Transactions tab gives you several ways to find a specific entry.

• Search transactions: type to match against the entry's type, reference number, payer or payee, source or destination, description, and account name.
• Type: a faceted filter; pick one or more transaction types (for example Deposit and Withdrawal) to show only those.
• Client (trust accounts only): filter the ledger to a single client. This is the same filter applied when you click View on a client in the Clients tab.
• Clear filters: removes the search text and any selected types or clients.

As you filter, the four summary cards above the ledger recalculate to match, so Funds in, Funds out, and Net change always reflect exactly the rows you are looking at. On a trust account, filtering by a client switches the top card to show that Client balance instead of the overall bank balance.

How balances stay in sync with the ledger

It helps to understand the simple rule that keeps every account's balance trustworthy.

Esqase treats the ledger as the single source of truth. Every entry carries a signed amount: money coming in counts as a positive number and money going out as a negative one. The account's balance is just the sum of those signed amounts, kept up to date with every change.

• Deposits, transfers in, payments, and interest add to the balance.
• Withdrawals, transfers out, fees, and refunds subtract from it.
• Adjustments can go either way, depending on the sign you enter.

Because of this, two things are always true:

• The moment you save a transaction, the account balance changes by exactly that entry's amount. There is no separate "update the balance" step to forget.
• When you void a transaction, Esqase reverses just that entry's amount, so the balance rolls back precisely to what it would have been without it. The row stays as Voided history, but it no longer counts toward the balance.

This is also why you cannot type a new balance directly: the balance is always derived from the entries, so the only way to change it is to add or void a transaction. That guarantee is what makes trust accounting reliable. Each client's balance on the Clients tab is calculated the same way, by adding up just the posted entries tied to that client.

Common questions

• Can I edit a transaction after saving it? No. Posted entries are permanent. If something is wrong, void it and record a correct entry.
• Why does my operating account not show a Clients tab? The Clients tab and per-client balances only apply to trust-type accounts (Trust Account, IOLTA, Escrow, or Client Trust Account). Operating and savings accounts hold firm funds, so they do not track money per client.
• Where do invoice payments show up? When a client pays an invoice, the payment is recorded as a transaction on the deposit account you have set up. It appears in that account's ledger with a Payment type and a link back to the invoice. See Recording and managing payments and Payment settings.
• A transaction I expected is missing. Check the status tab and filters on the ledger, and confirm you are looking at the right account. Voided entries still appear but are clearly marked.

Related

• Recording and managing payments
• Creating and sending invoices
• Payment settings
• The billing overview dashboard
• The matter workspace
• Activity timelines and audit logs