Massachusetts · Trust Accounting
What Massachusetts attorneys must do to keep client trust funds compliant — the governing rule, how often you must reconcile, and how long records must be kept.
Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15 (SJC Rule 3:07) — reconciliation under 1.15(f), record retention under 1.15(g), dishonored check reporting under 1.15(h)
At least every 60 days (three-way)
6 years
Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
Massachusetts IOLTA Committee
Required — banks must notify the regulator
Source: Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers . Rules change — always confirm against the current text before relying on it.
Massachusetts's stated reconciliation requirement is: At least every 60 days (three-way). A three-way reconciliation compares three totals that must all agree. If they do not, the difference has to be found and resolved before the reconciliation is complete.
Bank statement balance, adjusted for outstanding checks and deposits in transit.
Your internal trust account register as of the same date.
The total of every individual client ledger balance on that date.
For a full walkthrough of the procedure, common violations, and what examiners look for, see our IOLTA compliance guide.
Massachusetts requires trust account records to be retained for 6 years. In practice that means keeping:
IOLTA Guard automates three-way reconciliation, blocks negative client ledgers, and keeps the audit trail Massachusetts attorneys are expected to maintain.