Iolta Manager

IOLTA Manager Development Guide

A trust account management application for law firms to maintain IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) compliance—tracking client funds, generating reports, and maintaining proper records per state bar requirements.

Live site: https://iolta-manager.casedev.app/

Architecture

src/
├── app/
│   ├── api/                    # API routes
│   │   ├── audit/              # Audit log endpoints
│   │   ├── clients/            # Client CRUD
│   │   ├── holds/              # Trust holds management
│   │   ├── matters/            # Matter management
│   │   ├── reports/            # Report generation
│   │   ├── settings/           # Firm settings
│   │   └── transactions/       # Transaction operations
│   ├── audit/                  # Audit log page
│   ├── clients/                # Client pages
│   ├── holds/                  # Holds management
│   ├── ledger/                 # Transaction ledger
│   ├── matters/                # Matter pages
│   ├── reports/                # Reports page
│   └── settings/               # Settings page
├── components/
│   ├── holds/                  # Hold-related components
│   ├── layout/                 # Sidebar, navigation
│   ├── matters/                # Matter components
│   ├── reports/                # Report components
│   └── ui/                     # Base UI components
├── db/
│   ├── index.ts                # Database connection
│   └── schema.ts               # Drizzle schema
└── lib/
    ├── audit.ts                # Audit logging utilities
    ├── iolta-compliance.ts     # State-specific rules
    ├── pdf-styles.ts           # Report styling
    └── utils.ts                # General utilities

Core Workflow

Create Client → Create Matter → Record Transactions → Place Holds → Generate Reports
      ↓              ↓                  ↓                 ↓               ↓
  Contact info   Link to client    Deposits/         Reserve funds   Monthly,
  stored         assign number     Disbursements     prevent over-   Reconciliation,
                                   track balance     disbursement    Client Ledger

Tech Stack

Key Features

Database Operations

PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM. See references/database-schema.md for complete schema.

Commands

npm run db:push      # Push schema (dev)
npm run db:generate  # Generate migrations
npm run db:studio    # Open Drizzle Studio

Core Tables

• clients: name, email, phone, address
• matters: clientId, name, matterNumber, status
• transactions: matterId, type, amount, date, payor/payee
• holds: matterId, amount, reason, status
• trustAccountSettings: firmName, state, bankInfo
• auditLog: action, entityType, entityId, details, timestamp

Development

Setup

npm install
cp .env.example .env.local
# Add DATABASE_URL to .env.local
npm run db:push
npm run dev

Environment

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...    # PostgreSQL connection
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=...              # Auth secret (required for prod)
NEXTAUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000

IOLTA Compliance

See references/iolta-compliance.md for state-specific rules.

Supported Jurisdictions

All 50 states + DC with specific rules for record retention (5-7 years) and reconciliation requirements (monthly).

Key Compliance Concepts

• Three-way reconciliation: Bank statement + client ledgers + trust register
• Trust holds: Prevent disbursement of reserved funds
• Audit trail: Document all actions for bar compliance

Report Types

See references/reporting.md for generation patterns.

Common Tasks

Adding a New Report Type

1. Create report component in components/reports/
2. Add API endpoint in app/api/reports/
3. Add to report selector in app/reports/page.tsx
4. Style with lib/pdf-styles.ts

Adding a New Transaction Type

1. Update transaction type enum in db/schema.ts
2. Modify transaction form component
3. Update balance calculations in API routes
4. Add to audit logging

State Compliance Rules

// lib/iolta-compliance.ts
export function getStateRules(state: string): IOLTARules {
  // Returns retention period, reconciliation frequency, bar association
}

Security Considerations

• Bank account numbers masked (last 4 digits only)
• Show/hide toggle for sensitive data
• Audit trail for all actions
• Role-based access (when auth enabled)

Demo vs Production

Currently ships in demo mode. For production:

• Implement proper NextAuth.js authentication
• Add user roles (admin, attorney, paralegal, readonly)
• Enable RBAC for transactions/reports
• Configure proper NEXTAUTH_SECRET

Troubleshooting