Bookkeeping for Legal Practices — Australia
FreeMyCloud provides Australian law firms and legal practices with a dedicated, university-qualified graduate accountant — handling general account bookkeeping, payroll under the Legal Services Award, BAS preparation, and management reporting, working alongside your practice management software from day one.
A clear note on trust accounting: Trust accounts for Australian law firms are governed by state-specific legal profession rules and managed within purpose-built practice management software (LEAP, Practice Evolve, Smokeball). That trust ledger remains with your software and your designated trust examiner. FreeMyCloud handles your general account bookkeeping — payroll, operating account reconciliations, BAS, accounts receivable, and management reporting — working alongside your practice management system, not in place of it.
"Australian businesses — from individual operators to publicly listed companies — deserve bookkeeping support that is qualified, reliable, and properly priced."
Julian Mahoney, Founder & Director, FreeMyCloud Book a Free ConsultationLaw firms face a distinct set of financial obligations — from award-based payroll and complex billing structures through to quarterly BAS requirements and monthly management reporting. These are the areas where dedicated bookkeeping services for legal practices deliver the most value.
Legal practice staff — solicitors, paralegals, legal secretaries, and support roles — are covered by the Legal Services Award 2020. Correct classification, base rates, and entitlements require careful application every pay cycle.
The general/operating account for a law firm processes a high volume of transactions — fee income, disbursements, payroll, supplier payments, and transfers. Keeping this reconciled weekly is essential for accurate reporting and BAS.
Legal services are generally subject to GST at 10%. Disbursements add complexity — court filing fees, barrister fees, and expert costs each have specific GST treatment that must be coded correctly to produce an accurate BAS.
Legal debtors are a common cash flow challenge. Without active monitoring and follow-up, outstanding fee invoices accumulate across matters and the practice's receivables position becomes difficult to manage.
Partners and principals need a reliable monthly picture of the practice — fee income, costs, payroll burden, and cash position. Producing this requires current, accurately maintained general account records throughout the month.
Year-end for a legal practice involves reconciling fee income, WIP write-offs, disbursements, and partner distributions — a process that is significantly more straightforward when the general account has been maintained accurately throughout the year.
One dedicated graduate accountant handling your practice's general account bookkeeping — consistently, on schedule, every week.
General/operating account reconciled weekly — fee income, disbursements, payroll, and supplier payments matched and current.
Staff pay runs processed with correct award rates and classifications, STP Phase 2 lodged every pay event, and super paid by ATO deadlines.
GST coded correctly across fee income and disbursements, BAS prepared quarterly — accurate and ready for lodgement every period.
Outstanding fee invoices monitored and followed up systematically — debtors managed, receivables position maintained accurately in your accounting software.
P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow produced monthly from current data — a reliable picture of practice performance for principals and partners.
Year-end records maintained accurately throughout — so your accountant has complete, reconciled general account data for financial statements and tax returns.
FreeMyCloud works alongside your practice management software and trust examiner — not in place of them.
Book a free consultationMost Australian law firms use a dedicated practice management system — LEAP, Smokeball, Practice Evolve, Clio, or FilePro — to handle time recording, matter management, billing, and trust accounting. These platforms are purpose-built for legal compliance.
FreeMyCloud bookkeepers are able to work alongside these systems, using billing data and financial exports to maintain your general account in Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks — keeping your accounting software current and your BAS, payroll, and management reporting accurate.
Most widely used AU legal platform — billing exports to Xero and MYOB
Cloud practice management with accounting software integration
Full-featured platform — financial data exportable for reconciliation
Additional platforms your bookkeeper is able to work alongside
FreeMyCloud bookkeepers are university-qualified graduate accountants — pre-trained in Australian payroll, BAS, GST, and the financial requirements specific to legal practice before they begin with your firm. They require minimal onboarding and are operational within 3 business days.
One dedicated bookkeeper is assigned to your firm. The same person, every week — building knowledge of your practice's billing structure, your payroll, and your financial reporting requirements over time.
A dedicated, university-qualified graduate accountant for your legal practice — at 50–70% less than a local bookkeeper hire. No super, no leave, no recruitment overhead.
Four steps from first contact to your bookkeeper working in your practice's accounts.
15 minutes — tell us about your practice, your software, your payroll, and what you need handled.
We match you with a graduate accountant with legal practice bookkeeping experience.
Invite your bookkeeper into your accounting software. They review your current file and begin immediately.
Payroll, BAS, reconciliations, reports — maintained consistently every week.
I am a university-qualified graduate accountant. I am able to handle the general account bookkeeping for your legal practice — processing payroll under the Legal Services Award every pay cycle, reconciling your operating account weekly, preparing your BAS each quarter with correctly coded legal service fees and disbursements, and producing management reports each month.
I work alongside your practice management software — using billing data and financial exports from LEAP, Smokeball, or Practice Evolve to keep your accounting software current and accurate. I do not access your trust ledger; that remains with your software and your designated trust examiner.
I am able to support legal practices of all sizes across Australia — from sole practitioners through to multi-partner firms and ASX-listed legal services companies with complex reporting requirements.
FreeMyCloud provides bookkeeping services for legal practices across every state and territory in Australia — law firms, barristers' chambers, in-house legal teams, and legal services companies of all sizes. Our bookkeeping services are available to practices of every structure, from individual operators and sole practitioners through to multi-partner firms and ASX-listed legal organisations.
Australian legal practices face a distinct set of financial obligations. The Legal Services Award 2020 governs the pay rates, classification structures, and entitlements for solicitors, paralegals, legal secretaries, and support staff — and must be applied correctly every pay cycle. GST on legal services and disbursements requires careful coding: legal fees are generally taxable at 10%, while certain disbursements (court filing fees, barrister fees, expert costs) carry specific GST treatment that must be applied correctly for an accurate BAS. Monthly management reporting is a requirement for principals and partners to understand the practice's financial position.
FreeMyCloud bookkeeping services for legal practices cover the general/operating account scope — payroll, reconciliations, BAS preparation, accounts receivable management, and monthly management reporting. Our bookkeepers work alongside the practice management software the firm already uses (LEAP, Smokeball, Practice Evolve, Clio, or FilePro), extracting billing data and financial information to keep the accounting software current. Trust accounting, which is governed by state-specific legal profession rules and managed within practice management software, remains with the firm's practice management system and designated trust examiner.
FreeMyCloud provides bookkeeping services for legal practices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Geelong, Darwin, and Hobart, and all regional areas of Australia.
What bookkeeping services do legal practices need?
Legal practices require general account bookkeeping — payroll under the Legal Services Award, operating account reconciliations, BAS preparation with correctly coded legal service fees and disbursements, accounts receivable management, and monthly management reporting. This is separate from trust accounting, which is handled by your practice management software and trust examiner.
Can a bookkeeper handle trust accounting for a law firm?
Trust accounting for Australian law firms is a regulated function governed by state-specific legal profession rules. It is managed within purpose-built practice management software (LEAP, Practice Evolve, Smokeball) and subject to annual external examination by a designated examiner. FreeMyCloud handles the general/office account bookkeeping for your practice — not the trust ledger. Your practice management software and trust examiner handle trust compliance.
How much do bookkeeping services for legal practices cost in Australia?
FreeMyCloud bookkeeping services for legal practices typically cost 50–70% less than employing a local bookkeeper. There are no setup fees and no lock-in contracts — no superannuation, leave entitlements, or recruitment costs. Use the savings calculator on our website for a personalised estimate based on your practice size.
What payroll award covers legal practice staff in Australia?
Legal practice staff in Australia are typically covered by the Legal Services Award 2020, which sets minimum pay rates, classifications, and entitlements for solicitors, paralegals, legal secretaries, and administrative support roles. FreeMyCloud payroll bookkeepers are able to apply the correct rates and entitlements for your team each pay cycle.
Which practice management software does FreeMyCloud work alongside?
FreeMyCloud bookkeepers are able to work alongside LEAP, Smokeball, Practice Evolve, Clio, and FilePro — extracting billing and financial data from these platforms for use in your accounting software (Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks) for reconciliation, BAS preparation, and management reporting.
Is my legal practice financial data secure with an outsourced bookkeeper?
Yes. Your bookkeeper is given user-level access to your accounting software at the permission level you set. A signed NDA is included with every FreeMyCloud engagement as standard, covering the confidentiality of all financial data including client-related financial records in the general account.
How quickly can bookkeeping services for legal practices start?
Most FreeMyCloud clients are operational within 3 business days of an initial consultation. Your bookkeeper is pre-trained and ready to begin from day one — minimal onboarding required.
Is there a lock-in contract?
No. FreeMyCloud operates without lock-in contracts or minimum terms. You are free to cancel at any time. There are also no setup fees.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation. Tell us about your practice and we will match you with the right bookkeeper — operational within 3 business days, no setup fees, no lock-in.
