OT Lawyers - depositing checks into your IOLTA account

Get a new bank

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Has it become common for banks to require that both you and your client appear at the bank in order to deposit the check?

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no a signature from the client on the endorsement area has been enough my entire career

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no a signature from the client on the endorsement area has been enough my entire career

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Same here - We'll either get a new bank or go to the bigger branches "in the city" and see if we can fix it.

Just have the check made payable to the "Trust Account of chinhoyang on behalf of" or "for the benefit of" the client. No client signature required

Unless one planned to open up a desk at the bank I don't see how this would be feasible.

Checks are always made out to me/law firm and client. Both parties endorse, deposit at bank.

If a bank isn't honoring a blank endorsement they just don't know what they're doing. Any holder of an instrument can deposit a check if it's blankly endorsed by the payee.

yeah, I'd be talking the the supervisor and asking what the hell they're doing.

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Just have the check made payable to the "Trust Account of chinhoyang on behalf of" or "for the benefit of" the client. No client signature required

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Have you ever had a defendant or insurance company refuse to order a check this way?


Eta: This shite has never been my baby, but it will be starting in the next few months. What would be the issue with adding a clause to the mandate/poa that gives you authority to endorse the client's signature on a settlement check? Is it a good cya tactic to have the client endorse the check, so they can't come back later and say that they didn't agree to settle for that amount?

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Just go to a check cashing place. Sign your clients name on the back of the check. Get some cash and spend the money on lots of coke and decent hookers.

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I knew a lawyer who did essentially that. It was a little more sophisticated, but that was the gist of it. Suffice to say he no longer has a license.

My attorney relative hates IOLTA and uses it only when he has no other alternative.

Obviously there are times when you have to use it. But for example he will put up advance filing fees himself and bill the client later (assuming he knows the client is trustworthy).