Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Requesting Trust Fund Replenishment from Clients in LeanLaw

How to send trust replenishment requests to clients in LeanLaw — including one-time and evergreen retainer requests, how clients pay, and recording manual trust payments outside the payment link.

When a client's trust balance runs low — or before it runs out entirely — you can send a Trust Request directly from LeanLaw to ask the client to replenish their retainer. Clients receive a secure email link and can pay by credit card or ACH without any extra setup on their end.

📋 Requires Confido Legal: Trust Requests use LeanLaw Payment infrastructure powered by Confido Legal. Your firm must be connected to Confido Legal (Settings → Integrations → Confido Legal) to send Trust Requests with payment links.

 

Sending a Trust Request

  1. Navigate to the Trust Account section (Billing → Trust Account tab, or open the client's trust record directly).
  2. Find the client whose trust needs replenishment.
  3. Click the Trust Request button (or Send Trust Request).
  4. In the request form, enter:

Field

What to Enter

Client

Pre-populated from the trust account you opened.

Amount

The amount you are requesting the client deposit.

Note

Optional. A message to the client explaining the request — e.g., 'Your retainer balance has fallen below our minimum. Please replenish to ensure uninterrupted representation.'

Once completed, Click Send. The client receives an email with a secure payment link.

💡 Tip: Send trust requests proactively — before the balance hits zero. Many firms send a replenishment request when the balance drops below a set threshold (see Evergreen Retainers below). Waiting until the balance is depleted disrupts the billing workflow.

 

How the Client Pays

The client receives a branded email from LeanLaw (@leanlaw.io) with a secure link. From there they can pay by:

  • Credit or debit card
  • ACH bank transfer

Once the client completes payment, LeanLaw automatically:

  • Records the trust deposit in LeanLaw
  • Creates the required journal entries in QuickBooks Online
  • Updates the client's trust liability account
  • Marks the trust request as Paid in Track Sent Emails

 

Recording a Manual Trust Payment (Client Paid Outside the Link)

If a client sends funds by check or wire transfer rather than using the payment link:

  1. Go to Confido Legal (confidolegal.com) and locate the associated payment link.
  2. Expand the payment details and click Record Manual Payment.
  3. LeanLaw automatically creates the necessary journal entries in QBO and marks the trust request as paid in Track Sent Emails.

Alternatively, record the deposit manually in LeanLaw via the quick-actions (+) menu → Trust Deposit.

Note: using this method will record the deposit correctly but the original trust request will still show as unpaid in Track Sent Emails — the two are not automatically linked.

 

Evergreen Retainers (Minimum Balance Requirements)

An evergreen retainer is an arrangement where a client must maintain a minimum balance in their trust account at all times. LeanLaw supports evergreen retainers as a Pro feature:

Enabling Evergreen Retainers

  1. Go to Settings → Trust Accounting.
  2. Check the Enable Evergreen Retainers checkbox and save.

Setting a Minimum Balance on a Matter

  1. Open the matter and go to the QuickBooks tab.
  2. Find the Evergreen Amount field and enter the minimum balance required.
  3. Save the matter.

The evergreen minimum amount appears on the client's invoice trust memo and in trust reports. When the balance falls below the minimum, the matter appears in trust reports with a 'Below Evergreen' indicator.

📋 Note: Evergreen replenishment is not automated — LeanLaw doesn't automatically send a request when the balance drops below the minimum. Use the Trust Report's 'Below Evergreen' filter to identify clients who need a replenishment request, then send them manually.