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Connecting LeanLaw to QuickBooks Online

Step-by-step instructions for connecting LeanLaw to QuickBooks Online — including QuickBooks Online version selection, chart of accounts setup, expense mapping, and trust account configuration.

LeanLaw integrates deeply with QuickBooks Online to sync invoices, expenses, trust activity, and client data — keeping your legal billing and accounting in one seamless system. This guide covers everything from choosing the right QuickBooks Online plan to completing the connection wizard.

📋 Complete this before: Creating clients, matters, or billing in LeanLaw. A connected QuickBooks account is required for invoicing to work correctly.

 

Part 1: Choose the Right QuickBooks Online Plan

LeanLaw is compatible with all five QuickBooks Online plans: Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, Advanced, and Intuit Enterprise Suite. The majority of LeanLaw firms use Essentials, Plus, or Advanced.

QuickBooks Plan

Best For

Essentials

Small firms needing core billing and trust features

Plus

Firms using class tracking, project tracking, and more detailed invoice presentation

Advanced

Mid-market firms that want to keep most users in LeanLaw and limit QuickBooks access to accounting staff

 

💡 Tip: Start with a leaner QuickBooks Online plan — you can always upgrade. If you work with a bookkeeper or accountant, ask them which plan suits your firm's workflows. LeanLaw Accounting Pros are bookkeepers fluent in both LeanLaw and QuickBooks Online.

 

⚠️ Not Compatible: LeanLaw does not work with QuickBooks Self-Employed or QuickBooks Desktop. 

 

Part 2: Prepare Your QuickBooks Chart of Accounts

Before connecting LeanLaw, verify or create the following accounts in your QuickBooks Online Chart of Accounts. LeanLaw maps to these specific account types and detail types — using the wrong settings will cause sync errors.

Required QuickBooks Online Account

Account Type & Detail Type Required

Operating Bank Account

Type: Bank | Detail: Checking — For receiving invoice payments. Required for all firms.

Trust / IOLTA Account

Type: Bank | Detail: Trust Account — Do NOT set this as Checking. LeanLaw requires the Trust Account detail type.

Trust Liability Account

Type: Liability | Detail: Trust Account Liabilities — LeanLaw will create this for you automatically if it doesn't exist.

Advanced Client Costs

Type: Other Current Assets | Detail: Other Current Assets — For hard costs paid on behalf of clients. Expenses flow from QuickBooks Online to LeanLaw for invoicing, then clear this account once invoiced.

Income Account (Legal Fees)

Type: Income | Detail: Service/Fee Income — Typically named 'Legal Fees' or 'Legal Services'. LeanLaw maps to one income account only.

 

⚠️ Critical: LeanLaw maps to one income account only. Ensure your legal fee income account uses the 'Service/Fee Income' detail type — not 'Sale of Product'.

 

QuickBooks Online Products & Services Setup

QuickBooks Online also needs two Products & Services entries to categorize the line items LeanLaw sends over:

  1. Legal Services — Service type, mapped to your Legal Income account
  2. Billable Expenses — Service type, mapped to your Prepaid Expenses (or Billable Expense Income) account

Create these under the Gear icon in QuickBooks Online → Products and Services → New.

 

Part 3: Connect LeanLaw to QuickBooks Online

Once your QuickBooks Online chart of accounts is ready, complete the connection inside LeanLaw:

  1. Log in to LeanLaw and click the gear icon ⚙️ in the top-right corner.
  2. Scroll to Integrations in the left-hand menu and click QuickBooks.
  3. Click Connect to QuickBooks. If you have multiple QuickBooks Online companies, search for and select the correct one, then click Next → Connect.
  4. A QuickBooks Account Setup wizard will appear. Click Next to begin.

 

Wizard Step

What to Do

1. Income Account

Select the QuickBooks Online income account for legal fees from the dropdown (e.g., 'Legal Fees'). Click Next.

2. Advanced Client Costs Sync

If your firm advances expenses for clients, click Enable QuickBooks Sync and select 'Advanced Client Costs.' Reconcile this account regularly. Click Next.

3. Soft Costs Account

Select 'Billable Expense Income' as the QuickBooks Online account for soft costs. Click Next.

4. Save Expense Settings

If a pop-up appears after saving, click Cancel if you've received a green confirmation message.

5. Create Client in QuickBooks

Enable this toggle. Every new client or matter created in LeanLaw will then be automatically added to QuickBooks Online.

6. Connect Trust Account

In Settings → Firm Setup → Trust Accounting: (a) Click Create Vendor under Trust Payee Vendor (b) Confirm your Operating Account auto-populates (c) Click Add Trust Account — your IOLTA account should be recognized automatically (d) Click Save Changes. A green dot confirms a successful connection.

7. Trust Liability Account

LeanLaw detects whether a 'Funds Held in Trust' liability account exists. If not, it creates one in QuickBooks automatically.

 

✅ When complete: Refresh the page. A green dot next to your trust account confirms a successful QuickBooks connection. LeanLaw and QuickBooks are now synced for billing, expenses, and trust accounting.