IOLTA / IOTA for lawyers.
Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) is one of the two engines of civil legal-aid funding in Ohio — and every practicing attorney with a client trust account plays a part.
What IOLTA is
When a lawyer holds client funds that are nominal in amount or held for a short time, those funds are pooled in an IOLTA account. The pooled interest — which could not practicably be earned for any individual client — is remitted to the Foundation and used to fund civil legal aid for low-income Ohioans. IOTA is the parallel program for title-agent trust accounts.
Your responsibilities
- Maintain your client trust account as an interest-bearing IOLTA account at an eligible financial institution.
- Direct the interest to the Foundation, not to yourself or your clients.
- Prefer institutions enrolled in the Prime Partner Program, which pay premium rates that maximize funding for legal aid.
Most of the Foundation's income comes from interest earned on lawyer trust accounts (IOLTA) and title-agent trust accounts (IOTA), and a civil filing-fee surcharge.
For the current IOLTA/IOTA rules, forms, and eligible-institution details, see the live IOLTA/IOTA page ↗. Banks and title agents can find institution guidance under Banks & Courts →.
Justice works — when it's funded.
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