What is IOLTA?

IOLTA stands for Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts. Every U.S. state and many other jurisdictions have an IOLTA program.

These programs make it easier for people of limited means to protect their rights and liberties. 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court created our state's IOLTA program in 1986 as part of its role overseeing courts and the legal profession in the state. 

How does IOLTA work?

The concept revolves around funds attorneys often hold temporarily ("in trust") for clients. Sometimes these deposits are so small, or held for such a short time, that they can't generate interest for clients. In these cases, attorneys must pool them together with all other such deposits into a single, interest-bearing IOLTA account.

That interest, in turn, is paid by the financial institution to WisTAF, for us to use in administering grants for civil legal aid.

Over the decades, IOLTA interest has been a crucial source of funding for WisTAF's grants, helping many thousands in Wisconsin to realize our nation's promise of equal justice under the law.

Doing more

Most financial institutions choose to waive fees on IOLTA accounts as a service to the communities they serve. Some go the extra mile, paying higher interest as IOLTA Prime Partners.

More information

WisTAF manages Wisconsin's IOLTA program. Our website includes detailed information about the program including specific instructions for financial institutions, attorneys and law firms.