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This LawPay review looks at the payment processor built for law firms: what the $19 monthly plan includes, what processing really costs, and who should use it in 2026. All pricing below comes from LawPay’s official pricing page, checked October 14, 2026.
Not legal or accounting advice. This review is general information based on LawPay’s published materials. Trust-accounting rules vary by state, so confirm your setup with your bar’s trust-account rules and, if needed, your accountant.
LawPay review: the short version
LawPay is 8am’s payment processing platform for attorneys. It is built around trust account protection and IOLTA compliance, so earned and unearned funds are handled correctly. The standard plan is $19/month with no contract and unlimited users, plus per-transaction processing fees. It works standalone or inside 8am products like MyCase and DocketWise, and integrates with 70+ legal tools.
What LawPay includes
LawPay’s pricing page lists these features in the $19 plan:
- Trust account protection and IOLTA compliance
- Debit, credit, eCheck, Apple Pay, and client financing payment types
- Payment links, cards on file, and scheduled payments
- Next-day payments
- Chargeback resolution
- Billing and invoicing with time tracking
- Customizable payment pages
- Custom reporting and reconciliation
- Integrations with MyCase, CasePeer, and 70+ legal tools
- Unlimited users and phone support
- PCI compliance (listed as a $150 value)
LawPay pricing and fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $19/month, no contract, monthly billing |
| Visa, Mastercard, Discover | 2.99% + $0.30 per transaction |
| American Express | 3.90% + $0.30 per transaction |
| eCheck | 1% |
| Pay Later (legal fee lending) | 5.95% |
| Card brand pass-through allocation | $7.99/month (current allocation) |
| Foreign cards | Additional 1.75% |
LawPay passes card network fees through with no markup instead of raising rates on every transaction. Some network fees are allocated across customers; LawPay states its current allocation is $7.99 per month and that it may change. Individual network fees (for example Visa’s integrity fee or Mastercard’s location fee) can also apply. LawPay offers custom pricing for special processing needs by phone. See our full LawPay pricing breakdown.
LawPay fee examples: what you actually pay
These worked examples use only the published rates above. They exclude the per-transaction card network fees LawPay lists on its pricing page (for example Visa’s $0.10 integrity fee or Mastercard’s $1.25 location fee), because those don’t apply to every transaction.
| Payment | Calculation | Processing cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 Visa invoice payment | $500 × 2.99% + $0.30 | $15.25 | 3.05% |
| $2,000 Mastercard retainer | $2,000 × 2.99% + $0.30 | $60.10 | 3.01% |
| $2,000 American Express retainer | $2,000 × 3.90% + $0.30 | $78.30 | 3.92% |
| $2,000 Visa issued abroad | $2,000 × (2.99% + 1.75%) + $0.30 | $95.10 | 4.76% |
| $2,000 eCheck | $2,000 × 1% | $20.00 | 1.00% |
| $2,000 Pay Later (financed) | $2,000 × 5.95% | $119.00 | 5.95% |
A sample month
Say a small firm collects $25,000 in a month: ten $1,000 Visa or Mastercard payments and $15,000 by eCheck.
- Cards: 10 × ($29.90 + $0.30) = $302.00
- eCheck: $15,000 × 1% = $150.00
- Monthly plan: $19.00
- Pass-through allocation: $7.99
That totals $478.99, an effective rate of about 1.92% before any per-transaction network fees. If the same $25,000 came in entirely by Visa in $1,000 payments, card processing alone would be $755 (25 × $30.20). Shifting large retainers to eCheck is the single biggest lever on your LawPay bill. One small saving is easy to miss: the fixed $0.30 per card transaction matters most on small payments, which is why a $500 payment has a higher effective rate than a $2,000 one.
How LawPay handles IOLTA and trust accounting
Trust compliance is the main reason firms pick LawPay over a general processor. Here’s how it works, according to LawPay’s compliance page and FAQ:
- Separate trust and operating accounts. You connect both your trust (IOLTA) account and your operating account, and you choose which account each payment is deposited to. LawPay says this keeps earned and unearned funds separate and prevents commingling.
- Fees come out of operating, not trust. Many processors net their fees out of each deposit, which would mean money leaves the trust account to pay the processor. LawPay says it deposits 100% of each payment, then debits your operating account once a month for all fees. Each deposit matches its invoice, which keeps three-way reconciliation cleaner.
- No third-party debits from trust. LawPay states it doesn’t allow debits from your trust account at any time, including for client disputes and chargebacks.
- Refunds. LawPay says it doesn’t charge for refunds, so returning unearned fees to a client’s card doesn’t cost extra.
LawPay itself notes that state-specific trust rules still call for a conversation with your bar or an accountant. The software helps you route money correctly; it doesn’t replace your own trust ledger and reconciliation duties.
How to set up LawPay
- Sign up. Create an account on LawPay’s sign-up page, or call sales (866-376-0950) to talk through custom pricing if you process high volume or have special needs.
- Connect your bank accounts. Add your operating account and your trust/IOLTA account. Fees will be debited monthly from operating.
- Decide where each payment type lands. Earned fees and invoice payments go to operating; retainers and advance deposits go to trust.
- Turn on payment options. Choose which methods clients can use: cards, eCheck, Apple Pay, and Pay Later financing.
- Share payment links. Add a payment button to your website, or put your payment link in your email signature, invoices, or DocuSign. LawPay’s help center has guides for Gmail, Outlook, QuickBooks, Xero, DocuSign, and Jotform.
- Connect your software. Link your practice management or accounting tool (see integrations below).
- Review your first statement. Monthly statements show processing fees by payment type, the allocated card brand fee, and when fees will be debited. LawPay doesn’t break fees out per transaction, so the statement is where you check costs.
On timing: the pricing page advertises next-day payments, while LawPay’s FAQ says card and eCheck deposits arrive in 2 business days and financing in 3 to 5. Confirm which applies to your account.
LawPay integrations
LawPay says it integrates with 70+ legal tools. Integrations we verified on LawPay’s partner page and help center include:
- 8am products: MyCase (LawPay included at no extra cost, deepest integration), DocketWise (immigration), and CasePeer (personal injury).
- Practice management: Smokeball, PracticePanther, CosmoLex, Centerbase, Zola Suite, CaseFox, and LEAP RapidPay.
- Billing and accounting: QuickBooks Online (transactions upload automatically by the next day), Bill4Time, TimeSolv, Time59, TrustBooks, and Invoiced.
- Automation: Zapier.
LawPay’s help center still lists a “Clio Payments” article, but the Clio integration ended August 31, 2026, so don’t count on it.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Built for law firm trust accounting and IOLTA compliance.
- Low flat monthly fee with no contract and unlimited users.
- eCheck at 1% is much cheaper than cards for large retainers.
- Pay Later client financing helps clients afford fees.
- Integrated in MyCase and DocketWise, plus 70+ legal tools.
- Next-day payments and phone support.
Cons
- Pass-through and allocation fees make the true cost harder to predict.
- Amex (3.90%) and foreign cards (+1.75%) are expensive.
- The Clio integration ended August 31, 2026 (details).
- Pay Later carries a 5.95% fee.
Who LawPay is for
- Solo and small firms that need compliant card and eCheck payments without switching practice management software.
- MyCase and DocketWise users, where LawPay is built in. See MyCase vs LawPay.
- Firms taking large retainers that can steer clients to eCheck.
Clio users should weigh the ended integration before choosing LawPay.
Who should skip it
- Firms whose clients pay mostly with Amex or foreign cards, where 3.90% or the extra 1.75% adds up fast.
- Clio-based firms, now that the integration has ended.
- Firms that need per-transaction fee detail, since LawPay summarizes fees monthly.
LawPay alternatives
If you want practice management with payments built in, consider MyCase (see MyCase pricing). For broader billing options, see our list of the best legal billing software. To understand where LawPay fits among 8am products, read What is 8am?
Verdict
LawPay is a solid default for attorneys who need trust-compliant payments at a low monthly fee. Budget for processing, network pass-throughs, and the $7.99 allocation, and push eCheck where you can. Get started with LawPay.
Frequently asked questions
How much does LawPay cost per month?
$19/month with no contract, plus processing fees and a current $7.99/month pass-through allocation.
What are LawPay’s credit card fees?
2.99% + $0.30 for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover; 3.90% + $0.30 for American Express; plus 1.75% extra on foreign cards.
How much is a LawPay eCheck?
1% processing.
Is LawPay IOLTA compliant?
LawPay lists trust account protection and IOLTA compliance as core features.
Does LawPay take fees out of my trust account?
No. LawPay says it deposits the full payment and debits fees monthly from your operating account, never your trust account.
How much does a $1,000 card payment cost on LawPay?
$30.20 on Visa, Mastercard, or Discover; $39.30 on Amex; $47.70 on a foreign Visa/Mastercard/Discover card. By eCheck it’s $10.
Does LawPay work with Clio?
The Clio–LawPay integration ended August 31, 2026. LawPay still integrates with MyCase, CasePeer, and 70+ other tools.