IOLTA Helps Ensure Justice for All.
IOLTA for Attorneys
To comply with Montana’s Rule 1.18 governing mandatory IOLTA accounts, every attorney with an active license to practice law in Montana must complete an IOLTA Compliance Certification annually. If your Montana license is inactive or you are not licensed to practice law in Montana, you do not need to complete the certification.
Attorneys may certify online through the Montana State Bar website or use a paper form.
To certify, attorneys must verify that they have a current IOLTA account with an eligible bank holding client funds or that they do not need an IOLTA account for various reasons identified by Rule 1.18. Attorneys may also use the certification form to request an exemption, which the Montana Justice Foundation Board of Directors will consider.
Click the resources button below for more information and to download the required IOLTA forms.
IOLTA for Financial Instiutions
For financial institutions participating in the IOLTA program, please use the remittance form below to report. If you have questions about IOLTA or attorneys opening an IOLTA account, please review the information on IOLTA below or contact us. If your financial institution is not on the eligible list but would like to be, please contact us at iolta@mtjustice.org or fill out the application below and return it to the State Bar of Montana.
To be eligible for providing IOLTA accounts, financial institutions must be federally insured and report and remit interest earnings to the Montana Justice Foundation either monthly or quarterly. Please see Rule 1.18 for more information on administering and reporting for IOLTA accounts.
Click below to download the New Account Notice form needed to open an IOLTA account.
Preferred Financial Institutions
These financial institutions go above and beyond the minimum requirements to qualify for IOLTA eligibility by offering attractive interest rates on IOLTA accounts and waiving all fees. Their support leads to more funding for essential legal aid. MJF encourages attorneys and firms to support access to justice by doing business with these financial institutions.
Leadership
These institutions pay at least 1% interest and waves service fees on all IOLTA accounts.
Honor Roll
These institutions pay at least 0.5% interest and waive service fees on all IOLTA accounts.
Montana Justice Foundation recognizes all preferred financial institutions in MJF communications, at events, and through the Montana Lawyer publication. Preferred financial institutions may also be eligible for credit under the Community Reinvestment Act. To become a preferred financial institution or notify us of an omission, complete the form below.