In re Interest on Trust Accounts

547 So. 2d 117, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 371, 1989 Fla. LEXIS 1290, 1989 WL 83366
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJuly 20, 1989
DocketNo. 72671
StatusPublished

This text of 547 So. 2d 117 (In re Interest on Trust Accounts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Interest on Trust Accounts, 547 So. 2d 117, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 371, 1989 Fla. LEXIS 1290, 1989 WL 83366 (Fla. 1989).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

As directed in our opinion In re Interest On Trust Accounts: A Petition To Amend The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, 538 So.2d 448 (Fla.1989), the Florida Bar Foundation submits the appended proposed amendments to rule 5-1.1(d) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar implementing a mandatory Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) program.

In compliance with this Court’s request, the Foundation also submits for our approval, in accordance with the Florida Bar Foundation Charter, article X, section 10.2, proposed amendments to the Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation designed to ensure a fair and adequate representation of the Bar membership in the decisionmaking process. The proposed amendments to the Foundation’s charter represent a plan for the selection of the Foundation’s board of directors which was developed by a special joint committee of the Foundation and the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar and which was approved by the board of directors of the Foundation and the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar.

After considering the proposed amendments to rule 5-l.l(d), the proposed amendments to the Foundation’s charter and all comments filed, we adopt the appended amendments to rule 5-1.1(d) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, requiring mandatory participation in Florida’s IOTA program, and approve the appended amendments to the The Florida Bar Foundation, Inc. Articles of Incorporation.

Under rule 5-1.1(d), as amended, all nominal or short-term funds which are placed in trust with a member of The Florida Bar practicing within the state of Florida must be deposited into an interest-bearing trust account for the benefit of the Florida Bar Foundation. Nominal or short-term funds are those funds of a client or third person which a lawyer determines cannot practicably be placed at interest for the benefit of the client or third person. A lawyer shall exercise good faith judgment in determining whether funds are nominal or short term. Factors to be considered in making [118]*118this determination are: 1) the amount of the funds; 2) the period of time funds are expected to be held; 3) the likelihood of delay in the transactions and proceedings; 4) the cost of establishing and maintaining an interest-bearing account; 5) minimum balance requirements and service charges or fees imposed. This determination shall rest in the sound judgment of the lawyer. No lawyer shall be charged with an ethical impropriety or other breach of professional conduct based on the exercise of such good faith judgment. The Foundation may authorize attorneys whose nominal or short-term trust funds cannot reasonably be expected to produce interest income net of reasonable service charges to maintain an interest-free trust account for such funds. Other than the annual written certification that he or she is in compliance with, or is exempt from, the provisions of rule 5-1.-1(d), only one set of documents furnished by the Foundation will need to be signed by an attorney. All subsequent reporting and remittances will be transmitted to the Foundation by the banking institution.

Rule 5-1.1(d), as amended, shall became effective October 1, 1989. Under article VI, section 6.7, of the amended charter, transition to the new governance scheme shall begin in June 1990. Additions to the Florida Bar Foundation Charter are underlined and deletions are in struck-through type. Rule 5-l.l(d) is amended in its entirety as appended.

It is so ordered. '

EHRLICH, C.J., and OVERTON, McDonald, shaw, barkett, GRIMES and KOGAN, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

Amended Rule 5 — 1.1(d) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar

(d) Interest on trust accounts (IOTA) program.

(1) Definitions. As used in rule 5-1.1(d), the term:

a.“Nominal or short term” describes funds of a client or third person which, pursuant to rule 5-l.l(d)(7), the lawyer has determined cannot practicably be placed at interest for the benefit of the client or third person.

b. “Foundation” means The Florida Bar Foundation, Inc.

c. “IOTA account” means a trust account described in rule 5-1.1(d)(2).

(2) Required participation. All nominal or short-term funds belonging to clients or third persons which are placed in trust with any member of The Florida Bar practicing from an office or other business location within the State of Florida shall be deposited into one or more interest-bearing trust accounts for the benefit of the Foundation, except as provided in rule 4-1.15 with respect to funds maintained other than in a bank account, or as provided in rule 5-1.-2(a). Only trust funds which are nominal or short term shall be deposited into an IOTA account. The member shall certify annually, in writing, that the member is in compliance with, or is exempt from, the provisions of rule 5-1.1(d).

(3) Eligible financial institutions. An IOTA account shall be established with any bank or savings and loan association authorized by federal or state laws to do business in Florida and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, or any successor insurance corporation(s) established by federal or state laws. The funds in each IOTA account shall be subject to withdrawal, upon request, and without delay.

(4) Interest rates. The rate of interest on any IOTA account shall not be less than the rate paid by the financial institution to non-IOTA account depositors. Higher rates offered by the financial institution to customers whose deposits exceed certain time or quantity minimums may be obtained by a lawyer or law firm for IOTA accounts on some or all of the deposited funds so long as there is no impairment of the right to immediately withdraw or transfer principal.

(5) Remittance instructions. Lawyers or law firms shall direct the financial institution:

[119]*119a. Frequency of remittances. To remit interest on the balance in the IOTA account, in accordance with the financial institution’s standard practice for non-IOTA account depositors, less reasonable service charges or fees, if any, in connection with the IOTA account, at least quarterly, to the Foundation.

b. Statement to the Foundation. To transmit with each remittance to the Foundation a statement showing the name of the lawyer or law firm from whose IOTA account the remittance is sent, the lawyer or law firm’s IOTA trust account number as assigned by the financial institution, the rate of interest applied, the period for which the remittance is made, the total interest earned during the remittance period, the amount of any service charges or fees assessed during the remittance period, and the net amount of interest remitted for the period; and

c. Report to law firm. To transmit to the depositing lawyer or law firm, for each remittance, a report showing the amount paid to the Foundation, the rate of interest applied and the period for which the report is made.

(6) Notice to Foundation. Lawyers or law firms shall advise the Foundation at Post Office Box 1553, Orlando, Florida 32802-9919, of the establishment of an IOTA account.

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Related

Matter of Interest on Trust Accounts
538 So. 2d 448 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1989)
Matter of Interest on Trust Accounts
402 So. 2d 389 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1981)

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Bluebook (online)
547 So. 2d 117, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 371, 1989 Fla. LEXIS 1290, 1989 WL 83366, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-interest-on-trust-accounts-fla-1989.