Licensing > Trust Accounts 

A lawyer's privilege of holding a client's money or valuable property in trust requires strict compliance with the Legal Profession Act (Section 30), the Society's Regulations (Part 10 and sections of Part 4) and the Legal Ethics Handbook (Chapter 9).

In an effort to assist members in proper and effective management of Trust Accounts, the Society has developed a Trust Accounts Manual.

All Practising Lawyers, with the exception of those employed by the Federal Department of Justice, are required to annually report on their involvement with Trust Accounts. This reporting takes the form of either a Declaration in the Matter of Trust Funds or the longer Trust Account Report.

Other forms have been developed to support the Regulations and can be found in the forms index.

To assist members in the management of their Trust Accounts, and upon sufficient demand, the Society will make an application to turn over undistributable trust funds to the Public Trustee of Nova Scotia. Information on this process and a copy of a Solicitor's Affidavit can be found here.

Guidelines - Co-Signers on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (PDF)