We are the Colorado Lawyer Trust Account Foundation, also known as COLTAF. COLTAF is a program that allows Colorado lawyers and Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLPs) to hold the funds of clients and third parties in an ethical manner that keeps those funds separate from their own funds. COLTAF accounts hold the funds of multiple clients or third parties in a single account, simplifying accounting for lawyers and providing important safeguards for clients. As a general rule, all Colorado lawyers who are in private practice will need a COLTAF account. See our FAQs for a more detailed breakdown of the rules and exceptions.

The funds held in COLTAF accounts are nominal in amount or held for a short period of time. As such, these funds do not earn enough interest to cover the cost of accounting for and remitting the interest to clients or third parties. Instead, that interest is paid to COLTAF, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We then make grants to Colorado legal aid and pro bono programs. Our grantmaking focuses on helping Coloradans who cannot afford an attorney protect their rights. You can find out more about which programs our grants support here or apply to receive funding here.

If you are a Colorado lawyer or LLP, we hope that you will choose to bank with one of our Prime Partners or Benchmark Banks. These financial institutions voluntarily pay a higher interest rate on your COLTAF account. This costs you nothing and helps us deliver life-changing legal aid to low-income Coloradans facing a crisis like domestic violence or homelessness. See the full list of Prime Partners and Benchmark Banks here.