Where Can I Cash My Settlement Check?

Settlement checks are typically issued to both you and your attorney jointly, and processed through your attorney's trust account. You generally do not receive or cash the check directly.

In most personal injury cases, the settlement check is issued jointly to the plaintiff and their attorney, or directly to the attorney's client trust account. This is standard practice designed to ensure that liens, attorney fees, case expenses, and funding repayments are properly handled before the net proceeds are distributed to the client. The plaintiff rarely handles the check themselves.

Your attorney will deposit the settlement funds into an IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts) account — a dedicated account kept separate from the firm's operating funds. From there, your attorney will pay all outstanding obligations: medical liens, pre-settlement funding repayment, case expenses, and their contingency fee. The remaining net balance is then disbursed to you.

The distribution to you will typically come by attorney check, wire transfer to your bank account, or — in some cases — a separate check drawn on the attorney trust account. The processing timeline after a settlement check is received varies: typically five to ten business days for the check to clear and distributions to be made, though complex cases with multiple lienholders may take longer.

If you are unbanked or need the funds in a particular form (cash, money order, prepaid card), discuss this with your attorney before settlement. Your attorney's office will work with you on the disbursement method, but the trust account process cannot be bypassed — all distributions must flow through the attorney trust account as a matter of professional responsibility.

Source: State Rules of Professional Conduct — IOLTA and trust account requirements. ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 1.15 (Safekeeping Property).

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