The legal profession

There are few professions where paper files remain as popular as the legal profession. Digital working methods are taking over, but until recently many lawyers still considered user-friendliness and familiarity to be the major advantages of paper files.

In our experience, the first thought is then to digitise the files in order to make more space and to make everything digitally searchable. The question is whether digitisation of legal files is such a good idea.

In order to give a good answer to this, the key question is whether the files are still needed frequently. If need for the files is sporadic, then it is needless to digitize all files just to create space. Nevertheless, the archive should be made available if necessary.

Clients’ files must be kept in accordance with the legal requirements and the custom of the law firm. For example, files might be eligible to be destroyed after 7, 10, or 20 years. Scheduled destruction can also be handled by the chosen archive manager.

External archive storage has many advantages for lawyers. In addition to making better use of expensive office space, you can focus on the increasingly digital work processes of your organization. The files are often safer than in your own basement, attic or cupboards—which are not always properly sealed and where there is seldom any record kept of when files are withdrawn. In short, external archive storage with associated services ensures that your organization will have improved archive management, save money, and be able to focus on what is really important.