A file or matter numbering system is critical for many reasons. Obviously, material related to a particular matter needs to be in one place, quickly accessible for work on the file. Equally critical is the ability to access that file information for other purposes, such as keeping track of that file’s billable hours, allocating expenses, retrieving work product, connecting the file with calendaring and events scheduling, to name but a few. This information also needs to be available from closed files. See KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT. Although a file may be archived, information in the file may have to be retrieved in the event of the matter again becoming active, or to retrieve valuable work product, or simply to show what you did when your work is challenged. The simplest practice is to open files under the name of the client in alphabetical order. This works for about six months and gradually grows out of control. Each file needs a unique identifier, and each client needs a unique identifier. Most billing programs default to a consecutive numerical file identification, which works very nicely. I would like to suggest a manual system which complements with the computer record maintenance, both as a backup system and as an example of how the archiving of a file can still be accomplished efficiently.The first open file number is unimportant, but for computer data entry, it is better to set it up so that all file ID’s have the same number of characters. I recently opened my fourteen thousandth file, so I suggest a five digit number, the first number being, say, 00001. Files thereafter would be numbered consecutively. Clients should also have unique identifiers. The first client might have a four digit number, say, 0001. Law office accounting software will then use the client number, for example, to generate accounts receivables for a particular client. Also, when you open a new file for an existing client, you need only tell it the client number and the computer assigns that client information to that file, and assigns the next consecutive file number. At the same time, the computer would generate your label to be affixed to the physical file itself. I suggest also keeping a card file indexed alphabetically, with client name at the top on the left, matter underneath, and file number on the right.The simplest archiving routine would be simply to take the file from the file cabinet and put it in a bank box, files going into the boxes in the same numerical order. However, after a few years, you’ll find that files are not closed in the order that they are opened, and trying to insert files in the middle of boxes of other files long ago closed, means that the box won’t hold it, all of the boxes have to be rearranged to insert another one, and a lot of unnecessary time is spent, which would be avoided if files when closed were given a new consecutive closed file number. When a file is closed, the file card should be removed from the open file card box and put in a closed file card box, also in alphabetical order, with the closed file number written under the open file number. That would also be sufficient, except that if you want a manual system to track the closed file number, you can best accomplish this with a list on yellow lined paper, to which files are added as opened. Thus, first file would show in the left column the date opened, the next column the matter number, the next column the client name, the next column the matter description, and the last column the closed file number when assigned.All information related to any file generated by your office or scanned should be stored in a subdirectory with that file number as the title of the subdirectory. All documents generated by your office should have the file number automatically inserted at the end of the document, with a reduced font. That way, when a former client calls on a matter long since archived, you can obtain from the client the open file number. Going to the list on yellow paper, you can move from the open number to the closed number, and retrieve the file without difficulty, either from storage, or from the computer archive of your documents for that file, as appears below.Finally, when a file is closed, the subdirectory containing all of that information can be easily moved to the archives subdirectory, from where the documents can be easily recalled. Deeds with long descriptions would not have to be retyped, for example, memoranda of law can be easily updated without retyping.© Robert R. Howard, 2005.
