Providing legal services to clients in need requires an extreme level of organization. If you fail to meet your filing deadlines or overlook important documents within a client's folder, your client could lose their case.
Every law office relies on case files to help keep track of various clients. These case files can become valuable tools when it comes to organizing your office with the simple addition of file jackets.
1. Include all pertinent information on the file jacket.
As you design file jackets for your case files, be sure that you create space for all pertinent case information. Having the judge's name, the case number, the lead attorney, and a list of all pleadings displayed visibly on the file jacket can help staff members locate the information they are looking for.
Case files will not need to be opened and searched through when they have informative jackets attached to them. This reduces the risk of an important document or vital piece of information being lost in the shuffle.
2. Color code your file jackets.
If your law firm handles many different types of cases, it can be helpful to keep your case files organized based on the legal area under which they fall. Assign a color to each legal area in which your firm practices. Print out your file jackets on paper in the corresponding colors.
Not only will the colors serve as a visual identifier to help staff members quickly locate civil, criminal, real estate, or family law cases, having your case files color coded will also help you keep multiple cases for the same client separated. This allows you to avoid having documentation for a criminal case filed in the case file for the same client's civil case.
3. Add a section for notes to your file jackets.
In a large law firm, multiple attorneys and paralegals might be working in a single case. It can be challenging to coordinate the efforts of a team of employees, and you may find that your firm wastes a lot of time completing certain tasks twice.
You can maintain better organization by adding a section for notes on your file jackets. Each employee can leave a quick note letting the next person who handles the file know what they did. Work pertaining to the case file will be streamlined, helping you better serve your clients' legal needs in the future.
For more information, contact local professionals like those found at American Legal Forms.
