It is time to clean out those old files that fill the cabinets, line the halls and occupy conference rooms. Unfortunately, most firms have no written protocol for how long to keep old files. The result is an ad hoc system in which files are either kept forever (at significant expense), or destroyed on a case-by-case basis.
Many times, Murphy’s law kicks in and the one file that’s destroyed is the one file that an attorney needs later. Worse yet, the unhappy client wants to know why her file was destroyed while others were maintained.
