709b Filing, Client Binders

Content below this line is information for staff.

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Filing Client Binders

Other Office Information

Procedures and Cross Checking

With cooperation, Filing can be virtually error free –

1. The Business Staff is responsible for filing all pertinent Client documents into Client Binders per office standards.

2. Receptionist will do most of the filing with Chantel or Mollie reviewing and/or correcting Binders prior to Court.

3. The Business Staff will deliver up-to-date Binders to the assigned Lawyer or Paralegal per lawyer’s preference before Court dates.
         Different lawyers want Binders by different times before the Court Date.

4. It is highly recommended that the assigned Paralegal review the Binders for completeness and accuracy early morning on the day before Court. The Paralegal can and should bill for this time.

5. It is highly recommended that the assigned Lawyer review the Binders for completeness and accuracy on the day before Court. The Lawyer can and should bill for this time.

Steps 4 and 5 may be deemed unimportant or redundant by the Legal Staff, but mathematically they create a virtually error free system.

If typically in 100 decisions made in filing, there are 3 mistakes or at least better ways of doing it.
Then theoretically –
With 1 Business Staffer: mistakes = 3/100 or 3% ( 3 in a 100)
With a 2nd Business Staffer checking: mistakes = 3/100 x 3/100 or about .1% (about 1 in 1,000)
With a 2nd Business Staffer and a Paralegal checking: mistakes = 3/100 x 3/100 x 3/100 or .003% (about 3 in 100,000)
With a 2nd Business Staffer and a Paralegal and a Lawyer checking: mistakes = 3/100 x 3/100 x 3/100 x 3/100 or .00008% (about 1 in 1,000,000)

In practice the ‘checkers’ will not make the time and effort to check everything but will still be able to catch many of the errors.