Archiving law firm documents electronically: classification, permissions and preview

Where is a document kept? In its file, not in a general folder

The first rule of archiving a law firm’s documents is that a document lives with its file. In shared folders on computers, the same scene repeats itself: a folder for each client that grows without order, versions named “final” and “final 2”, and nobody knows which version was filed with the court. In a case management system, the document is uploaded to the case, client or service file it concerns, so anyone who opens the file finds it in its place, without searching colleagues’ computers or inboxes. Documents are usually distributed like this:

• The case file: statements of claim, memoranda and judgments; a memorandum’s file is uploaded from the case’s “Documents” tab.
• The client file: what concerns the client generally, such as a copy of their Qatar ID (QID) or commercial registration.
• The legal service: its own documents, such as the drafted contract or the formal notice.
• The power of attorney: a copy is attached to the documents once its details have been recorded.
• Forms: the signed copy is attached to the form’s own page.

This arrangement also helps when cleaning up files: when two duplicate files for the same client are merged, the duplicate’s documents move, with everything else that belongs to it, into the file chosen to be kept, so no document is lost because it was uploaded to the wrong copy of the client’s file. The practical lesson: check that you are in the right file before uploading, because a document uploaded to the wrong file is as good as lost; whoever looks for it in its natural place will not find it.

From paper to file: scanning that serves the archive

Many of an office’s documents arrive on paper: a stamped statement of claim, an official copy of a judgment, papers the client hands over on the first visit. The quality of an electronic archive starts at the moment of scanning, not the moment of uploading: a skewed or faded image, or a document split across ten files, makes viewing inside the system a chore and sends colleagues back to ask for the paper original. These are simple habits for scanning:

• One document in one PDF with all its pages, not a separate image for each page.
• A resolution at which stamps, signatures and numbers can be read without tiresome zooming.
• Straight pages in the right order, with no blank pages in between.
• A phone photo is a stopgap, to be replaced by a scanned copy when the original arrives.

Document types: one list the whole office agrees on

When any document is uploaded, its type is chosen from a list of types the office sets in the settings. The type is not a cosmetic detail: it is how a document stands out in the file’s list without being opened, and the client portal settings are built on it, since the office decides for each client which types they may see. So keep the list short and clear, agree on what each type means, and make “Other” a rare exception. Here is a suggested list for an office to start with and then adjust:

Naming documents: a title that makes sense without opening the file

A document’s title is the first thing a colleague sees in the file’s list, and the first thing the client sees if it is shown to them. A good title describes the document, its stage and its date so that it can be identified without being opened; a title like “scan_0045” or “New document” forces every reader to open it to find out what it is. The title is written on upload and can be edited later, so there is no excuse for scanner file names to linger in the archive. Here are simple naming rules an office can adopt:

1. Start with what describes the document: “Statement of appeal”, “Expert report”, “Notice to pay”.
2. Add what distinguishes it from similar documents: the hearing, the degree or the party that submitted it.
3. Write the date in one format across the whole office, such as 15/03/2026.
4. Give the final version a final name, without “edited” or “final 2”.
5. Do not put anything in the title that should not be read by everyone who sees the file’s list.

Viewing inside the system, and downloading by permission

The system displays PDFs, images and text files inside it when you click the document’s name or the preview button, with no need to download them to the device. The “Download” button appears only to those with the “Download documents” permission; anyone without it reads the document in the same preview screen, with no download or print bar. Word and Excel files cannot be displayed in the browser, so they are opened by downloading them, which requires that permission. With this separation, a trainee or a court representative reads what they need from the file without a copy of it leaving for their device.

Sensitive documents: named individuals and confidential cases

On top of role permissions, there are two narrower levels of protection. The first is the “confidential case”: only the members of its team and holders of the “View confidential cases” permission can see it, and it is absent from everyone else’s lists in the office. The second is the “restricted document”: when the document is uploaded or edited, “Named people only” is chosen, so only the person who uploaded it, the people they named, and those the office grants permission to view restricted documents can see it, even if others are on the case team. Typical uses of each level:

• Confidential case: a dispute involving a public figure, a sensitive family case, or a file whose client asks for the narrowest possible circle of access.
• Restricted document within an ordinary case: a medical report, a bank statement, or private correspondence between the partner and the client.
• Role permissions for everything else: someone with “View cases assigned to them” sees only their own cases, while “View all of the office’s cases” opens every file in the office to its holder.

A colleague who cannot see a restricted document cannot open it up for themselves by changing its privacy setting: only the person who uploaded the document, or someone the office has authorised to manage restricted documents, can change its privacy. It is good practice for the person uploading a restricted document to note the reason for the restriction, so that whoever reviews the file later understands why it is hidden from the rest of the team, and when the restriction can be lifted once its reason no longer applies.

A record of every access… and a deliberate decision about what the client sees

Every time a document is opened, it leaves a trace: whether it was viewed or downloaded, the audit log records the employee’s name and the time, and it records every print with the document’s number. So if the office is ever asked who saw this document and when, it finds the answer on record, not left to memory. And because the team knows this in advance, the log is a deterrent before it is an investigative tool, and the client is reassured when it is explained to them that no one looks at their documents without leaving a trace.

On the other side, whether a document is shown to the client in the client portal is decided on upload, and it can be changed later from the document’s details. Marking it is not enough on its own for it to appear: the client sees only the types the office has allowed in their portal settings, and their access may be limited to viewing. Before marking any document as visible, this quick check helps:

• Is this the final version, not a draft?
• Is the document free of internal notes in its margins?
• Is its type allowed for this client?
• Is its title clear to someone who is not a legal specialist?

Backup, and weekly archiving habits

An electronic archive is worthless if it is lost. In Murafe, the daily backup covers the office’s database and the files uploaded to it together, and an extra backup can be taken before any major change, so documents stay preserved along with the data that links them to their files. When a case ends and its status changes to “archived”, its documents stay in its file as they are. But a backup protects only what has been uploaded; nothing protects what is left in a lawyer’s inbox or on their phone, which is why archiving needs a short weekly review:

1. Upload whatever was received during the week and not yet uploaded, each document to its own file.
2. Record the paper originals received from the client in an “acknowledgement of receipt of documents”, and attach the signed copy to the acknowledgement’s page.
3. Check that copies of the week’s judgments have been uploaded to their case files.
4. Review documents classed as “Other” and reclassify them.
5. Review what was made visible to clients during the week.