The mountain of paperwork that goes into every legal case is massive. For law firms that handle lots of cases, it can be almost overwhelming. The team members in your law firm who work on documents are likely spending a lot of time on tasks that could be outsourced, freeing them up to work on more important responsibilities.
When you outsource document retrieval, you can drastically reduce the labor costs of retrieving documents on your own. At Firefly Legal, we provide document retrieval services to our clients, so we know exactly how it works. Let’s go over the ways that document retrieval works and how it can benefit you and your firm.
We’re going to start with some BIG lists. If these don’t make you realize just how much time can go into document retrieval, we don’t know what will!
What is document retrieval?
Document retrieval is the process of gathering existing documents from various locations, including online and print databases, as well as companies, court systems, organizations, and government entities.
Document retrieval is not the process of creating new documents. It is strictly the gathering of already-existing documents from the many different places where information may be stored. Because these documents are often protected by law, there are very specific procedures and steps that must be followed to get access.
These retrieval tasks are typically performed by:
- Paralegals
- Legal assistants
- Representatives from specialized document retrieval services organizations
When you handle document retrieval in-house, it can take away valuable time from paralegals and legal assistants who could be focusing on more complex, case-building tasks. Document retrieval is incredibly important, but it can be outsourced to third-party individuals without an issue.
Types of documents retrieved in civil court cases
Let’s start by looking at the types of documents law firms have to handle in civil cases. Do these lists look familiar? Sometimes, when you’re in the thick of a case, you don’t realize just how much documentation you have gathered. When you see it spelled out like this, you’ll realize just how heavy the retrieval workload can get.
Legal & Court Documents
- Civil case filings (complaints, answers, motions)
- Appellate court decisions and briefs
- Court transcripts and hearing minutes
- Bankruptcy filings and schedules
- Probate and estate records
- Juvenile court records (where publicly available)
- Administrative law proceedings
- Family court records (divorce, custody, support)
- Small claims court judgments
- Restraining orders and protective orders
- Eviction proceedings
- Class action notices and settlements
Property & Real Estate Records
- Property deeds and transfers
- Mortgage documents and liens
- Property tax records
- Easement agreements
- Zoning records and permits
- Building code violations
- Environmental assessments and violations
- Foreclosure notices
- Homeowners association records
- Property surveys and plats
- Title abstracts and insurance records
- Land use applications and approvals
Business & Corporate Records
- Articles of incorporation/organization
- Secretary of State filings
- Business licenses
- Corporate bylaws
- Partnership agreements
- UCC filings (Uniform Commercial Code)
- Trademark and service mark registrations
- Business tax filings (where public)
- SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, proxy statements)
- Franchise tax records
- Corporate meeting minutes (if publicly filed)
- Regulatory compliance records
Intellectual Property
- Patent applications and grants
- Trademark and copyright registrations
- IP litigation records
- Patent assignment records
- Prior art documentation
- Licensing agreements (if public)
Vital Records
- Birth certificates
- Death certificates
- Marriage licenses
- Divorce decrees
- Adoption records (where available)
- Name change orders
- Naturalization records
- Immigration records
- Military service records
- Voter registration records
Professional & Licensing Records
- Professional license registrations
- Disciplinary proceedings
- Malpractice claims
- State board actions
- Educational credentials verification
- Professional certification records
Financial & Tax Records
- Tax liens
- Judgment liens
- Asset forfeiture records
- Public auction records
- Tax assessments
- Public employee salary information
- Government contract awards
- Charitable organization filings (Form 990)
- Bankruptcy records
- Bond issuance documents
Government Records
- Legislative histories
- Public meeting minutes
- Regulatory agency rulings
- FOIA/Public records request responses
- Government contracts and bids
- Environmental impact statements
- Law enforcement records (arrest reports, incident reports)
- Campaign finance disclosures
- Lobbying disclosures
- Ethics filings for public officials
- Government audit reports
- Agency enforcement actions
Insurance & Medical Records
- Workers’ compensation claims
- Medical examiner reports
- Healthcare provider disciplinary actions
- Health department inspection reports
- Insurance regulatory filings
- Prescription drug monitoring program data (where public)
- Medical board actions
Types of documents retrieved in criminal cases
Criminal cases may require you to retrieve the above documents, but these cases open the door to a whole new world of documents.
Investigation & Pre-Arrest Records
- Search warrant applications and returns
- Wiretap orders and affidavits
- Surveillance footage requests and logs
- Confidential informant statements
- Grand jury subpoenas
- Crime scene reports and photographs
- Evidence inventory logs
- Forensic analysis requests and reports
- Witness interview transcripts
- Police body camera footage requests
- Law enforcement call logs and dispatch records
- Arrest warrants and supporting affidavits
Case Initiation Documents
- Criminal complaints
- Indictments
- Information filings
- Probable cause affidavits
- Initial appearance records
- Arraignment transcripts
- Charging documents
- Prosecutor’s information
- Booking records and mugshots
- Bail/bond hearing records
- Detention orders
Pretrial Documents
- Discovery requests and responses
- Brady/Giglio disclosure materials
- Motion to suppress evidence
- Motion to dismiss charges
- Competency evaluation reports
- Speedy trial waivers
- Preliminary hearing transcripts
- Pretrial conference minutes
- Plea negotiations documentation
- Witness lists and summaries
- Evidence lists and chain of custody documents
- Expert witness qualifications and reports
- Pretrial detention appeals
Trial Documents
- Trial transcripts
- Jury selection records and questionnaires
- Jury instructions
- Verdict forms
- Exhibit lists and admitted evidence logs
- Opening and closing argument transcripts
- Motion for judgment of acquittal
- Mistrial motions and rulings
- Rule of evidence motions and rulings
- Daily trial minutes
- Witness testimony transcripts
- Sidebar conference transcripts
Sentencing & Post-Conviction
- Pre-sentence investigation reports
- Sentencing memoranda
- Victim impact statements
- Judgment and commitment orders
- Sentencing hearing transcripts
- Restitution orders
- Forfeiture proceedings
- Probation/parole conditions
- Post-conviction relief petitions
- Habeas corpus petitions
- Appeal documents and briefs
- Exoneration/innocence project filings
- Pardon/clemency applications
- Sex offender registration documents
- Corrections facility records
Specialized Criminal Records
- Juvenile delinquency records (sealed/redacted)
- Mental health court proceedings
- Drug court records
- Diversion program agreements
- Expungement/record sealing petitions
- Extradition documents
- Interstate prisoner transfer records
- Criminal history reports (NCIC/state repositories)
- Offender DNA database records
- Gang affiliation documentation
- Civil forfeiture proceedings related to criminal cases
- Criminal contempt proceedings
If these lists teach us anything, it’s that document retrieval can be one of the most labor-intensive parts of a legal case!
How document retrieval services work
Once you realize the time and money you could be saving by outsourcing document retrieval to a third party, you may start looking into companies that provide document retrieval services.
Using a combination of digital and manual search tools, phone calls, and even site visits, document retrievers do the important work of tracking down the documents you need to move your case forward.
Skilled document retrieval specialists are familiar with the many types of documents that may be involved in a case, as well as the best ways to get them in time to support your case. This may involve:
- Conducting digital searches and file requests
- Searching print databases
- Library research
- Public database searches
- Making phone calls to organizations, businesses, and government agencies
- Filling out request forms
- Visiting locations that require in-person requests for documents
How much does document retrieval cost?
Document retrieval can be arranged on a per-file, per-page, or per-case basis. Most retrieval specialists charge a flat rate per page or per file, although some will also sign an ongoing contract for consistent and accurate retrieval services.
The cost of retrieval may be dependent upon the types of files you need, how many you need, and how quickly you need to access them. Remember, when you outsource your document retrieval, you’re paying for:
- The retriever’s knowledge of how to access documents—including tricky ones!
- Undivided attention to retrieval tasks
- Professionalism
- Timeliness (faster results are worth a lot to most law firms!)
For great results, let Firefly Legal manage your document retrieval processes
As a legal services organization, Firefly Legal is known for providing law firms with the best process servers nationwide. But we do more than just connect lawyers with exceptional process servers. We also offer a variety of legal services, including:
Our document retrieval specialists are knowledgeable, experienced, and professional. When you choose our retrieval team, you can expect:
- Full compliance with all state, federal, and local regulations
- Efficient and timely retrieval services
- Adherence to industry best practices
- Innovative use of technology
- Reliability
Check out Firefly Legal to learn more about how we can help your case move forward with fast and accurate document retrieval services.
