The operating problem
Start with a lawyer-approved retention communication cycle. A successful handoff produces a reviewed notice and response task linked to the matter policy. Define the accountable owner before connecting systems. The workflow does not decide the retention period or authorize destruction. A source event is a request to evaluate the current state; it is not permission to make an irreversible change.
Use your own working copy
The free workbook for this process opens in a browser and works offline after download. It includes editable checks and notes, a text export, and a print view. It is a planning resource: it does not send messages, read account data, or run actions in business systems. No vendor account is needed to use the workbook.
Map the process
1. Load reviewed policy inputs
Use matter category, closing event, approved retention date, and hold status.
2. Check recipient and exceptions
Review client contact, special terms, originals, and any active preservation requirement.
3. Draft the notice
Populate the firm-approved template with secure references and the actual approved dates.
4. Obtain lawyer approval
Confirm wording, required notice process, and any opportunity for client instructions.
5. Track response and next review
Record delivery and client response; destruction remains separately authorized.
Information to check
These reference fields describe the process. Use invented values while planning. Keep real records in an appropriate private system; the public website does not need them.
| Reference field | Working record | Check before progressing |
|---|---|---|
| matter_id | matter_id | Resolve the stable source reference in the correct client, entity, and engagement. |
| policy_version | policy_version | Bind approval to this exact source version; changes require review. |
| approved_retention_date | approved_retention_date | Validate the date, timezone, and approved reporting or review period. |
| notice_approval | notice_approval | Use the authorized owner or reviewed decision; unknown values stop the handoff. |
Acceptance checks
- An active hold blocks a destruction implication.
- A policy revision invalidates the old notice draft.
- A repeated source event creates only one current review task.
- A changed source version invalidates an earlier approval.
Walk through a successful example, a duplicate, a missing item, an incorrect match, and an interrupted handoff with synthetic records. Record the expected result, observed result, owner, and recovery action. Checklists record your work; checking a box does not establish that an external action happened.
Ownership and review
Name the person responsible for the process and the person who can resolve an exception. Define which decisions require qualified professional review. Use stable references, limit access to private records, and document when work must stop. Educational material does not establish legal, accounting, tax, security, or regulatory compliance.
Run a measured pilot
Choose a small, reversible sample. Measure handling time, waiting time, review, rework, and errors before changing the process. Include the effort of maintaining the new method. Expand only when the observed result meets your acceptance criteria; a longer checklist is not proof of improved performance.
Use the free workflow planner to define your next step, or compare the assumptions in the opportunity calculator.