Document Retention & Archiving

Q: Can the automation handle retention rules that vary by jurisdiction?

Yes, the retention rule interpreter reads the firm's retention policy and applies the correct retention period based on document type and jurisdiction, including any special extensions or exceptions.

Q: Will the automation work with our existing document storage system?

The automation integrates with the document repository and archive storage system your firm currently uses, whether that is Google Drive, SharePoint, or another mainstream platform.

Q: How does the automation maintain an audit trail of archived documents?

Every archival event is logged automatically in the retention register with the archival date, archive location, and confirmation code, creating a complete timestamped record for compliance audits.

Q: What happens if a document does not have complete metadata?

Documents with missing or incomplete metadata are flagged for manual review by the paralegal, who can add the missing information before the automation proceeds with archival.

Keep every legal document in the right place, held for exactly as long as required, without manual tracking.

76 hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

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About This Automation

Document retention and archival requires paralegals to manually review metadata, cross-reference retention policies, and move files to cold storage. This scattered, repetitive work consumes significant time and creates compliance risk when deadlines are missed.

Automation reads document metadata, applies retention rules automatically, and orchestrates the transfer to archive storage while maintaining a complete audit trail. The result is faster archival, zero missed deadlines, and instant retrieval of archived documents.

Key features:

Automatically extract document metadata and match it against retention policy rules

Calculate archival deadlines and flag documents subject to legal holds or regulatory freezes

Prepare documents for cold storage and transfer them without manual download and upload

Log all archival events in the retention register with timestamps and confirmation codes

Alert supervising attorneys when documents approach their retention deadline

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Scattered metadata across folders Document creation dates and matter codes are embedded in folder names and file properties, requiring manual extraction.	80%
2	Policy lookup bottleneck Paralegals must consult a complex retention policy spreadsheet to find the correct retention period for each document type and jurisdiction.	67%
3	Manual file transfer process Documents must be downloaded and uploaded to archive storage, creating opportunities for loss or duplication.	53%
4	Legal hold cross-referencing Paralegals must manually search a separate legal hold register to confirm no active litigation holds apply.	40%
5	Compliance audit trail gaps Manual logging in the retention register is prone to incomplete or delayed entries, creating audit findings.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

8.7/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

8.9/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.2/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

6.5/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Document Reaches Retention Deadlinetrigger

The automation platform monitors all documents and checks their creation date against the retention policy rules stored. When a document's deadline arrives, the workflow is triggered.

2. Retrieve Document Metadata

The automation reads the document's creation date, matter code, document type, and any applied tags metadata.

3. Look Up Retention Rule

The automation queries the retention policy table to retrieve the correct retention period for the document type and jurisdiction.

4. Check Legal Hold Status

The automation cross-references the legal hold register to confirm no active litigation hold or regulatory freeze applies to the document.

5. Prepare Archival Metadata

The automation creates a structured metadata record with the document ID, archival date, retention rule applied, and archive destination, then tags the file.

6. Move to Archive Storage

The automation transfers the document from the active folder to a designated archive folder and updates the file status to archived.

7. Log Archival Event

The automation appends a new row to the retention register with the archival date, document ID, archive location, and confirmation timestamp.

8. Send Notification to Attorney

The automation sends a message to the supervising attorney summarizing the archival action and listing any documents approaching their retention deadline in the next 30 days.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

58% of companies

28% of companies

13% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

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How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

Every scenario checked and signed off before the automation goes live.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

What happens to documents that are subject to active legal holds?

The automation checks the legal hold register before archiving any document and skips those with active holds, flagging them for manual review by the supervising attorney.

Can the automation handle retention rules that vary by jurisdiction?

Will the automation work with our existing document storage system?

How does the automation maintain an audit trail of archived documents?

What happens if a document does not have complete metadata?

View more FAQs

Process pain:8.7/10

Mapped by:4 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026