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Case File — Recommended Folder Structure

Three years of evidence accumulates fast. A disciplined folder structure means you can find any document in seconds, share read access with your lawyer cleanly, and survive a laptop change without losing the file.

The structure

case-file/
├── README.md                          ← what's where, last updated
├── 00-orders/                          ← all court orders, named [YYYY-MM-DD]-[order-type].pdf
├── 01-pleadings/                       ← every filing, named [YYYY-MM-DD]-[party]-[filing-type].pdf
├── 02-correspondence/                  ← solicitor / barrister letters
│   ├── outgoing/
│   └── incoming/
├── 03-evidence/
│   ├── contact-log.xlsx                ← the master spreadsheet (linked from value card)
│   ├── chronology.md                   ← human-readable narrative chronology
│   ├── 2024-01/                        ← per-month source files
│   │   ├── sms-2024-01-14.png
│   │   ├── email-2024-01-15.eml
│   │   └── voicemail-2024-01-16.m4a
│   ├── 2024-02/
│   └── …
├── 04-third-party-records/
│   ├── school/                         ← GDPR SAR responses + ongoing
│   ├── medical/                        ← GP, paediatrician, hospital
│   ├── police/                         ← CAD logs, incident reports
│   └── social-care/                    ← any LA referrals + responses
├── 05-third-party-statements/         ← witness statements
├── 06-expert-reports/
│   ├── cafcass-gal/                    ← appointed officer reports
│   ├── psychological/                  ← court-appointed + retained
│   └── other/
├── 07-financial/                       ← only if relevant to the case
├── 08-authorities/                     ← cases + statutes + articles you cite
├── 09-bundles/                         ← prepared court bundles, by hearing date
└── 99-archive/                         ← old/superseded material

Naming conventions

  • Dates always YYYY-MM-DD at the start. This sorts chronologically by default.
  • All filenames lowercase, hyphenated. No spaces.
  • Each file's name should let you understand what it is without opening.

Good: 2024-03-14-mother-objection-to-contact-application.pdf Bad: Document1 (3).pdf

Sync strategy

  • Primary store: local laptop drive (encrypted at rest — FileVault on Mac, BitLocker on Windows).
  • Cloud sync: Dropbox / OneDrive / Google Drive — shared folder with your lawyer.
  • Cold backup: monthly to an external drive kept off-site.
  • Court-bundle archive: every completed bundle gets PDF-archived under 09-bundles/[hearing-date]/.

What lives outside the case file

  • Anything personal / unrelated to the case (your own medical records that aren't relevant, work documents, etc.).
  • Your contact log working draft (keep that in the spreadsheet itself, with a dated PDF export saved into 03-evidence/ when stable).

Sharing read access with your lawyer

Most lawyers use Dropbox, OneDrive, or a dedicated client portal. Give them read access to the top-level folder. They can read everything; only you write.

When a lawyer reads a file, they often want to annotate it. Either: - Use a tool that supports comments (Dropbox Paper, Google Drive, OneDrive Office). - OR create a parallel case-file/_lawyer-notes/ folder they can write into.

Disclaimer. This is a starter template, not legal advice. Adapt to your jurisdiction and case facts. Have a licensed practitioner review before filing. Statutes and procedural rules vary and update — verify against primary source.

— AntiAlienate.com · CC BY 4.0

Sources & authoritative references

Topic baseline (independently verifiable):