A file checkout log that replaces the sign-out sheet
Check a folder out to an attorney with a due-back date and check it in when it comes back. The log keeps every checkout, so you can see who had a file last spring.
Paper client files, tracked
Law firm file management for the paper still in your file room
FileRoomLedger is law firm file management software for small firms that still keep paper client files: it logs who has each folder, which off-site storage box it went into, and the date the matter's files may be destroyed under your retention policy.
Who has it, which box, can it go
- 01
Who has the file?
Every folder is checked out to a named attorney or paralegal with a due-back date, and checked back in when it returns. Overdue files show on the dashboard, so nobody has to walk the halls asking.
- 02
Which box is it in?
Closed files are packed into numbered storage boxes with the vendor and the vendor's location. Search a matter number and see the box, instead of opening the spreadsheet nobody kept up.
- 03
Can we shred it yet?
Set the retention years on a closed matter and the destruction-eligible date is worked out for you. A box is eligible only when every matter inside it is, and anything on legal hold never is.
Client confidentiality
Matter numbers and locations only, if you want
The ledger tracks where the paper is, not what it says. Use a client code instead of a client name and the whole system runs on numbers. Outside auditors never see names either way.
What the ledger keeps
- Matter number
- Matter name, or a client code instead
- Folder labels and shelf locations
- Box numbers, vendor and vendor location
- Checkout dates and who signed the file out
- Retention years, eligible dates, legal holds and destruction approvals
What it never holds
- Documents, scans or attachments of any kind
- Pleadings, correspondence or notes from the file
- Client contact details
- Billing or trust account data
Closed files retention and disposition
Your retention policy, applied to every box
Boxes go to storage holding several matters closed in different years, often with different retention periods. Shred the box when the first matter is due and you destroy files too early; wait for someone to work it out by hand and the box sits in paid storage for years. The ledger dates each matter and takes the latest date for the box.
| Matter | Closed | Keep (years) | Eligible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-0211 | Feb 3, 2016 | 7 | Feb 3, 2023 |
| 2015-0098 | Jun 30, 2017 | 7 | Jun 30, 2024 |
| 2016-0410 | Nov 9, 2018 | 10 | Nov 9, 2028 |
Whole box eligible: Nov 9, 2028. Two matters are past their date; the box waits for the third.
What you get
A physical file tracking system built for one file room
An off-site storage box index
Number your boxes, record the storage vendor and their location for each one, and pack files into them. The index travels with the matter, not a separate spreadsheet.
Destruction-eligible dates, worked out for you
Closed date plus retention years gives each matter its date. A box takes the latest date of the matters inside it, so a box is never shredded early because one file in it was closed last year.
Destruction approvals on the record
The file clerk sends eligible matters for review. The firm admin approves or holds each one, then records the day the paper was destroyed. Who approved and when stays in the history.
Attorney self-lookup (Firm and up)
Attorneys and paralegals search any matter and see exactly where its paper is: the file room shelf, a colleague's office, or box 118 at the vendor. They check files out to themselves.
Read-only audit access (Firm Plus)
Give an outside auditor or insurer a login that sees boxes, retention dates and destruction history only, with no client names and no checkout records, and lets them export the box list.
Who can open which drawer
- Firm AdminManaging partner or office manager
- Sets retention years, approves or holds destruction, invites the team and manages billing.
- Every plan
- File ClerkRecords clerk or paralegal
- Adds matters and folders, checks files out and in, packs boxes and sends them off site, and sends closed matters for review.
- Firm and Firm Plus
- AttorneyLawyers and paralegals
- Find any file in the firm, check folders out to themselves and return them.
- Firm and Firm Plus
- Records AuditorOutside accountant, insurer or compliance reviewer
- Reads boxes, dates and approval history. Never sees client names or who holds a file.
- Firm Plus
Your spreadsheet, imported on day one
Day one
Import your matter list
Paste or upload the spreadsheet you already keep: matter number, client code, closed date, retention years and box number. Boxes are created as they appear.
Every day
Log files in and out
Check folders out to the people who take them, and pack closed files into numbered boxes when they leave for storage.
Once a month
Review what's past its date
Each month, open the destruction review, send the eligible matters, and record an approval or a hold for each one.
Pricing
Solo, Firm or Firm Plus
Every plan has the checkout log, the box index, eligible dates, destruction review and spreadsheet import and export. The first 30 days are free, no card.
| Plan feature | Solo$19/monthor $190 paid yearly | Firm$49/monthor $490 paid yearly | Firm Plus$89/monthor $890 paid yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matters | 1,000 | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Logins | 1 | 25 | 75 |
| File clerk and attorney logins | No | Yes | Yes |
| Attorney self-lookup | No | Yes | Yes |
| Read-only auditor logins | No | No | Yes |
| Try Solo | Try Firm | Try Firm Plus |
Questions from managing partners
- Do you store our client documents?
- No. FileRoomLedger never holds documents, scans or the contents of a file. It stores matter numbers, folder labels, locations and dates. If your firm prefers, leave the matter name blank and use a client code, and the ledger works by number alone.
- How does it work out the destruction-eligible date?
- When a matter is closed, its closed date plus the retention years you set gives the eligible date. Open matters and matters without retention years have no date, and a matter on legal hold is never shown as eligible. Change the retention years and the date updates.
- Does it help with a law firm file retention policy?
- It applies the policy you already have. Your retention policy decides how many years each kind of matter is kept; you enter those years per matter (or in the import), and the ledger tracks the dates, the approvals and the destruction record your policy asks for. It does not give legal advice on how long to keep files.
- Is this a physical file tracking system or document management software?
- Physical file tracking only. Document management systems hold the documents themselves. This tracks the paper: the folder, the shelf, the box and the person holding it. Most small firms use both, or a practice management system plus this.
- What can an outside auditor see?
- On the Firm Plus plan, a Records Auditor login sees the box list, each matter's number, status, closed date, retention years, eligible date and legal hold, and the destruction approval history. It never sees matter names, client codes, attorneys or the checkout log, and it can't change anything.
- How is this different from big records platforms?
- Enterprise records platforms cover physical and electronic records for large firms and are sold through a demo. FileRoomLedger is built for a firm with one file room and a storage vendor, starts at $19 a month, and you can sign up and import your list today.
Which box is the 2017 closing binder in?
Import your list this afternoon and the answer is one search away. 30 days free, no card, plans from $19 a month.
Start your file room ledger
Updated October 11, 2026