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Archiver > APG > 2005-02 > 1107361023


From: Gordon Remington <>
Subject: Client files - further thoughts
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 08:17:03 -0800 (PST)


I have thought more about my posting last night and need to clarify a few things.

Every time I have a new client, my office assistant sets up a hanging file with the following manila files:

Correspondence - contains letters to and from the client, including printouts of emails (blue label). I avoid writing my reports as letters and if I do so I create a separate report file and include a copy of the letter in that file.

Statements/financial - contains copies of my statements and other financial information - (red label)

Client research - the client's original information - (blue label)

As I write reports a new manila file is created for each report, with the report on one side and copies of documents on the other.

Of these files, letters from the client and the "Client research" file are, in my opinion, clearly the property of the client.

It would be a simple matter to instruct my executor to destroy the financial and correspondence files. Client research files should be returned to the client, if possible. As for the research report files, that's something I need to think about.

I don't know if other professionals organize their research files in this manner - it would seem that the local professional genealogist referred to in the original posting had not done so.

Gordon Remington


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