5 Kinds of Legal Documents You Need to Shred Securely

Lawyers often know how important it is to be careful about the documents in their workplace. If a law office puts certain documents in the trash, vital information could be discovered and used in inappropriate ways.

But with boxes of legal documents piling up, it can be hard to know what to do to make sure disposal is done in a secure and proper way.

Below, we’ll explore five common types of legal records that you should always shred securely.

1. Case Files

Case files hold critical pieces of information that detail the proceedings of a court case. These might include things like:

• Evidence
• Client contact information
• Personal records
• Progress reports
• Case plans
• Settlement figures

Once you have confirmed that a case file is no longer needed, set it aside in a secure place so that it can be fully and properly shredded.

2. Tax Documents

Whether a legal team is providing tax services for their clients or they have tax documents for the law office, the documents have to be destroyed after they are no longer needed. Tax documents can contain information like names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and income data.

Because the information in these documents could be used for identity theft or other kinds of fraud, it is important to get rid of them in a way that will ensure client and personal data will be fully protected. That’s where a shredding service comes in handy!

3. Bills and Invoices for Former Clients

Every lawyer bills their clients and generates a large amount of paperwork as a result. The billing paperwork is only useful until the debt is settled and taxes on profits are filed. After that, it merely takes up space in filing cabinets.

Keep the pertinent client information and then shred the rest of the paperwork to free up space.

4. Cancelled and Voided Checks

Canceled and voided checks should be immediately disposed of after they are no longer useful. Keep your clients’ trust and destroy the checks so that they don’t have their banking information exposed.

5. Old Legal References

Out-of-date legal references are another class of legal documents that should be securely shredded. It’s easy for these kinds of documents to pile up over time, but once they are no longer relevant to the work that you’re doing, it’s best to go ahead and shred them securely.

Protect yourself from data breaches that can cost you time, money, and your reputation. Instead of trying to dispose of legal materials in the trash or with an office shredding machine that may not be up to the task, why not reach out to a professional shredding service?

If you’ve found yourself surrounded by mountains of legal paperwork, there’s a solution! Contact SEAM to receive secure shredding services for your old legal documents. With our onsite shredding options, we’ll come out to your North Dakota offices and securely destroy legal documents while you wait. It’s never been easier to stay secure.