Most lawyers and law firms want to organize their clients’ case files. Organization can be key to having a successful outcome. For example, lawyers need to be able to find pleadings quickly in court or in the office. It is not helpful for a lawyer if they cannot efficiently find important pleadings, motions, and orders.

Clients should also want their lawyers to be organized. When a lawyer is organized, it can save them money in legal fees and can result in a better outcome. At the end of the case, when a file is organized, it can be easier for clients to find what they are looking for when they receive their file.

What Is A Pleading Panel?

A pleading panel can be important to any client’s divorce or family law file. Law firms can organize pleading panels differently and have some unique protocols within their firm.

However, a pleading panel is generally a tacked-down copy of a case’s pleadings, orders, and motions with a hard front and back cover. It is typically chronological, meaning that all the pleadings, orders, and motions can normally be found in a pleading panel from beginning to end.

A pleading panel also normally has a table of contents. The table of contents is updated throughout the case, with new pleadings, orders, and motions added as they are filed.

Using tabs is also common. Having everything tabbed or even bate-stamped can make it easier for a lawyer to find what they need.

Why Are Pleading Panels Useful?

Often, in court, a lawyer may need to be able to pull up a particular pleading or motion. If a lawyer cannot find these items in court or furiously flips through the file looking for something, a judge or jury in a civil case may lose patience.

Judges can often be frustrated with lawyers who appear disorganized. If a lawyer cannot find the pleading or document in court, he or she may be unable to make the best case for a client.

When a lawyer is doing legal work within the office, the quicker he or she can find something, the better it is for the client when the lawyer is billing hourly. The last thing a client wants is for their lawyer to waste time locating a legal document within a file.

Who Organizes A Pleading Panel?

Organizing a pleading panel is typically the job of a paralegal or legal assistant in a law office. Most diligent paralegals or legal assistants inherently know that file management is their job–and that a pleading panel is a critical part of their daily job duties.

For any client going through a divorce or family law matter, file management can seem like a mundane detail that does not matter. But the reality is that organization can be a key to a successful outcome. When the client requests their file at the end of the case, most clients also appreciate it when the law firm takes careful care of their file.