File archival is the
activity in
ContactsLaw which represents the end of the lifecycle of a
file. It ensures that all outstanding trust, debtor and disbursement balances are resolved, as well as managing the archived file's storage location. Once a file has been archived, it is effectively read-only and is excluded from most reports, displays and the
search.
During the archival process, the file goes through a number of states:
- Closed / archival requested - The file appears in grey on lists and ledgers. This state indicates that the matter has concluded and is pending authority to archive.
- Archived / pending storage - Following this step, the matter is regarded as 'archived'. It will no longer appear in lists of active files, its ledgers are locked and no further documents may be generated or registered to the file.
- Stored - Applies to paper/packet files only. This step relates to the storage of the hard-copy of the file, and the addition of storage details to the file record.
The storage step is only performed if the file is marked as 'paper' or 'packet'; 'electronic' files are not subject to storage.
Ultimately, file archival is followed by
file destruction, however until this occurs, the data remains accessible.
Documents on archived files
If a
long-term document archive has been configured, all of the documents on the file will be moved into the long-term archive upon archival. This process can take some time, as each document must be separately downloaded from the main library and re-uploaded to the archive library. If the
ContactsLaw Daemon is installed, this process occurs on the application server.
While you may use data on archived files to
build new (outgoing) documents, they cannot be placed on the file. Instead, you must nominate one or more contact(s) that will determine their location.
New (incoming) documents may be
registered to archived files, however you should consider un-archiving the file if significant new work is being performed.
'Ready for archival' indicator
The 'ready for archival' indicator is an alternative mechanism for marking a matter as having concluded, despite not all pre-archival conditions having been met. The file remains in the list of active files, but will appear in grey text. Matters which are marked 'ready for archival' can be hidden from certain file lists.
Files are marked 'ready for archival' via the file summary or as a menu option on the Files tab. If a file cannot be archived due to
unreconciled transactions, ContactsLaw will prompt the user to mark the file as 'ready for archival' as well as generate a follow-up
task.
Unallocated funds
If unallocated funds are detected on the debtors ledger for the file, ContactsLaw will issue a warning and allow the user to cancel the activity and investigate further. If there has been an allocation error (e.g. receipting funds before a bill was issued) and there are GST implications, these should be addressed before archiving the file.
Practice managers can restrict the archival of files with unallocated funds; this is done via the 'Restrictions on file archival' permissions category. If a member does not have permission to archive such files, they will be prompted to delegate the task to an authorised member.
Auto-archival
Auto-archival is a feature designed for large numbers of trivial matters. It allows the files to be archived non-interactively and en-masse, without the user interface being displayed. In order to qualify for auto-archival, matters must:
- Be electronic-only (not requiring storage)
- Have zero balances for trust, disbursements and debtors
- Not require a trust statement to be printed upon archival (these can be printed separately using the trust statement wizard)
Auto-archival will fail if any of the other conditions for file archival are not satisfied; however, if one matter fails to auto-archive, it will not abort the batch.
Unarchiving files
You can unarchive (re-open) a file at any point prior to its destruction. It may be necessary to do this if the file was archived prematurely or in error. In cases where there is a physical file, remember to remove it from the archive box/packet. When the file is subsequently re-archived, the shelf location may change.