The firms that have gone fully paperless consistently say the same thing: the hard part wasn't the technology. It was deciding to stop creating new paper files. Everything else followed from that.
Most firms overcomplicate this. They think about scanning the archive, digitising legacy files, building a perfect folder structure, training the whole team. All of that matters eventually. But none of it is the first step.
The first step is just stopping
For any new matter started after a specific date, nothing goes in a physical file. Client care letters are sent and signed electronically. Notes go into the system. Research gets saved to the matter record. Documents are stored in the cloud.
That's it. You haven't solved the historical backlog and you haven't trained everyone on a new system. You've just stopped the pile getting bigger.
This is worth doing immediately because it's free, requires no new software, and means that in twelve months you have twelve months of fully digital matters. The backlog stays manageable because it's not growing.
What the SRA actually requires
There's sometimes uncertainty about whether going digital is compliant. It is. The SRA's accounts rules and record-keeping obligations are satisfied by electronic records as long as they're complete, accurate, and recoverable. There's no requirement for physical files.
HMRC accepts electronic records for tax purposes. The Companies House requirements that apply to incorporated firms are satisfied by digital records with proper audit trails.
The one area that requires care is deeds. Most documents in legal practice can be signed electronically without issue, engagement letters, correspondence, most contracts. But deeds require specific execution formalities. If your practice area involves land transfers, certain leases, or powers of attorney, check the requirements for electronic execution before assuming a standard e-signature platform covers it.
Choosing where documents live
The practical choice for most small and mid-sized UK firms is between a standalone document management system (SharePoint, Google Drive, iManage) and a practice management platform that includes document storage.
The difference matters more than it looks. A standalone document system organises files by folder. A practice management platform organises them by matter. When you're looking for a document six months after it was created, "it's in the matter record for the Harrison conveyance" is more reliable than "it's in the Commercial folder, probably in the 2025 subfolder."
Standalone document systems also create a connection problem: the documents exist, but they're not linked to the time entries, the billing record, or the research notes. Those connections have to be maintained manually or they don't exist.
Client experience is underrated
Clients who receive documents by email and sign electronically consistently rate their experience more highly than those who deal with physical post. The turnaround is faster, there's nothing to print or return, and there's a clear digital record of what was signed and when.
This matters for client retention and for referrals. A firm that makes clients print, sign, scan, and email back a client care letter in 2026 is creating friction that has become noticeable.
E-signature platforms like DocuSign, Adobe Sign, or built-in e-signature features in practice management tools make this straightforward. The cost is minimal. The improvement in client experience is immediate.
The data protection question
Any cloud storage provider that holds client data is a data processor. Before you put client documents anywhere, confirm that a Data Processing Agreement is in place, that data is stored in the UK or EEA (or covered by an appropriate transfer mechanism), and that the provider has adequate security certifications.
This applies to SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, and every practice management platform. The question isn't whether cloud storage is acceptable, it is, the question is whether the specific provider and the specific DPA terms are compliant.
Writford connects document storage directly to the matter record, integrates with OneDrive and Google Drive for firms that already use them, and covers the data protection requirements in the DPA.