- May 13, 2021
- Gulfstream Legal
With 30+ years of experience in the retrieval of records, we’ve come up with a few standards for what it takes to not only be a great company, but also a real asset to our clients.
When your case involves the retrieval of necessary records to support your claims, thorough, accurate and timely communication with a Records Retrieval expert is vital. Because litigation moves fast, a quick turnaround time is vital. A company that has adapted its procedures to ensure efficiency, accuracy and cost-effectiveness without sacrificing quality is an important part of your process.
The factors that show your Records Retrieval expert is top-notch include:
- Requests are processed in a timely matter once your order has been received. Nothing beyond 48 hours should be acceptable.
- Research is conducted prior to issuing requests. This helps eliminate requests that won’t produce records and avoids most cancellation fees. Maintaining an accurate database of facilities expedites this process.
- There is consistent follow-up with custodians and communications with the client. It can take four or five follow-up attempts with a custodian prior to receiving records. Importantly, a thorough understanding of the applicable custodial fee guidelines is key to managing costs for clients.
- The client is provided records in the preferred format, and these have been checked for accuracy against stringent quality standards. Whether the deliverable is paper, searchable PDFs via an online repository or CDs – quality control once the record is received for production is vital. Validating the associated legal documents for completeness and accuracy and ensuring the legibility of the documents received are key to saving time and money.
- Billing should be simple and streamlined without an excessive number of add-on line items. Does the cost of the record fall within the cost constraints of your cases? Are you notified about large custodial fees and voluminous records in advance of billing? These simple courtesies allow you to make informed decisions about your case.
- The turnaround time for obtaining records should be 23 days or less.
- A strong emphasis is placed on the cross-training of employees. This will enable you to shift personnel to different duties as needed to avoid backlogs and delays. Having an experienced team working on your requests is crucial in determining the speed at which your requests are received and processed.
The standards we’ve developed to help our clients improve the Records Retrieval step in their cases seem like they should be industrywide. Unfortunately, not every vendor has achieved these standards for helping clients save time and money on their cases. Is it time to think about a new Records Retrieval partner? Contact us to find out.