Archival Material

How long, if at all, should a lawyer keep the client’s documents and legal materials of a file when closing the case? According to the Code of Ethics for Lawyers, the period of safeguarding archival material in law firms, as long as it was not otherwise agreed in writing between the lawyer and his client, shall not be more than five years from the date of termination of the lawyer’s handling of the case given to him by the client, or from the date of termination of legal proceedings, depending on the circumstance.

Despite the above, an attorney shall not burn archival material unless he has previously offered to send it back, copy or photocopy in a registered letter sent to the client or heirs, according to the address known to the attorney at the time – from the documents in his possession or from the Population Administration.
Also, the client or heirs did not do any of these on the date set in the offer.