Version hygiene for document bundles and exhibit packs

An exhibit pack grows over days: new invoices, a replaced expert page, a late authority. Without version hygiene you get parallel folders “current”, “current2”, and “for filing”. The question “What exactly went out?” then becomes expensive.

Version hygiene does not mean treating every PDF like Git. It means distinguishing three states and marking only one as binding.

Three states that must stay clear

Working copy: internal, incomplete, may contain errors.
Approved version: substantively checked, not necessarily sent.
Filed / sent version: immutably referable, with date and channel.

Many internal disputes arise because the approved and filed versions silently diverge - for example a page swapped after approval. The rule: once marked “filed”, only a new version with a new suffix; never overwrite.

Bundles instead of single-file chaos

Run exhibit packs as one named bundle with a contents list (even a simple text page). Replace individual pages only with a note: which exhibit, why, who approved. When the court or the other side cites “your exhibit K7”, you must retrieve the same byte sequence.

Compression and OCR ideally sit before the “ready to send” mark. Otherwise you create two “final” files with different text layers. LexLogik suits the technical preparation; the version decision stays human and documented.

Practical team rules

• At most one file per bundle with status “ready to send” in the release folder.
• Archive old states; do not delete while the matter is live.
• Chronology in the filename or DMS field, not only in the chat message.
• On email send: keep message-ID or send log with the version.

When something has gone wrong

Reconstruct: which file hashes or size/page counts match the send log? Be transparent with client and court if a corrected version must follow. Covering up costs trust; a clean supplemental filing with clear labelling usually costs only explanation.

Good version hygiene is invisible when it works - and awkwardly visible when it does not.

Checksums and page counts as everyday anchors

Where no DMS hash exists, file size, page count, and a short content hash from the PDF tool often suffice as everyday anchors. Record those values in the matter’s send line. When client or court asks, you can prove within minutes which byte sequence was meant - without reconstructing the whole chat history.

For large exhibit packs, a simple change matrix pays off: date, replaced exhibit, reason, approving person. One table row per change stops “small corrections” from staying invisible and later looking like a version break.

Release folder and write protection

Make the “ready to send” folder write-protected for everyone except office management and the matter lead. Associates work in the working folder; a copy moves only after approval. That stops a parallel world of “final” files on a partner’s desktop.

For deadline-critical matters: support stops the next step if checklist or release is missing. Partners record exceptions in the matter in writing - not only orally in the corridor.

Version hygiene proves itself when someone asks which byte sequence actually went out. A change matrix and a protected release folder answer that in minutes - without chat archaeology.