The Legal Profession- Where It Pays to Be a Hoarder by Courtney Sharp

When most people hear the word “hoarder,” less than tasteful visions of TLC’s reality television show come to mind escorted by sensations of anxiety, claustrophobia, and panic that make even the strongest of stomachs queasy. Little do most people know, there is another species of “hoarder” that make a living off of their salvaging skills, and depend on their ability to do so in order to be proficient in their careers. Allow me to introduce you to the legal profession. Now when I say that lawyers are hoarders I do not mean that behind Larry Rice’s door you will find garbage in excess and an emotional resistance to removing any piece of trash from his office (though you will find a few dead animals in there so BEWARE). I am not implying that there is a psychological imbalance that accompanies every Bar member that requires them to host 75 cats and 125 dogs in a 1500sq foot house in Midtown. What I mean by “lawyer hoarders” is that each and every attorney has to pay an exquisite attention to detail in ensuring there is a copy or original of absolutely everything it is they do in their capacity as an attorney. Whether it’s keeping all personal notes while working on a case, making copies of correspondence before mailing it out, copying fax receipts, keeping all documents used during preparation for a hearing, drafting of a pleading, or trial, attorneys must make a habit of keeping absolutely everything to both protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits should they arise, for appeal purposes or even for further disputes in the future. Forgetting to make a copy or document work done on a case can be detrimental to an attorney and in some situations, can cost them their license. This advice is relevant to more than just attorneys however, because keeping and organizing all important paperwork is a habit we all should become accustomed to. Each attorney and paralegal here at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, PLLC has a unique way of copying and documenting every move that is made on a day to day basis and has a way with making this hoarding business look attractive. You never know when you will need a certain receipt or proof that you, in fact, paid a bill; so keeping it in an easy to find place can save you time and money should any of these situations arise. Again, putting a little work in on the front end to organize and copy important documents can really save your tail in a time of need down the road.