Keeping your court documents organised — apps, folders and evidence discipline for LiPs

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-30

Family cases run on documents — and the party whose documents are organised wins time, credibility, and often the argument. This guide sets up a simple, durable system for organising your case materials, including how to handle messages and phone evidence properly. It is general information, not legal advice.

The folder system

Create one master folder (cloud-synced so it survives a broken phone or laptop) with sub-folders:

``` FAMILY CASE/ ├── 00_INDEX.xlsx ← master index of every document ├── 01_COURT_ORDERS/ ← every order, in date order ├── 02_MY_FILINGS/ ← everything YOU filed, with the sent email ├── 03_THEIR_FILINGS/ ← everything the other side filed ├── 04_CAFCASS/ ← safeguarding letters, section 7 reports ├── 05_MY_STATEMENTS/ ← drafts and signed versions ├── 06_EVIDENCE/ ← exhibits, photos, records │ ├── 06a_MESSAGES/ │ ├── 06b_MEDICAL/ │ ├── 06c_POLICE/ │ └── 06d_FINANCIAL/ ├── 07_POSITION_STATEMENTS/ ├── 08_BUNDLE/ ← the PD27A bundle as filed └── 09_FILING_LOG.xlsx ← what was filed/served, when, to whom ```

Naming convention: `YYYY-MM-DD_description_v1.pdf` — dates first so folders sort chronologically. Never name anything "final".

The index and the filing log

Two spreadsheets carry the whole case:

00_INDEX: every document, with date, description, and where it lives. When you need "the letter from the school in March", you'll find it in seconds — at a hearing that speed is a superpower
09_FILING_LOG: every filing and service — date, document, court email address or counter, acknowledgment received (yes/no). When a court office loses a document, this log ends the argument

Handling messages and phone evidence

Messages (texts, WhatsApp, emails) are evidence — but there are rules about how they get into a case:

1. Preserve properly: take full-screen screenshots including dates, times and the contact's name/number; keep the original on the phone (courts can ask to see the device); export chat archives where the app allows 2. Never edit — crops that hide context destroy credibility. Screenshot the whole exchange around the key message 3. Get them into a statement: messages go to the court as exhibits to a witness statement — not loose in the bundle (PD27A 2026 expressly excludes messages and social media from bundles) 4. Reference precisely: in your statement, quote the message and cite the exhibit number and page ("Exhibit JS2, page 7, message of 3 May at 14:22") 5. Print or compile exhibits into numbered PDFs, paginated, with a cover page identifying what they are

Photographs and documents

Photographs: same treatment — exhibit them to a statement, with date taken, what it shows, who took it
Paper originals (letters, certificates, medical records): scan to PDF (phone scanner apps are fine at 300dpi-ish), keep originals in one physical folder, never give away your last original — courts want copies, you keep the original

Audio and video recordings

Recording your own conversations: the law generally permits recording for your own use, and family courts sometimes admit covert recordings — but admissibility and weight are contentious and it can backfire badly (privacy arguments, costs, credibility). Get advice before relying on recordings
If you have recordings, disclose their existence honestly if asked; transcripts (if you make them) must be accurate — an inaccurate transcript is treated as a serious matter

Backups and security

3-2-1 rule: three copies, two different media, one off-site (cloud + laptop + encrypted USB)
Family files are extremely sensitive — encrypt the USB, use a strong cloud password with 2-factor authentication
Keep a paper emergency set: current orders, the C100, your last position statement, key contact numbers — in one folder you can grab in two minutes

Court-day routine

Print two copies of whatever you're referring to that day (one for you, one to hand to the judge or other side)
Bring the current orders in date order
Bring your index — being able to hand the judge any document within ten seconds builds trust in everything you say

Official links

YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory — we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to HMCTS or gov.uk. This page is general information and is not legal advice.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.