LegalConflictTools

File Retention Calculator

Calculate when a closed matter file becomes eligible for destruction under your retention period, with an interim review date.

Last reviewed

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Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser

Closed files accumulate, and the cost of storing them is small enough that nobody notices until it is not. The reason firms hold files far beyond any requirement is usually that nobody calculated when the requirement ended.

This calculator takes a closure date and a retention period and reports the destruction eligibility date, an interim review date, and how long remains - with an explicit override for files under a legal hold.

Your numbers

Results update as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Result

Eligible for destruction

2029-06-29

Status

Within the retention period

Interim review date
2027-06-30
Matter closed
2022-06-30
Retention period
7 years
Years elapsed
3.7 years
Years remaining
3.3 years
Days remaining
1,216

This tool performs arithmetic on the values you enter. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Retention periods are set by professional conduct rules, statute, limitation periods and client agreement, and they differ by jurisdiction and by document type. The period entered here is your own.

A legal hold overrides any retention schedule. Nothing subject to a hold, an active dispute or a regulatory request may be destroyed regardless of age.

Retention timeline

MilestoneDate
Matter closed2022-06-30
Interim review2027-06-30
Eligible for destruction2029-06-29

How to use the file retention calculator

  1. Enter the date the matter was closed.
  2. Enter the retention period your policy applies to this file type.
  3. Enter an interim review point if your policy has one.
  4. Set whether a legal hold applies - if it does, nothing may be destroyed.

What people use this for

  • Working through a storage room or archive systematically.
  • Setting a destruction date at the point a matter is closed.
  • Checking whether a file can be destroyed before doing so.
  • Answering a client asking how long their file will be kept.

Worked examples

Every figure below is produced by running this calculator against the example inputs, so the numbers always match the tool.

A standard seven-year retention

A matter closed 30 June 2022 with a seven-year retention and a five-year interim review.

Eligible for destruction
2029-06-29
Status
Within the retention period
Years remaining
3.3 years

A file on legal hold

The same file where a hold has been imposed.

Eligible for destruction
Suspended - legal hold applies
Status
On legal hold - do not destroy

Retention periods are not a single number

They come from several places at once: professional conduct rules, limitation periods for negligence claims, statutory requirements for particular document types, tax record obligations, and whatever the engagement letter promised the client.

The longest applicable period governs, and it varies by document type within the same file. Original wills, deeds and instruments frequently have no destruction date at all and are returned to the client rather than destroyed.

A legal hold overrides everything

Where a file is subject to a hold, an active dispute, a regulatory request or any reasonably anticipated proceeding, nothing may be destroyed regardless of age or policy.

Destroying material subject to a hold is a serious problem that is entirely avoidable, which is why the hold flag in this calculator overrides the calculated date rather than adjusting it.

Decide the date at closure

The cheapest moment to set a destruction date is when the matter closes, while the file type and the applicable period are still obvious. Deciding it years later, from a box in a storage room, is slower and more error-prone.

Recording the date at closure also lets the whole archive be worked through by date rather than file by file, which turns an intimidating task into an administrative one.

Methodology and assumptions

What this calculator does, and what it deliberately does not do.

  • The destruction date adds the retention period to the closure date using a 365.25-day year.
  • The interim review date applies the shorter review period in the same way.
  • A legal hold suspends the calculated date entirely rather than adjusting it.
  • The tool performs arithmetic or date counting on the values you enter. It does not interpret a rule, a statute or a contract.
  • Nothing you type is transmitted or stored - the calculation runs entirely inside your browser.

This website provides general informational and productivity tools and does not provide legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

The date and deadline tools count days exactly as you instruct them. They do not interpret court rules, statutes of limitation, filing requirements or any other legal authority, and they do not know the rules of your jurisdiction.

Always verify any date, fee, or calculation against the governing rule, the court calendar and your own professional judgement. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction.

Frequently asked questions

How long should files be retained?

It depends on jurisdiction, document type, limitation periods and what the engagement letter promised. There is no universal figure, which is why the period is an input.

What about original documents?

Originals such as wills, deeds and share certificates are usually returned to the client rather than destroyed, and frequently have no destruction date at all.

Does electronic storage change the period?

Not the period, though it changes the cost calculation considerably. Data protection obligations may separately require deletion once the purpose has ended.

Should clients be told before destruction?

Many firms notify, and some jurisdictions require it. Stating the policy in the engagement letter is the simplest way to handle it.

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