Section 1
The Framework
Every document is described by three independent layers. Each answers a different question and serves a different audience.
Three Layers, Three Jobs
1
Classification
What the document IS — drives which tracker fields are visible
5 values · multi-select
2
Grouping
Which relationship the document belongs to — how paralegals think about documents day-to-day
5 values · single-select
3
Type
The specific document type — determines the filename tag and extraction behavior
44 values · can grow
Why three layers? What a document IS, where it GOES, and who it RELATES TO are three different questions. A medical bill is classified as Financial (it's a bill), grouped under Medical (it belongs to the provider relationship), and filed in the Medical folder. All three are correct — and all three are independent.
Classification
Financial
It's a bill
Grouping
Medical
Belongs to the provider
Folder
Medical
Routed by grouping
Example: a medical bill from Dr. Smith maps differently on each axis — by design.
Section 2
Classifications
Five values that describe what a document IS. A document can have multiple classifications. These drive which fields appear on the document tracker.
Medical
Financial
Legal
Admin
Other
Multi-select by design. A Bill & Records package is both Medical and Financial. A Letter of Protection is both Legal and Financial. Classification describes what a document IS — and documents can be more than one thing.
Section 3
Groupings & Types
Documents are organized by relationship — who produced, sent, or is connected to the document. Paralegals think “the stuff from Dr. Smith” or “the stuff from State Farm” — groupings match that mental model. Each grouping contains its document types.
Visit NoteMED ROffice visits, consultations, follow-ups
Imaging ReportMED RMRI, CT, X-ray reports
Discharge SummaryMED RHospital discharge documentation
Medical RecordsMED RBulk records, often covering a date range
BillMED BStandard provider invoice
Bill & RecordsMED B&RCombined bill and records package
LienMED LienMedical lien against settlement
SettlementMED SettlementLien resolution / provider settlement
AuthorizationMED AuthAuthorizes the provider to release records
HIPAA ReleaseMED HIPAAHIPAA-specific authorization
W-9MED W9Provider fills out for payment/tax purposes
Letter of ProtectionMED LOPGuarantees payment from settlement — directed at medical providers
Records RequestMED RequestFirm requests records from provider
OtherMEDMedical documents that don't fit above
Full ReportTARComplete traffic accident report
SlipTAR SlipShort-form report
PhotosTAR PhotosScene photos from police
Witness StatementsTAR Witness StmtsWitness statement pages
CAD NotesTAR CADComputer-aided dispatch notes
OtherTARPolice documents that don't fit above
EOBINS EOBExplanation of Benefits
Dec PageINS DecDeclarations page — coverage terms + limits
Policy DocumentINSFull policy or endorsement
CardINS HIHealth insurance card — carrier goes in source
Claim NoticeINS NoticeDocument that opens a claim file with a carrier — FNOL (first notice of loss for auto/property/GL) or FROI (workers-comp first report of injury). Form-name fidelity goes in page_subtype.
AcknowledgmentINS AckCarrier acknowledges receipt
Letter of RepresentationINS LORFirm announces representation — directed at insurance carrier
Demand PackageINS DemandDemand letter + exhibits — directed at insurance carrier
SettlementINS SettlementSettlement/release with the insurance carrier
Subrogation NoticeINS SubroNotice from health insurer asserting subrogation interest — right to reimbursement from settlement
OtherINSInsurance documents that don't fit above
ID DocumentIDDriver's license, passport
Intake Form—Client intake questionnaire
Injury PhotoPhotoClient injury documentation
Scene PhotoPhotoAccident scene
PD PhotoPhotoProperty damage
VideoVideoVideo evidence
ContractContractRetainer / fee agreement — between firm and client
SettlementSettlementClient disbursement sheet
Other—Client documents that don't fit above
Witness StatementWITStandalone witness statement (not police-attached)
DepositionWIT DepoWitness deposition transcript
Contact InfoWIT ContactWitness list, contact details
OtherWITWitness documents that don't fit above
Property Damage EstimatePD EstRepair or total loss estimate
Payment ReceiptPaymentProof of payment
Fax ConfirmationFaxFax transmission receipt
General LetterLetterCorrespondence not specific to one relationship
Unknown—Unclassified
Section 4
Naming Convention
A consistent filename format makes every document identifiable at a glance — in a file list, search result, or case review.
Filename Template
{date} {source} {tag} - {description} (re: {reference period}).ext
Date — when the document was created, signed, or sent
Source — provider, facility, firm, carrier, or agency
Tag — type abbreviation from Section 3
Description — brief 3-5 word content summary
Reference Period — what time period the document covers
Source abbreviations. The source field uses a consistent abbreviation for the entity that produced the document. Common entities (BCBS, GEICO, State Farm) use universal abbreviations. Provider-specific abbreviations are generated automatically and stay consistent across all documents from that entity. Names that are already short stay as-is.
Examples
2025.10.10 LVSSC MED R - lumbar follow-up eval (re: 2025.10.10).pdf
2025.11.01 LVSSC MED B - lumbar injection procedure (re: 2025.10.10).pdf
2025.11.15 LVSSC MED B&R - physical therapy series (re: 2025.10.10 to 2025.10.20).pdf
2025.11.01 LVSSC MED R - five months treatment records (re: 2025.06.01 to 2025.10.30).pdf
2025.11.01 LVSSC MED Auth - medical records authorization (re: 2025.11.01).pdf
2025.11.17 State Farm Ins LOR - rep letter auto policy (re: 2025.11.17).pdf
2025.10.09 LVMPD TAR - rear-end collision Sahara Ave (re: 2025.10.09).pdf
2025.10.09 LVMPD TAR Slip - accident short form (re: 2025.10.09).pdf
2025.12.01 BCBS Ins EOB - ER visit payment (re: 2025.10.10).pdf
Abbreviations in examples. LVSSC = Las Vegas Surgical & Spine Center, LVMPD = Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, BCBS = Blue Cross Blue Shield. These are examples — each firm will have its own providers.
Section 5
Folder Organization
Documents are filed into top-level folders by grouping. Every firm uses different folder names — the standard defines the intent, not the exact name.
Medical
Visit notes, imaging, records, bills, liens, B&R packages
Insurance
EOBs, dec pages, LORs, acknowledgments, demand packages
Police & Incident
Police reports, slips, witness statements, CAD notes
Intake
Contracts, intake forms, IDs, authorizations, HIPAA releases
Photos & Media
Injury, scene, and property damage photos, video evidence
Resolution
Settlements, demand packages, disbursements
Safe defaults. Only documents in the upload root are moved. Documents already in a folder stay put. Unclassified documents remain in place for manual review. Trash and archive folders are never touched.
Section 6
Document Hashtags
Hashtags capture dimensions that don't belong in the filename — party designation, document status, workflow triggers, and more. A document can carry multiple hashtags. They're filterable and searchable in your case management system.
Insurance Party
Which insurance relationship — the client's own policy or the at-fault party's.
#1P
#3P
Case Role
Whose side is this document from — the client or the adverse party.
#client
#adverse
Lien Status
Tracks the lien lifecycle — from filed through resolution.
#signed
#unsigned
#paid
#finals
Declaration Type
Which policy a declarations page belongs to.
#primary
#excess
Photo Timing
When the photo was taken relative to the incident.
#DOL
#post-injury
Workflow
Triggers automated processing when applied to a document.
#redact
#review
Examples
2025.11.17 State Farm Ins LOR - rep letter auto policy.pdf
#1P
2025.11.17 GEICO Ins LOR - rep letter adverse policy.pdf
#3P
2025.12.01 LVSSC MED Lien - provider lien filed.pdf
#signed
2025.10.09 Client ID - driver license.pdf
#client
2025.10.09 Adverse ID - driver license.pdf
#adverse
2025.10.10 Photo - left shoulder bruising.pdf
#client #DOL
2025.10.15 GEICO Ins Dec - adverse primary policy.pdf
#3P #primary
Hashtags keep filenames clean. Party, status, and workflow information lives in hashtags instead of being crammed into an already-long filename. The AI applies hashtags automatically during classification. Staff can add or change them manually at any time.
Section 7
Document Tracking
A structured log captures the essential data from every document — making case information searchable and sortable without opening each file.
Universal Fields Every Document
| Field | What to Record |
|---|
| Classification | Medical, Financial, Legal, Admin, or Other (can be multiple) |
| Grouping | Which relationship bucket: Medical, Police, Insurance, Client, or Other |
| Type | Specific document type from Section 3 |
| Date | When the document was created, signed, or sent |
| Source | Provider, facility, firm, carrier, or agency |
| Reference Period | Time period the document covers (single date or range) |
| Summary | 1-2 sentence summary of the document's content |
| Status | Current status — "Off work until 3/15", "Lien filed", "Pending response" |
| Due Date | Payment deadline, response date, follow-up, or expiration |
| Action Items | Next steps, follow-ups, and deadlines |
| Document Link | Link to the document in your case management system |
Conditional Fields Shown by Classification
| Field | Shown When | What to Record |
|---|
| Diagnoses | Medical | Diagnoses, findings, and clinical impressions |
| Recommendations | Medical | Treatment recommendations, referrals, and follow-up instructions |
| Amount | Financial | Primary dollar figure — billed amount, settlement, lien balance |
Nothing gets lost. Beyond these visible fields, the full extracted data from every document — CPT codes, line-item charges, coverage limits, witness details — is preserved as structured data for future analysis and reporting.
Section 8
Adapting the Standard
The framework, groupings, and tracking fields are fixed — consistency is the point. Everything else adapts to how your firm works.
Date Format
YYYY.MM.DD by default. Some firms prefer MM.DD.YY or other conventions.
Tag Abbreviations
Override any type's tag to match your firm's shorthand.
Folder Names
Map groupings and types to your firm's actual folder names.
Source Abbreviations
Common entities use universal abbreviations. Override or add your own.
Feature Toggles
Enable or disable auto-rename, auto-file, and tracker sync independently.
This standard can be fully automated
Classification, naming, filing, and data extraction can run automatically on every document as it arrives — no manual effort required.