How-to

How to keep secure paper and digital copies of the same document set

Why some people keep both sets

Paper and digital copies each have strengths. Paper does not depend on a battery, a password or a signal. Digital files can be searched, backed up and shared quickly. Some people keep both so that a lost phone or a damaged folder does not mean losing everything.

• Paper is tangible and easy to flip through.
• Digital files are easy to duplicate and to store away from home.
• Having both can give a second route to the same document.

This guide does not say which version any particular application needs. For that, check GOV.UK or speak to an IAA-registered adviser or SRA-regulated solicitor.

Keep the two sets mirrored

Two sets are only useful if they match. One approach is to give both sets the same structure so that an item can be found in either without thinking.

• Same order: arrange the folder and the digital folders in the same sequence.
• Same numbering: if the paper item is number 7, the file starts with 07. The guide on naming and numbering scanned files covers this.
• Same contents list: one short list of what is in the set, held in both places.

A matching structure also makes it quick to notice when one set has an item the other lacks.

Store the paper set safely

Paper sets tend to be handled less carefully than digital ones, so a little structure helps. These are organising preferences, not rules.

1. One dedicated folder or box. Keeping everything together avoids loose pages in different drawers.
2. Plastic wallets or sleeves. Many people put each item in its own wallet to protect it from creasing and spills.
3. A cool, dry place. Away from damp, direct sunlight and heat.
4. Leaving originals unstapled and unpunched. Some people prefer to leave originals untouched and mark the wallet instead.
5. A known, private location. Out of sight, and not shared more widely than needed.

Paper is also personal information, so it is worth thinking about who can reach the place where it is kept.

Protect the digital set

The digital set needs the same care in a different form: a passcode on the device, backups kept somewhere separate, and encryption where available. The existing guides on keeping digital copies and storing sensitive documents securely go into this in more detail, so it is not repeated here.

One point specific to having two sets: some people avoid keeping the digital files only on the same device, or in the same place, as the paper. If both are lost together, neither works as a backup for the other.

Keep them in sync when something changes

Sets drift apart when a document is added or replaced in one place and not the other. A simple change log can prevent this. It can be a single page or note stored with each set.

• Date: when the change was made.
• What changed: for example added, replaced or removed.
• Item number: so it can be matched in both sets.
• Done in paper / done in digital: a tick for each, so a half-finished update is visible.

Reviewing both sets against the contents list now and then, for example when a new item is added, helps catch gaps early.

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