Every law firm using a SaaS platform for client data needs to think through data retention. The question is not just "how long do we keep this?" — it is who is responsible for the retained data, what happens to it when the client relationship ends, and what the firm's obligations are to the client after the case closes.
The 7-year safe harbor model
Many law firms retain client files for 7 years after case closure as a general safe harbor — long enough to cover most statutes of limitations for malpractice claims and most audit look-back periods. In this model, the firm is responsible for maintaining the record and has ongoing obligations to the client around access and custody.
The 30-day post-closing copy-and-purge model
An alternative approach that some technology-forward firms are adopting: at case closure, the firm downloads the complete case file (the one-click ZIP package), retains it in the firm's own systems under whatever retention policy the firm applies, and the platform purges the client data after a 30-day grace period. The firm has the record. The platform does not.
This model puts the retention obligation squarely on the firm — where it belongs — and minimizes the data footprint on the platform. It also gives the firm full control over the record without depending on a vendor's continued operation or data accessibility policies.
How bankruptcy.ai handles it
bankruptcy.ai supports both models. Firms can configure their retention window. The one-click client file ZIP makes the copy-and-purge model operationally feasible — downloading the complete case record takes one click, not a manual file-by-file export.