How To Use Side Tabs and Legal Tabs Properly

Imagine this: According to Cleveland.com, a single lawyer can use up to a staggering 100,000 sheets of paper per year, or “enough paper laid end-to-end to wrap around the U.S. Supreme Court Building 66 times.” It’s to no surprise, then, that an efficient organizational system is vital to the success of any law firm.

This is where legal index tabs come into play. Side tabs in particular can be a law firm’s best friend in organizing important court documents, but there are several important steps to remember when using them for your legal needs.

1. Organize Your Papers

As you just read, lawyers have a LOT of documents. Before thinking about the type and amount of side tabs you need, you first have to organize your documents. Do this by sorting your papers into categories.

Begin by creating a considerable work area for yourself, even if this means clearing the desk space and floor space around you. Consider obtaining a few cardboard boxes and sticky note labels to help the organizing process go more smoothly and quickly.

It is possible when sorting that you will come across papers you no longer need. You can discard those papers, but consider shredding them before you do, especially if they have any sensitive or confidential information on them.

You may also discover papers you don’t need at the moment, but you will in the near future. Store these papers somewhere nearby, such as in a filing cabinet or desk drawer, for easy retrieval when you need them later.

2. Choose Your Tabs

Now that your papers and documents are organized into piles of various categories, it’s time to make the all-important decision about which tabs you need.

Exhibit tabs are an ideal choice if you are in court often and therefore have many documents. On the other hand, if you have only a few piles of papers, then blank tabs you can label yourself are sufficient for your needs.

Next, decide on your organizational preferences. If you need a simple sorting system, then these numbered tab dividers 1-50 might be an ideal choice. However, if you require a more detailed level of organization, then consider getting legal bottom tabs to create subdivisions within the side tab sections. There are also AA-ZZ side tabs if you have a multitude of side tabs to organize.

3. Obtain the Proper Binder

Next, you will want to choose a binder. Don’t overlook the binder, though! A nightmare scenario would be watching as your documents spill out all over the courtroom floor because the binder has become worn and flimsy over time.

A good quality binder is important because you will likely access it and transport it often, so you will undoubtedly want one with a durable cover and strong rings that will hold up despite heavy use. In addition, it's ideal for a binder to have a push tab at the bottom to prevent constant manual opening and closing of the rings with your hands, which can damage the rings after a while.

4. Make a Table of Contents

As you may have guessed, simply adding tabs to your binder isn’t enough. No matter the types of tabs you decide to use, you and others who access your binder need to know what each tab means. The best way to accomplish this is to create a table of contents for your binder.

Much like a book’s table of contents, the binder’s table of contents will tell its users what each section represents. You can do this simply by creating a one- or two-page document that lists out all of the different tabs and their corresponding topics. If you previously decided to use bottom tabs in addition to side tabs, then make sure you denote the bottom tabs’ sections, too.

Once the table of contents is created and printed, just hole-punch it and place it in the front of the binder to serve as a quick reference.

Don’t forget to update the table of contents and repeat the process if you ever make changes to it. Do this quickly and easily by saving the table of contents on your computer and updating when needed.

5. Care for Your Tabs

Above all, treat your tabs right! You will want your tab investment to last.

Be sure to keep your tabs in a cool, dry place away from heat and humidity. Doing so will keep your tabs from becoming wrinkled or brittle from prolonged exposure to the elements.

Also keep your tabs out of the direct sunlight, which can fade your tabs’ inks and colors and result in illegible text and discolored tabs. This is the last scenario you would want in the middle of a court session.

Furthermore, keep your tabs away from food and drink. Unfortunate spills or stains on your precious tabs will result in costly replacement tab orders that could have been prevented.

Finally, store unused tabs together using a rubber band or gentle binder clip. Keeping like tabs together will save you time when you need to retrieve them later. Moreover, consider using a filing cabinet or desk drawer to store your tabs. A sturdy box with a secure lid will work, too. Either way, make sure the tabs are perfectly flat or upright so your tabs don’t develop bends and creases over time. If you decide to stack other boxes on top of the tab box, make sure the weight of those boxes isn’t crushing the tab box.

Using Side Tabs the Right Way

Now that you know the steps to using legal index tabs the correct way, it’s time to turn this knowledge into practice. Follow this process when organizing your legal documents, and soon you’ll be organized both in the office and in the courtroom.

Please visit LegalSupply.com’s wide selection of quality tabs for all of your legal needs.