To be safe, check with the licensing entity for attorneys for the state where she was licensed to see how long she must keep legal files, and what is the proper way to dispose of these files if they can be disposed of.

Assuming that she does not legally need to keep these documents from the 1970s, she can take them to a place where documents can be shredded, or contact a shred service to come out and shred the documents on site (or they take all the documents and shred them at their location, but everything is secure.)

From the picture, it looks like you have a huge amount of work to do, so a shred service with a truck coming on site might be the best solution.  Go on www.yelp.com and see what comes up.

I would not put all of these files in storage.  It will be costly and it just defers dealing with this problem to a later time.

You should not be advising a retired attorney what to do with legal files relating to the attorney's real estate practice.

Onsite shredding at her location but first check requirements for how long files must be kept in her state.

BUT first check with the shredding company for a list of things they can't shred, just in case.

To keep the cost down, remove the documents from the file folders and just shred the documents. File folders don't need to be shredded but will run up the cost fast.

If she's unlikely to practice law again, I don't see the value in going through files if none of them are "open." I'd shred. But before shredding, I would check with an active attorney how this is normally handled. There must be some laws for them as to how to long to keep files.

We had a commericial shredder come to our house to pick up files that we had transferred to Dropbox.

My files are marked for required retention period and in January of every year all qualifying files from previous year are shredded.

In Denver, we have a Shred-A-Thon once or twice a year, and able to bring several boxes to get shredded.

Jeff Pearl I have a real good crosscut shredder. I would recommend him hiring a company that will bring commercial grade shredders to his location. She should make sure she meets each State's requirement for keeping files before destroying them.

As for your end of the business, I can only speak for a security issue. I must retain records for 7 years after a closing. When it is time for removing them from the office, I must shred them. I would suggest that any documents that maintain Name, Address, Date of Birth, Social Security Numbers, etc should be treated with the same care. I also must be extremely careful with credit reports,for they are practically a synopsis of a persons life. Remember, being extremely careful is better that being extremely careless. 

I have to see what everyone is saying on the suggest.

I have never kepst a hard copy of any transaction after closing.  The company file is enough for me.  I shred all documents once they are uploaded.

There is no way for us to answer this question, since we do not know your local regulation for legal files.

Anything that no longer needs to be kept for legal requirements, I'd get a shredding truck company like Shred-Rite or Iron Mountain to come out and shred them onsite (they may even help empty the cabinets too).  Will cost a pretty penny, but it's worth it.  For everything that needs to be kept, contact Iron Mountain.  They have storage options and you can set dates for the files to be auto destroyed.

I called a mobile shredding company that came on-site with a huge truck that shredded 13 boxes of files ... and I watched the truck chew the files via a camera.  It was amazing and affordable. 

Burn or hire a shredding company is my vote

I tear everything in half & usually mix it with raw garbage. Best is shredding

Sounds like they are past needing to be retained. If so, shredding on a powerful machine is probably best.

I dont know what the time frame is for lawyers. They would make a good bon fire but realistically hire a professional shredding truck

I'd check to see what the legal requirements are, and then contact a shredding service ASAP!!

Shred file older than 5 years. Those under 5 years may need to be saved. Check your state statute!

Diana Zaccaro nailed this one!

As others have suggested -- confirm with the governing state agency to know how to best handle.  Good luck.  Big job.  

Scan and store electronically. There are firms that will do this but $$$

We use a shredding company.  They come to our office.

Good luck.

If you decide shredding is the answer, check out your local recycling center. They may have an industrial shredder you can use for free.   An industrial shredder can handle a full sized document box in one bite.  

Recycle, reuse reclaim!!

Jeff Pearl - excellent answer from Althea Kippes, Esq. - I was going to say something similar.

Call a shredding service and let them come pick them up.

Scanning and shredding is what I would do!  Now, that's a MAJOR job!

Commercial Shredding

Check to see what the legal requirements are, and then contact a shredding service

The shredder. We keep all of our files online on a cloud if we need them. No need for hard copies after the fact.

suggest a doc shred company....

A realtor had a room full of them. Many homes he sold several times. Two truck load......

What?  Settlement attorneys do not keep records forever?

I think that Marc Swartz, CPA, CA, Real Estate Broker has the right answer. Having said that, if it were me  and Even if everything can be shredded I would want to hold on to at least electronic versions of the HUDs - just in case someone needed one

I's put them in storage, never know when someone will need these.

Check with attorney first... then shred or burn.

Your State Real Estate Commission should have that answer for you. 

What does your state say the retention period is for new documents? Anything preceding that date, just dump.

Jeff,

I think you have great answers.  A

Shred the files and move on.

I inquired about the cost of shredding. A 65 gallon container is $65 to shred. From your photo it looks like she would need to fill it 10 times.

Those that can be legally disposed of, I burn because I have the abiblity to do so.  Usually in my ourdoor furnace.

Those files from the 70s need to go. I would shed them. I take home documents from my office and burn them in my woodstove. 

I'd ask her if she needs to save anything.  If not, shred them all.

everything older than 10 years, I would shred...we had a shredding truck come to the office once a year..... the office has their own copy of my files..... I have not files remaining.....have not been active for over 10 years....