It doesn't take long to accumulate inactive files and begin wondering what to do with them, John Ahern observes in the latest ISBA Trusts & Estates newsletter. "Are the files any good?" he asks. "Have clients gone elsewhere? Are [they] alive?"

In his article, John looks at the supreme court rules governing disposal of old files, provides model language you can include in engagement letters to give yourself authority to destroy old files, and assembles resources on file disposition that all lawyers can use. Take a look.