Category: Search and Organization
NetDocuments organizes your firm’s documents using a three-level hierarchy: cabinets, workspaces, and folders. If you are coming from a Windows file server or shared drive, this structure may feel different at first, but it maps naturally to how law firms already think about their work. Understanding how these three levels relate to each other is the foundation for working effectively in NetDocuments.
The Hierarchy at a Glance #
Think of it this way:
- Cabinet = your firm’s filing system (e.g., Client Files, Administrative, Precedents)
- Workspace = a client matter (e.g., 9999.0001 – Smith, John – Purchase of 123 Main St.)
- Folder = an organizational grouping within a matter (e.g., Correspondence, Agreements, Closing Documents)
Every document in NetDocuments lives inside this structure: a document sits in a folder, which sits in a workspace, which sits in a cabinet.
Cabinets #
A cabinet is the highest level of organization in NetDocuments. Most law firms have at least one cabinet, often called something like Client Files. Some firms set up additional cabinets to separate different types of content.
Common cabinet structures include:
- Client Files: The main cabinet where all client matter workspaces live. This is where the bulk of your documents are stored.
- Administrative: A separate cabinet for internal firm documents that are not related to a specific client matter, such as HR policies, marketing materials, or internal memos.
- Precedents or Templates: A cabinet for storing standard form documents, templates, and precedents that lawyers pull from when starting new work.
Cabinets are typically set up by your firm’s NetDocuments administrator during the initial implementation. Most users do not need to create or modify cabinets. You simply navigate into the appropriate cabinet to find your workspaces.
Cabinets also serve as a security boundary. Your administrator can control who has access to each cabinet, which means you can restrict access to sensitive content at the highest level. For example, a management committee cabinet could be limited to partners only.
Workspaces #
A workspace is the core organizational unit in NetDocuments, and for law firms, it typically represents a single client matter. Each matter gets its own workspace, and everything related to that matter, documents, emails, correspondence, agreements, lives inside it.
Workspaces are usually named using a combination of the client number, matter number, client name, and matter description. For example:
- 9999.9998 – John Smith – Purchase of 123 Main St.
This naming convention makes it easy to identify what each workspace is for and keeps matters clearly separated, even for the same client.
Why One Workspace Per Matter? #
It is important that each matter has its own workspace rather than grouping multiple matters into a single workspace. Separate workspaces ensure that:
- Security is enforced per matter. You can control who has access to each workspace individually. If a conflict arises on one matter, you can restrict access to that workspace without affecting other matters for the same client.
- Filing is clean. When lawyers file documents or emails, they file to a specific matter workspace. There is no ambiguity about which matter a document belongs to.
- Reporting and auditing are straightforward. You can generate reports, track activity, and review the complete file for a single matter without sifting through unrelated content.
Workspace Profiles #
Every workspace has a profile that stores metadata about the matter: the client number, matter number, client name, matter description, responsible lawyer, practice area, and any other fields your firm has configured. This profile information is what makes NetDocuments’ search so powerful. You can find a workspace (and all the documents inside it) by searching for any of these profile fields.
Folders #
Folders sit inside workspaces and provide an additional layer of organization. They work much like folders on a file server, letting you group related documents together within a matter.
Common folder structures for a litigation matter might include:
- Pleadings
- Correspondence
- Discovery
- Court Orders
- Research
A real estate matter might use:
- Agreements
- Due Diligence
- Closing Documents
- Title
- Correspondence
Your firm can standardize these structures using folder packs, which apply a predefined set of folders to a workspace in one step. This ensures consistency across all matters of the same type.
For a detailed guide on creating folders, subfolders, and using folder packs, see How to Create Folders and Organize a Workspace.
How This Differs from a File Server #
On a traditional Windows file server or shared network drive, firms typically create a deep hierarchy of nested folders to organize their documents. The structure might look something like:
S:\Clients\Smith John\Purchase of 123 Main St\Correspondence\Outgoing\2026
This approach works until it doesn’t. Different lawyers create different folder structures. Documents get saved in the wrong place. Finding a file means remembering exactly where someone put it months ago.
NetDocuments take a different approach. Instead of relying solely on folder structure to organize and find documents, NetDocuments combines a clean organizational hierarchy (cabinets, workspaces, folders) with document profiles and powerful search. Every document has metadata attached to it (client, matter, document type, author, date), and you can search across all of it. This means you spend less time navigating folders and more time finding what you need.
You do not need ten levels of nested folders in NetDocuments. A few well-organized folders within each workspace, combined with proper document profiling and search, is far more effective. For more on search, see How to Search in NetDocuments: Basic and Advanced.
Navigating the Hierarchy #
When you log into NetDocuments, your Home Page shows your recent documents, favorites, and shortcuts. From there you can navigate into your cabinets and workspaces.
The breadcrumb trail at the top of the screen always shows you where you are in the hierarchy. For example:
Home > Client Files > 9999.0001 – Smith, John – Purchase of 123 Main St. > Correspondence
You can click on any part of the breadcrumb to jump back to that level. You can also use the search bar at any time to find a workspace or document directly without navigating through the hierarchy at all.
Summary #
- Cabinets are the top-level containers. Most firms have one main cabinet for client files and possibly additional cabinets for administrative or precedent documents.
- Workspaces represent individual client matters. One workspace per matter. All documents, emails, and files for that matter live here.
- Folders organize documents within a workspace. Keep them simple, use folder packs for consistency, and let search and profiles do the heavy lifting.
Understanding this structure is the first step to working effectively in NetDocuments. Once you see how cabinets, workspaces, and folders map to the way your firm already thinks about its work, the system feels intuitive.
Need help setting up your firm’s NetDocuments structure? HFSM Technology provides implementation, training, and ongoing support for Canadian law firms. Visit hfsm.ca/contact to learn more.
