What a legal office actually needs
Discovery arrives all at once
Litigation volume is not steady. A firm can be quiet for weeks and then need several thousand legal-size pages scanned and produced in two days. Size for the burst and the high-capacity feeder, not the monthly average.
Privileged documents in an open workroom
Secure print holds every job at the device until the sender enters a PIN or taps a badge. Nothing privileged sits in the output tray while a client waits in the lobby.
Cost recovery by matter
Accounting codes let staff enter a client or matter number at the panel. Copy and print costs land on the right bill instead of disappearing into overhead.
Scan speed beats print speed
Most firms scan more than they print. Single-pass duplex scanning with searchable PDF output is what turns a banker's box into something the document management system can index.
Paper handling: legal, ledger and tabs
Legal-size trays are the obvious requirement, but the ones that get missed are 11x17 for exhibits and demonstratives, tab stock for binder production, and enough drawers that nobody is swapping paper mid-run. A four-drawer configuration with letter, legal, ledger and a bypass for tabs eliminates the most common source of afternoon frustration in a legal workroom.
Confidentiality: treat the device as a records system
A multifunction device stores image data while it works. For a firm the standard should be image overwrite enabled from day one, user authentication so scans route to the right mailbox, encrypted scan destinations, and a documented drive scrub or drive retention when the equipment is returned. We handle the scrub at return and give you the certificate for the file.
Recommended configurations
Solo and small firm (1 to 8 attorneys)
VersaLink C7100 series with legal and ledger trays, single-pass duplex scanning and a stapling finisher. Handles daily filings and the occasional discovery push without dominating the office.
Mid-size firm with a workroom (8 to 40 attorneys)
AltaLink C8200 series with high-capacity feeder, badge release, accounting codes for matter billing and a booklet finisher for closing binders and hearing sets.
Firms producing their own trial sets
PrimeLink for tab insertion, heavier covers and volume production so trial binders stop going out to a copy vendor on a deadline.
Budgeting and lease terms
Firms usually recover copy costs, so what matters is a predictable click rate and no surprise at renewal. Read the notice window before you sign: the auto-renewal clause on a standard copier lease is the most expensive paragraph in the document. Our end-of-lease help walks you through it, and the copier leasing guide covers buyouts and fair market value.
Quote a legal configuration
Tell us your attorney count and monthly volume and we will price two configurations with the legal trays, scanning and security options already included.