All About Legal Size File Cabinets
Legal size file cabinets are built to store "legal size" documents. For those of you who don’t know what a "legal size" document is, it is an 8.5" x 14" sheet of paper. Legal size cabinets hold a standard size of file folder, which are typically cut to 3" height, and allows for easy filing and accessibility of the documents.
You might think that you can just use a letter size file cabinet (which is 8.5" x 11") and put your legal size pages in portrait mode. However, that will not help you at all, as the legal size documents will now be sticking out several inches, thereby defeating the purpose of a file cabinet altogether. When you put your legal size papers in a legal size file cabinet in the landscape orientation , the Cabinet should be deep enough so that the file folder does not stick out.
This is vitally important because most law offices still utilize the legal size page. Since most law offices utilize the landscape orientation for legal size files, they rely heavily on the #1101 card stock legal size folder in order to allow for easy filing of the legal size files. If you put the legal size page in a letter size folder, you will have to make two folds in the paper so that it fits into the letter size folder. This makes it extremely inconvenient to file legal size documents. The other option is to use three ring binders and punch legal size paper for storage but that also tends to be quite inconvenient.
So unless you want to refile thousands of legal size papers, buy legal size file cabinets so that you don’t have to worry about it.
Advantages of Having a 4-Drawer File Cabinet
Benefits of a Legal Size 4-Drawer File Cabinet for Your Law Office
One of the primary advantages of using a legal size 4-drawer file cabinet is the increased storage space it provides. Legal documents, contracts, and case files often occupy a considerable amount of physical storage space. Rather than staggering these files across multiple cabinets or spending money to buy additional steel filing cabinets, you can find one that is big enough to keep all of your legal documents organized in one place and inside a single cabinet. Some lacquered wooden cabinets are made up of two file cabinets. A 4-drawer cabinet lets you keep all of your bulky case files in one or two cabinets, rather than storing them throughout your office. This will not only save money, but time, too. You’ll be able to find legal files as fast as you can pull open a drawer.
Another benefit of the file cabinet is the ability to freely move it. If your file cabinet is filled with paperwork and documents, moving it can become complicated very quickly. Most metal cabinets are hefty enough to stand up to the weight of legal documents, and many wooden cabinets come with a halfway point, making it easier to transport. This may not seem important for a first-time buyer, but consider this: eventually you will move your law office, most likely, and when you do, you’ll want to bring your filing cabinet with you. Moving a cinder block filing cabinet is a difficult task that may call for the use of a crane and large truck. Keeping all of your storage under the same roof makes it easier to relocate your office with the click of a button.
Materials and Build Quality
When it comes to selecting your ideal legal size 4 drawer file cabinet, particular consideration ought to be given to the materials the cabinet is made from. The majority of cabinets are either metal or wood and while it may be tempting to go for the cheaper option, you may find you will need to replace it sooner rather than later, which will only end up costing you more in the long run.
If you want to store important business documents, such as contracts, financial information, product designs, private client information and anything else that contains sensitive details, it is essential the file cabinet is secure.
Metal cabinets, especially those that have been fire-proofed, are a smart choice for businesses or people who need extra protection for their critical paperwork. Metal cabinets come in two options, knock-down (KD) and monolithic. KD cabinets come in boxes that need to be assembled after delivery to the workspace, whereas monolithic ones are delivered fully assembled. Essentially, KD cabinets generally cost less than their monolithic counterparts, but this is not always the case—as with most customizations, it is all down to quality versus price. Although more expensive, custom cabinets can be made to your specifications and can generally be delivered within around eight weeks. Steel cabinets are also available in a large range of RAL colors, allowing you to match any interior color scheme.
The alternative to metal cabinets is wooden ones. These come in many styles, designs and finishes to suit almost any type of office decor. Solid oak, mahogany and maple cabinets are valued not only for their sturdiness, but also for their look. For this reason, wooden cabinets are popular for homes office as well as more traditional home files and storage. However, the main downfall to wooden cabinets is the fact they are easily damaged and don’t tend to stand the test of time like metal cabinets do. If you only need light- to moderate-duty use though, a wooden cabinet could be the ideal choice as an attractive storage solution.
Space Requirements and Aesthetics
When choosing a 4 drawer file storage cabinet, there are many factors to consider, among which are office space and design. Fortunately, the basic lockable file drawers that you need to file are all standard. However, how you mix and match cabinets to maximize your office space can be quite important.
For example, if you just add a single file cabinet to your existing office space and shelving, then the only real consideration for space is ensuring that the cabinet(s) can fit within the available footprint you have. So if your existing design is beautiful cherry wood, and your cabinet is steel with drawers, there may be a aesthetic problem as to mixing and matching. And so you will want to think about custom or used cabinets that will match your existing cabinets in brighten cherry tones.
However, if you are designing a new office space and need to use multiple cabinets with flexible options, than the first thing to do is measure your space to figure out exactly where you plan to put the cabinets. If you have a small space, and you fit them into a nook, or you decide to have them be part of a horizontal rows along a wall, you will need to understand the footprint so that you know exactly how much space is being used, and how you can fit the cabinets in.
Once you have a sense of how they will fit into your workspace, you will want to look at the overall design of the area. Some companies have open space offices, while others have closed cabinet areas. You should pick out a file cabinet design that matches the rest of the office decor. If everyone else has steel cabinets, then it would make sense for you to use them as well, versus changing it to cherry cabinets, even if you very much want them. You should also bear in mind whether you are filing any confidential files, and whether you plan to have confidential filing cabinets in another area of the office.
If you plan to keep everything out in the open, then make sure and pick a design that matches the rest of the office decor. But if you are not planning on a design that changes everything in the office all around, consider just using what you already have, as things work well the way they are.
How to Organize a 4-Drawer File Cabinet
There are several ways to organize files within a 4-drawer legal size file cabinet. Here are some tips to keep your filing system efficient:
As well as maintaining some sort of order, the filing system should be easy to operate. It is important that anyone who may need to use the filed documents in the future, family or business associates, can easily retrieve the files when they need them. Filing cabinets can be secured to protect the filing system against unauthorized access, fire, and in some cases floods.
It is important to follow up the filing system with an inventory list or folder. The inventory would include a list of the documents and the location of each document in the filing system. It can be kept either online or as a physical paper where it can be easily seen and updated whenever something new is added to the filing system.
Unfortunately, however well the filing cabinet is organized, there will be times when you need to look for that elusive document. For those situations, it is always wise to introduce a search system that can help you quickly locate the required document.
There are two main types of searches that can be used – keyword and customized .
If you are using keyword searches, then you can always keep attached to the filing system a collection of keywords that have been associated with the various documents in the filing system, which can easily be accessed. If you are looking for e.g. ‘wills’, then you can refer to the list and know where to look for those documents.
This mechanism is useful because the person then knows where to look for a specific document, even if they just remember one keyword associated with it.
Alternatively, another method is to create a customized search that can help locate a document by trial and error. This would involve creating a list of the main categories of documents held, depending on the use of the storage facility, and keeping the list in an obvious location.
For example, in a legal office, files are often retrieved by time periods and the persons involved in them, so this would be a good way of organizing them. You would simply hang up a list on the filing cabinet in a prominent place, and refer to it during a query.
A 4 drawer legal size file cabinet tends to provide ample amount of space for those seeking a great organizational aspect to their documents. Organization is also important in case you need to seek a specific document quickly, and an inventory or a search system can help make that searching process shorter.
Security Options
When you consider how to choose a legal size 4-drawer file cabinet, you want to think about what your filing cabinets can do for you in terms of security.
Locking Mechanisms: A personal observation I’ve made is that companies which use keys, like banks, have in the past few years moved away from using standard keys. Instead, they use tubular keys. A bank will use a special tool which makes it impossible to unlock the door with a standard tubular key, because of the way the lock is engineered. It’s easier to call a locksmith to set up a new key system than it is to break into the safe door.
When I consulted law firms throughout the U.S. on security and technology, half of them insisted on tubular keys for cabinets, and the other half insisted on the standard straight key. I’ve never used a typical straight key – I’ve always used the tubular system.
The simplest way to gauge the quality of a lock system is by the number of tumblers. A one-tumbler lock can be defeated fairly easily with a basic shim. When you walk past a file cabinet and gently pull at the drawer for a few seconds, if it opens easily after applying tension, it can be shimmed.
Both lock systems which are more difficult to defeat have either two or three tumblers. They can be easily attached to an alarm system, which is great for alerting someone that someone is tampering with the cabinet enough to gain access while you’re gone. If you don’t have an alarm system, then the cabinet should be bolted down. It’s very easy to roll a cabinet down an alley to crack it open at the back.
Fireproofing: Fireproofing is a big deal when you learn that a fire in a small office can generate enough water to ruin 50% of your documents, while destroying the rest instantly. The Fire Marshall will ask you if your cabinets lock closed and if they are fireproof. Locking drawers help keep criminals from destroying your inventory, while making it far easier to organize the important things you need to save. Fireproofing essentially is achieved by creating a small pocket of air which is sealed well enough to withstand a fire. Fireproof data cabinet systems also claim water resistance.
Impact Resistance: This is nice as long as you do not spend a lot of time around file drawers which are loaded with paper. If you can walk by a cabinet and it does not jump at all, it’s probably impact resistant. If it’s not impact resistant, and you bump into something that’s loaded, it will become very noisy and obnoxious.
Leading Brands and Purchase Venues
The best legal size 4 drawer file cabinets are produced by well established office furniture manufacturers such as HON, Global, and Lorell. These brands are carried by both brick and mortar and online office furniture dealers such as MyOfficeFurniture.com or OfficeWorld.com which offer a variety of attractive and functional cabinets such as:
HON 600 Series Wood Lateral File Cabinet
This attractive wood file storage cabinet has a vertical grain over the face and a continuous recessed plastic handle along the top for a streamlined and contemporary style. Available in ten different heights, the HON 600 Series 4 Drawer wood legal sized filing cabinet is suitable for handling most applications. The HON 600 Series is great for the executive office or law office.
Global G20 Series Wood Lateral File Cabinet
The Global G20 Series lateral file cabinet is available with fully assembled units that require no special assembly or installation. Your new cabinet will be immediately ready for use with no waiting period required. The stackable cabinets are built to accommodate legal and letter file sizes from one to six drawers. Built with fully integrated styles and premium quality , the all steel cabinet can be finished in a number of attractive colors. Global G20 Series cabinets are perfect for any law office or executive office.
Lorell 2 & 3 Drawer Vertical File Cabinets
Store files vertically and save space with a Lorell 2 drawer filing cabinet or save even more space with a Lorell 3 drawer cabinet. Drawer models pull-out completely for easy access and each drawer can hold up to 1,150 of letter size files or 800 legal files. Sturdy 22 and 23-inch cabinets are made with steel and are not subject to bowing like some letter and legal file cabinets. The Lorell cabinet is a quality cabinet at a good price for any office.