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It's interesting that as with every other lengthy series of comments on a Gazette piece the comments are mainly negative. Broadly, I agree with Christopher Gough. I am not a fan of wholly electronic files, but I accept that they are the way of the future. My experience with reviewing electronic files is that they can be incomplete; but so can paper files. Material can be posted to the wrong file; but this can happen with paper files. As for hot desking, it is inevitable that if files can be all electronic, the need for a defined physical space changes. It is a matter for individual firms whether and to what extent they wish to introduce hot desking. I rather doubt that many firms will, for many years, because of the ingrained views this series of posts displays, which in many cases may be shared by management.

File discipline and email discipline will be ever more important with electronic filing. For example, email communications tend to encourage prolixity, and if every email is filed, reviewing a file electronically can become a lengthy and frustrating task, as one sifts through several copies of lengthy email chains looking for the one or two important communications in the chain. This will change as the practice of electronic filing becomes more accepted and commonplace.

A different question is whether electronic filing will mean less support for lawyers who will be expected to manage all their own electronic filing - at hourly rates charged to the client?