Every case that comes before a court leaves behind a trail of paper, and the quality of that trail decides how smoothly the case moves from filing to final decision. The records section of a district court is therefore not a storeroom but a working department, responsible for making sure that every document is received, entered, preserved and produced when required. A case record begins with the plaint, petition or complaint presented by the party. The filing clerk checks that the document is signed, that the court fee has been paid where it applies, that necessary copies and annexures are attached, and that the cause title names the parties correctly. Defects are pointed out in writing so that they can be cured without delay. After scrutiny, the paper is assigned a number and entered in the register of institution, which becomes the permanent reference for the case. As the matter proceeds, each order, notice, summons, affidavit, application, reply and exhibit is added in chronological order. Pages are numbered, an index is prepared, and a daily order sheet records what happened on every date of hearing, including adjournments and their reasons. The order sheet should be written plainly and signed by the presiding officer, since it is the first document an appellate court reads. Accuracy is vital. A wrong date, a misspelt name or a missing page can lead to confusion, delay or even a miscarriage of justice. Typists and copyists must reproduce orders exactly as dictated, and every certified copy should be compared with the original before it is issued. Records that contain sensitive material, such as the statements of witnesses or matrimonial disputes, should be handled with extra care and shown only to those entitled to see them. After a case is decided, the file is classified according to the rules, bundled with a list of its contents, and sent to the record room. Records are retained for the prescribed periods, after which they may be weeded out only with proper authority. Modern courts also scan documents and enter case data into computer systems, but the digital copy must match the paper record. Careful documentation protects the rights of litigants, assists judges and preserves the history of the court. Each case file should contain an index of documents, the order sheet in date order, and copies of summons, notices and their service reports. Exhibits must be marked clearly and kept in safe custody, and any document taken out of the file for inspection should be returned and noted at once. When a case is disposed of, the record is consigned to the record room after checking that it is complete. Requests for certified copies must be handled in the order received, and fees and dates of delivery should be entered properly.