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Legal Data Migration: Mapping, Reconciliation & Cutover
Move client, matter and document records with an agreed way to account for every source record and resolve exceptions.
The planning answer
A migration is ready for sign-off when records, relationships, document access and critical values reconcile against the agreed source. Count checks are a starting point, not proof of correctness. Rehearse an import, investigate exceptions and agree the cutover and rollback decision before moving the live workflow.
Engineering guidance with fictional examples and proposed acceptance checks. Adapt it with your firm’s responsible technical and legal professionals; it does not establish legal compliance or report client results.
Inventory the source and decide what should move
List each source: spreadsheets, practice software, shared folders, email exports and accounting records. For every source, identify its owner, export mechanism, record count, document volume and the time at which the extract represents the data. Confirm that your team is authorized to export and process it.
Separate active records from archives and duplicates. Retain original identifiers in a mapping register rather than matching clients solely by name. Two people may share a name; a renamed firm may still be the same organization. Ambiguous records should enter an exception queue for an authorized person to resolve.
Request an anonymized sample for initial scoping. A sample helps estimate transformation work, but cannot establish that the full dataset is clean or complete.
Agree mappings and exception rules
| Source field or object | Target decision | Validation evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Client reference | Stable source-to-target identity map | No unexplained missing or duplicate identities |
| Matter owner | Approved user and assignment mapping | Unknown or inactive owners appear in an exception list |
| Hearing date | Preserve date-only values; define zones for timestamps | Sample records compared with the firm’s verified source |
| Document | Map file, version and matter association | Manifest, readable sample and relationship checks |
| Invoice amount | Explicit currency, precision and status rules | Totals reconcile by currency and agreed period |
Keep transformation rules versioned. An empty field, an unknown value and an intentionally deleted value may need different handling. Do not invent missing dates, balances or assignments to make an import pass.
Worked example: reconcile 1,000 source matters
In this fictional rehearsal, an extract contains 1,000 matter records. The importer creates 970 target matters; 20 rows are approved duplicates mapped to existing targets; 10 are quarantined because their client reference is missing. The accounting is 970 + 20 + 10 = 1,000. It is complete as an explanation of source disposition, but the migration is not ready for sign-off while required matters remain quarantined.
Record an outcome for every source identifier. A second import of the same batch should not create another 970 matters. The identity map must make retries predictable, and changes to a transformation rule should trigger another reconciliation.
Next check relationships and values: does each imported document belong to the correct matter, does the assigned lawyer have the expected access, and do invoice totals match by currency? A matching total count can conceal swapped attachments or wrong permissions.
Validate records, files and permissions separately
- Reconcile counts by record type, source batch and import status, including exclusions and errors.
- Compare critical fields and totals, with a documented reason for each intentional transformation.
- Compare file sizes and cryptographic hashes where files should remain byte-identical; use a different documented check for converted files.
- Open a representative selection of documents and confirm version history, matter links and client visibility.
- Test an unauthorized user as well as the correct owner. Data accuracy does not establish correct access.
AWS DMS documents source-to-target data validation and its limitations. Such database validation can support a migration using compatible sources, but does not replace checks of file stores, application permissions or business meaning. Use equivalent evidence if your migration uses a different tool.
Rehearse cutover and define a recoverable fallback
Choose a source-of-truth system during transition. Agree a freeze window or a method to capture changes made after the first export. Assign owners for the final import, exception decisions, access checks and the go/no-go decision. Tell staff when they may resume updates.
A backup file alone is insufficient evidence of recovery. Rehearse restoration in an isolated environment, including documents, required configuration and access records. PostgreSQL’s dump documentation explains that a per-database dump does not include all cluster-wide objects; identify what your selected backup method includes and excludes.
Before cutover, define the failure conditions that trigger rollback and how new writes will be preserved or reconciled. Restoring an earlier snapshot after staff have entered new work can lose that work. Do not let both systems accept uncontrolled changes while deciding which one is authoritative.
What to include in the handover and quote
Keep the source inventory, mapping register, transformation version, batch manifests, reconciliation results, unresolved exceptions and approval record together. Agree who retains migration copies and when authorized deletion occurs.
The estimate should distinguish source export work, cleaning, transformation, document transfer, rehearsal, cutover and post-launch reconciliation. Source access, file volume, API limits and exception ownership affect the plan. Request a quote against those inputs rather than assuming every migration fits one fixed price.
Technical references
Sources checked on 20 October 2026. These references support the engineering principles; the worked examples and planning tables are illustrative Digittrix material.
Continue planning
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Bring your workflow, existing tools and an anonymized sample to a scope discussion. Deliverables, pricing and dates are confirmed in a written proposal.
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