Mail tracking for law firms

Law firms still run on paper mail: engagement letters, original signed documents, settlement and refund checks, invoices, and client questionnaires that have to come back. When a client says a letter never arrived, or a signed release is late, an Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) label on the envelope shows where it is.

Where tracking helps a law practice

• Engagement and closing letters - confirm the letter went out and reached the client's area before your follow-up call.
• Settlement and trust-account checks - answer "where's my check?" with the mailing date and the last USPS scan.
• Documents mailed back by clients - create a label addressed to your office and use Email the label. The client prints it, sticks it on the envelope with their signed originals, and your staff can see it coming.
• Invoices and retainer statements for clients who still pay by check.

Confidentiality

Each label has a public tracking page, but it shows scan status only - never the recipient's name, address or your reference notes. Recipient details stay inside your firm's account. You can also turn off search-engine listing of your tracking pages in Settings.

When you need proof, not tracking

IMb tracking shows the piece moving through USPS processing. It is not evidence of the date you mailed something, and it is not a signature. For those, use the USPS tools built for proof:

• Certificate of Mailing (PS Form 3817) - USPS evidence of the date a piece was mailed.
• Certified Mail, with Return Receipt if you need a signature - for demand letters, statutory notices and anything a rule or contract says must be sent that way.

Many firms use both: Certified Mail where the law requires it, and 12-cent IMb labels on everyday client correspondence, where Certified Mail would be overkill.

Setting it up

1. Create labels one at a time from a matter, or upload a CSV for a batch of client letters.
2. Add your matter number in the reference field - only your firm sees it.
3. Print on Avery 5163 sheets or #10 envelopes and mail with First-Class postage.

What tracking can and can't tell you

• Scans come from USPS automated processing. A piece that skips the machines - hand-sorted, damaged or oversized - may show few or no scans.
• Letters often have no delivery scan. The last processing scan at the destination facility is usually the final event, typically the day before or the morning of delivery.
• Tracking is information, not proof of delivery. For legal notices that need proof, use USPS Certified Mail.
• Labels add tracking only - they don't change your postage or qualify mail for automation discounts.