Clear Delivery Instructions Matter More Than You Think
A legal printing job can be carefully prepared, checked, printed and packed — and still hit a snag in the last few metres
Sometimes it is something very simple. The package is going to someone's home, but nobody has said what should happen if they aren't there. Or it is going to another law firm, an expert or a client, but there is no attention name or matter number on the package
These are small details, but when timing matters, they can make the difference between a straightforward delivery and several phone calls trying to work out where the package belongs.
Delivery is part of the production instructions
Clear legal printing delivery instructions are easy to overlook when everyone is focused on the documents themselves.
It is worth giving the delivery instructions the same attention.
A complete street address is important, of course, but for legal materials we often need a little more information than that.
For example, if the delivery is going to someone's home, should the package be left if nobody answers? Is there a safe place to leave it, or should the driver call and wait for instructions? If the package contains confidential material, should it only be handed directly to the recipient?
If it is going to a business or another law firm, an attention name, file number, matter reference or department can be just as important as the address itself.
A few details can prevent a lot of searching
Before sending a legal print job for delivery, it helps to confirm:
recipient's full name and company, if applicable
complete delivery address, including suite or floor
phone number for the recipient or delivery contact
attention line, matter number or reference number where required
whether the package may be left if nobody is available
any reception, concierge, loading dock or building access instructions
required delivery date or time window
whether several packages going to the same address need separate labels or references
None of this is complicated. Usually one or two extra lines in the original print instructions are enough.
Third-party deliveries deserve a little extra detail
Deliveries to clients, opposing offices, experts, consultants and other third parties can be particularly easy to misroute.
A receptionist may receive several courier packages in a day. A reference such as “Attention: Jane Smith — Matter 12345” gives the person receiving it something useful to work with immediately.
The same applies when several sets of court materials are being delivered to different people.
Clearly identifying which package belongs to whom helps keep sets together and avoids somebody having to open or inspect a package simply to determine where it belongs.
Home deliveries are slightly different
Home delivery has become quite common, particularly when lawyers or staff are working remotely.
In those situations, the address alone does not always answer the most important question: what should happen if nobody answers the door?
Some recipients are comfortable having a package left in a protected area. Others would prefer a call, a second delivery attempt, or a direct hand-off.
With confidential legal materials, it is especially helpful to make that instruction clear before the package leaves production rather than trying to resolve it from the doorstep.
One more line can save a lot of time
Clear delivery instructions are a small part of legal document production, but they are an important one.
When you send your print specifications, include the delivery details at the same time. Recipient, address, reference number, contact information and any special instructions are usually all we need.
It helps the finished materials move from production to the right hands without unnecessary delays — which is exactly how the final step of a legal print job should work.
At CETTEC, we treat delivery information as part of the overall production workflow. Clear instructions at the start make the final hand-off much smoother for everyone involve
