The basic documents
- The signed contract, with all annexes and amendments.
- Issued invoices and proof of payment, kept for the legally required period.
- Correspondence relevant to important scope or price decisions.
How long to keep them
Retention periods differ by document type and applicable law, financial documents usually have longer archiving requirements than plain correspondence. Check the exact terms for your business with your accountant.
Where to keep them
Documents linked directly to the client, not scattered between email, Google Drive and a local folder on a laptop that can break or get lost.
Bottom line
Proper archiving isn't pointless bureaucracy, it's your protection in a dispute. Five minutes invested now in organization saves hours of panicked searching later.