Attachments

Every Record Carries Its Own Evidence

The auditor asked for the certificate of good standing. Someone had downloaded it from the Secretary of State’s website six months ago — but it sat on a laptop since replaced, or in a shared drive folder three people organized differently. An hour of searching turned up a version no one could confirm was current.

This happens constantly. Signed contracts in email, board resolutions in folders no one else can navigate, insurance certificates wherever the broker’s message landed. The documents exist — disconnected from the records they prove.

Lextree’s file attachments keep every document alongside the record it belongs to. Attach a signed contract to the contract record, a certificate of good standing to the legal entity, board minutes to the meeting record. When someone needs proof — during an audit, due diligence, or a routine check — it’s where they expect to find it.

No Folders, No Filing

Any record in any module holds file attachments — contracts, entity registrations, board meetings, insurance policies, licenses, tax returns. Each file carries a name and description: “Signed Master Services Agreement — executed 2025-06-15” or “Certificate of Good Standing — Washington State — 2025.”

No nested folders. No filing taxonomies. Files attach directly to the record they document — a flat collection that’s easy to browse and impossible to misfile. The organizational structure you already have — modules, records, entities — is the filing system.

Find Files Instantly

Open any record and its attached files appear immediately. No hunting through external systems. No guessing which folder someone chose. No reconstructing file paths from memory.

Files That Prove Compliance

Lextree tracks compliance requirements and deadlines. File attachments close the loop — they prove you satisfied each obligation. Every compliance domain generates documentary evidence:

• Contracts: Signed agreements, amendments, addenda, termination notices, certificates of insurance required by the contract
• Legal Entities: Formation documents, certificates of good standing, annual report filing confirmations, registered agent appointment letters
• Board Governance: Meeting minutes, board resolutions, written consents, committee charters, officer appointment letters
• Insurance: Policy declarations pages, certificates of insurance, endorsements, broker quotes, loss run reports
• Licenses & Permits: Issued licenses, renewal confirmations, application materials, inspection reports
• Taxes: Filed return confirmations, extension requests, exemption certificates, audit correspondence
• Intellectual Property: Registration certificates, assignment documents, maintenance fee receipts

Each attachment connects proof to the record it documents — the filing confirmation on the filing record, the new declarations page on the policy record. For organizations with dozens of entities and hundreds of records, this solves the most common audit problem: proof exists, but no one can find it.

Self-Contained Workflow Files

Workflows in Lextree capture authorization decisions with a complete audit trail. File attachments make each workflow self-contained — participants review everything they need without accessing the broader record.

Workflow-Level Materials

Workflow-level attachments provide reference materials for the entire process. A vendor qualification workflow might include the compliance policy, a reference checklist, or background research. Every participant sees these materials alongside the approval steps.

Step-Level Evidence

Checklist item attachments provide evidence for individual steps. The “Legal Review” step in a contract approval might include the redlined draft. The “Finance Sign-off” step might include a budget impact analysis.

This structure matters when workflows involve outside participants. An external legal advisor reviewing a contract amendment sees the workflow, its checklist, and attached files. They don’t see the contract record, other contracts, or other module data. Reviewers see all files in aggregate, scanning everything without opening each step.

One View Across Every Module

Sometimes you need a file but don’t know which record holds it. Lextree’s cross-cutting file view aggregates attachments from every record you can access, each showing its parent record context: module, record type, and specific record.

A search for “certificate” returns certificates of good standing, certificates of insurance, and board certifications — each linked to its parent record. Filter by module, entity, date range, or file name. When the auditor asks for “all certificates of good standing for entities in Washington State,” the answer is a filtered view.

Access control applies automatically. The view shows files only from records within your permissions. If a module falls outside your access, its files don’t appear.

File Attachments in Context

Lextree file attachments connect to other platform features, forming a complete evidence chain.

Workflow Authorization

Workflow attachments capture authorization proof. When a decision produces documents — a signed approval, a legal opinion, a countersigned agreement — files attach to the workflow or its checklist items. When no formal document exists, the activity stream captures the decision. Activity history plus attached documents form a complete evidence package.

Timeline Documentation

Timeline entries gain weight from attached files. When a timeline shows a record became “effective” on a certain date, the supporting document — signed agreement, filed certificate, issued license — sits on the record. The timeline shows what happened and when. The attached file proves it.

Events Drive Evidence

Events remind you to collect proof. An insurance renewal reminder triggers a process that ends with a new declarations page on the policy record. A license renewal event leads to a renewed license on the license record. Events drive action. File attachments capture the result.

Consider a single entity’s annual report. An event reminds the team it’s due. A workflow tracks the filing. A timeline entry records completion. The confirmation document attaches to the entity record — a complete chain from reminder to proof, retrievable the moment someone asks.