CHECKLIST FOR MOVING A LAW OFFICE

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FUND [Rev. 05/2023] Checklist for Moving a Law Office – Page 1

Planning

1. Set a moving date.

telephone jacks, and network or cable connections in relation to furniture layout.

c. Verify electrical and technology-related installations meet current and future needs.

3. Designate a liaison to coordinate electrical, phone, network, and cable installation. Confirm

wiring and placement of jacks, outlets, or other connections work with planned furniture and

equipment layouts.

Notification of Move

6. Notify opposing counsel, courts, and others involved in current matters of the move during

the move. UTCR 2.010(14) provides: “An attorney or self-represented party whose court

contact information changes must immediately provide notice of that change to the trial court

administrator and all other parties.”

7. If you are an entity, you must file a change of address with the Oregon Secretary of State at

https://sos.oregon.gov/business/Pages/update-registration.aspx.

8. If you are the Registered Agent for any of your clients, you must also file change of registered

attorneydomestic-representative. Once the correspondence address is established for a

particular application, it is not changed unless there is a written request by the applicant or

their representative.

10. Get a small red stamp that says, “Note new address.” Stamp your billing statements,

especially if you enclose return envelopes. Otherwise, your client may use an old return

envelope and delay your payment. Use this next for letterhead on all correspondence mailed

for the first couple of months after the move. People may not make the change when they

receive a formal notice of a move.

CHECKLIST FOR MOVING A LAW OFFICE

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FUND [Rev. 05/2023] Checklist for Moving a Law Office – Page 2

11. Update e-mail signatures. Include a notice that states, “Note new office address,” or “Note

new mailing address,” as needed.

14. If attorneys and staff have direct phone lines, ask them to include a brief message about the

new address in their voicemail messages.

• Former clients

• Other lawyers

• Friends/family

• Vendors

• Affinity groups, membership organizations, or marketing portal websites

• Others with whom you do business

16. Contact your phone company. If you must change your phone number, arrange for a referral

message to be placed on your prior phone number. Check if automatic forwarding is

available. Call your old phone number to verify that your requested message or

message and automatic call forward service is in place. See this article for more

information about phone systems in general.

17. Notify the post office to arrange for mail-forwarding. (If you are leaving a firm, the post office

will not separate out your mail from firm mail. Arrange mail-forwarding with your prior firm.)

20. Arrange for new business cards, letterhead, and envelopes.

21. Update pleading templates and other court forms.

22. Arrange for new signage.

Website

CHECKLIST FOR MOVING A LAW OFFICE

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FUND [Rev. 05/2023] Checklist for Moving a Law Office – Page 3

23. Notify your website designer, if applicable, early to allow timely changes, including hyperlinks

to office location maps from mapping services.

24. Update information posted online about your law office. Search for your law firm name and

26. Arrange for the phone company to install new lines for phone, fax, and Internet well in

advance of move. Provide the phone company with a keyed office furnishings plan, including

27. Arrange with a computer consultant to set up equipment/network at the new location.

Postpone computer upgrades or other major changes until after the move to avoid creating

additional opportunities for something to go wrong with your computer system. Provide a

keyed office furnishings plan, including staff plans of office areas, before the move.

The Actual Move

30. Each person should pack their office the day before the move.

31. Label each box and label each drawer with a corresponding number. This way the morning

after the move when you absolutely have to have something you know was kept in drawer

“32,” you can go to box “32” and find it.

32. Give your staff the day off. It will be easier for the movers to work without the extra bodies.

Advertise Move

35. Use the move as a marketing opportunity. Have an open house. The budget can be modest

or a catered affair. If possible, including offerings that will allow all clients and friends to

participate.

CHECKLIST FOR MOVING A LAW OFFICE

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY FUND [Rev. 05/2023] Checklist for Moving a Law Office – Page 4

IMPORTANT NOTICES

This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not establish, report, or

create the standard of care for attorneys in Oregon, nor does it represent a complete analysis of