Overview
A bundle is a folder of court documents provided to the court before a hearing. It should contain all documents the court may need for that hearing, in a clear and consistent structure.
In Access Legal Case Management you can:
Build a bundle layout from your file history
Configure bundle options such as index pages, pagination and email attachment handling
Monitor progress with Bundle Monitor
Update an existing bundle or create a core bundle for redacted documents
Before you start, make sure all documents you need are present in the file history for the matter and stored in the correct folders.
Open the Bundle Screen
Open the relevant matter.
Click the Options icon.
Select Bundle to PDF.
The Bundle screen opens with two main sections:
Top half: the bundle contents (what will go into the bundle).
Bottom half: the file history of the matter (documents you can add to the bundle).
Build the Bundle Layout
How you structure your bundle will depend on:
Who the bundle is for (e.g. court, counsel, internal)
The matter type (e.g. family, civil, crime)
However, the general steps are:
1. Set the Cover Page
In the bundling screen, find the Cover page header.
Click the + icon on the Cover page header.
Select the document you want to use as the cover page.
2. Add Documents to the Bundle
You can move documents from the file history (bottom) into the bundle (top) in two ways:
Drag and drop:
In the bottom half (file history), select an individual file or folder.
Drag and drop it into the bundle area in the top half.
Use the Add button:
Click the + icon at the top-right of the bundle screen.
Select the documents you want to add.
3. Remove Documents
To remove items you do not want in the bundle:
Select the document or folder in the bundle area.
Click the Remove icon (–) at the top-right of the screen.
4. Add Headings and Folders
To organise your bundle into sections:
Click the Headings icon to add a new folder within the bundle.
Move documents into the appropriate folders (e.g. Chronology, Statements, Orders).
5. Change Document Order
To change the order of documents within the bundle:
Select an item in the bundle.
Use the Up and Down arrows to move it higher or lower in the list.
6. Send to Bundle
Once your layout is correct:
Review the bundle contents in the top half of the screen.
Click Send to Bundle.
The Bundle Options window will open.
Bundle Options
After you click Send to Bundle, configure the options for how the bundle will be generated.
Standard Options
Name
The name of your bundle (maximum 100 characters).
Bundle Type
Default: Standard.
Additional enhancements are available for Adult & Children Social Care.
Create Index Page
Default: On.
Creates a front index page with sections and page numbers.
Generate Index Page Only
Default: Off.
If ticked, only the index page is created and added to file history (no full bundle).
Show Document Date
Default: On.
Shows the document date on the final bundle.
Separate and include email attachments (.msg and .eml files only)
Default: Off.
If ticked, email attachments in .msg or .eml items are separated automatically and included individually in the bundle.
Use this if your layout should treat emails and attachments as separate documents.
Select Folder to Save Bundle
Choose the folder from the dropdown where the generated bundle should be saved in the file history.
Pagination and Indexing
Preserve Existing Pagination
Initially greyed out.
Becomes available if you open an existing pre–Send to Bundle (i.e. you are updating a bundle).
Restart Page Numbering at Sections
Default: On.
Starts each folder as a new section (e.g. A, B, C).
Page numbers within each section reset (e.g. A1, A2, then B1, B2, etc.).
Include Letter Before Index Numbers
This option is ticked and greyed out by default.
It can only be changed if you:
Open an existing bundle, and
Select the Late Additions option.
Page Number Sequence Begins
A dropdown with options for the starting sequence (for example, whether indexing begins from a particular page or section).
Page Number Location
Default: Bottom Right of Page.
Use the dropdown to choose a different location if required.
Error Handling
Stop Merge if Errors Encountered
Default: Off.
If left off, any items that cannot be merged are skipped and the rest of the bundle is created.
If ticked, the entire merge stops if any errors occur, so you can correct and retry.
Once all options are set, confirm to run the bundle generation.
Monitor Bundle Progress (Bundle Monitor)
Next to the Send to Bundle button you can access the Bundle Monitor.
This shows:
The percentage completed, and
The status of the bundle generation.
Use this to confirm when the bundle has finished generating and to check for any errors.
Update an Existing Bundle
You can reopen and update an existing bundle to:
Change folder names
Remove or add items
Create a core bundle and/or redact documents
To update an existing bundle:
Open the matter.
Click the Options icon and select Bundle to PDF.
Click Open Existing at the top-left of the bundle screen.
Select the existing bundle you want to update.
Make your changes, such as:
Removing items
Adding additional documents
Creating a core bundle (for example, by including only key documents or redacted versions)
Once you are happy with the updated layout, run Send to Bundle again and configure options as needed.
The updated bundle will appear in the file history as normal, usually as a new entry (depending on your configuration), providing a clear record of each version.
If you are still experiencing issues with bundling (for example, errors, missing items, or pagination problems), please raise a new support case online and reference the title of this article so the Support Team can assist you.