From March 2026, electronic court bundles will be the default format in most UK courts. Paper bundles will still exist, but they will be the exception, not the rule.
For many firms, the shift is a relief.
Not too long ago, preparing a court bundle meant printing, collating, hole-punching, re-paginating, and quietly hoping nothing needed to change at the last minute.
Today, courts expect searchable, properly indexed PDF bundles prepared in line with guidance such as PD51O and related Practice Directions.
It would be an understatement to say that a lot has changed since we first released our bundle software. In over a decade of delivering legal technology, nothing has accelerated digital adoption quite like COVID-19. Luckily, it’s never been easier to deal with the challenges of remote work. With courts encouraging e-bundles and firms requiring cloud-based solutions, we introduce our Court Bundle Guide – 2026 Edition.
Until recently, to build a court bundle would involve tidying up your courtroom documents in Word, printing a single copy of each document, getting them in order, and walking down to the photocopier to copy and paginate your court bundle.
During those ‘dark days,’ the photocopier was the undisputed workhorse of your office. I don’t believe printers to be fearful machines, but even they may have experienced some anxiety as you placed a heaving stack of documents onto their lids and pressed ‘paginate’.
Hopefully, your documents are in the correct order, your sections flawless, and your index is perfect. If a single document is out of place, the whole bundle will need to be repaginated and reprinted. If a page needs to be added and/or removed, again, these steps need to be repeated.
Fortunately for you and your photocopier, the world has moved on. Digital solutions now exist to help you prepare your court bundle in a matter of minutes, particularly when combined with secure document sharing for law firms. The best of these combine automation with customisation; automating the manual tasks such as index creation and page numbering, together with customising the elements you need in order to comply with your court’s practice direction.
Manual bundle preparation remains labour-intensive. Smaller bundles can take 4–8 hours to assemble, while larger matters involving thousands of pages may require 20–40 hours or more when copying, indexing, and verification are included.
Electronic bundling platforms significantly reduce preparation time by automating indexing, pagination, and updates, while producing searchable PDF files aligned with court guidance.
Before assembling your bundle, confirm:
Courts may reject non-compliant bundles, particularly where pagination, indexing, or formatting requirements are not met.
Safelink offers a court bundling application which allows you to create your court bundle in 5 simple steps.
Define the sections that you want to organise your documents into. These are not fixed and can be amended and updated at any time.
As you upload your documents into your bundle, Safelink auto-generates an index and paginates your bundle to your chosen specification.
As you change the arrangement of your documents or add in extra documents or pages, the index and page numbers automatically re-calibrate.
Each court will have a specific practice direction you will need to adhere to. Safelink's bundle settings let you align your court bundle appearance to the court's specifications.
Customisable features within our bundling tools include your cover sheet, spine labels, font size, colours and format, pagination options, and section specifications.
You can choose to download your bundle as a pdf, print it (double or single-sided) and/or securely share it electronically with interested parties.
Creating court bundles requires precision to support effective legal proceedings. Common mistakes can frustrate judges, delay hearings, and, in some cases, lead to cost consequences.
Pagination Errors
Incorrect or illegible page numbers that do not match the index make navigation difficult.
Incomplete Indexes
Indexes that omit key documents or fail to reflect the bundle accurately leave courts unable to locate evidence efficiently.
Duplicate or Unnecessary Documents
Redundant materials, blank pages or fully redacted items increase bundle size without adding value.
Poor Document Quality
Non-OCR readable scans, low-quality copies, or incorrectly rotated landscape pages hinder review, particularly during remote hearings.
Non-Compliance Issues
Ignoring procedural requirements under CPR guidance or court-specific directions can result in rejected bundles or adjournments.
With electronic bundles becoming the default standard from March 2026, preparing searchable, correctly paginated, and court-compliant bundles is no longer optional. It is expected.
Safelink’s court bundling tool allows you to create compliant electronic bundles in minutes, automatically generate indexes and pagination, and securely share documents with all parties.
Start building your first electronic court bundle today with our free plan.
Vastly reduce time spent on admin by eliminating manual tasks when preparing your bundle for court. Learn more
Safelink is an all-in-one cloud-based platform used by law firms, corporate services and financial services to securely deliver client services digitally. The efficiency gains, and overall client experience, in servicing clients via one digital platform leads to deeper relationships, reduced costs, and an ability to handle more matters, all while raising standards and guaranteeing consistency. Safelink not only offers a document bundling facility but can also be used for the following:
Editor’s note: Originally published in April 2021. Updated in January 2023 and fully revised in 2026 to reflect updated electronic bundling guidance and forthcoming UK court requirements.
