Bates Numbering

Add sequential numbering to documents for legal and organizational purposes.

What is Bates Numbering?

Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents by assigning a unique identifier to each page. It’s commonly used in:

• Legal discovery
• Court filings
• Medical records
• Financial documents
• Archival purposes

Adding Bates Numbers

1. Click Document → Bates Numbering
2. Click Add
3. Configure your numbering scheme
4. Click Apply

Configuration Options

Number Format

• Prefix: Text before the number (e.g., “ABC”)
• Starting number: First number in sequence
• Number of digits: Zero-padded length (e.g., 6 = 000001)
• Suffix: Text after the number (e.g., “-2024”)

Example Formats

Position

Place the Bates number:

• Header left/center/right
• Footer left/center/right

Appearance

• Font: Choose typeface
• Size: Font size (typically 8-12pt)
• Color: Usually black

Page Range

Apply to specific pages:

• All pages
• Page range: e.g., 1-50
• Selected pages only

Batch Numbering

Number multiple documents in sequence:

1. Select multiple documents
2. Click Batch Bates Numbering
3. Set the starting number
4. Configure format
5. Process documents in order

Managing Bates Numbers

View

Bates numbers appear in the header/footer area according to your settings.

Edit

1. Click Document → Bates Numbering
2. Click Edit
3. Modify settings
4. Click Apply

Remove

1. Click Document → Bates Numbering
2. Click Remove
3. Confirm removal

Best Practices

• Use a consistent prefix for related documents
• Document your numbering scheme
• Verify numbering before filing
• Keep records of number ranges used
• Use enough digits for your document set

Next Steps

• Headers & Footers - Add other header and footer content
• Page Operations - Manage pages before applying numbering
• Document Properties - View and edit document metadata