Technology Ownership Checklist for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms

Category: Technology Ownership

Resource Type: Practical Checklist

Last Updated: June 2026

Estimated Completion Time: 5-10 minutes

By Eric Helms, GSEC

Founder, Helmlight Consulting LLC

If you answer "No" or "I'm not sure" to several items below, your firm may have technology ownership, access control, backup, or business continuity risks that deserve attention.

Check each statement that is true for your firm.

Many technology problems do not begin with malware, ransomware, or system failures.

They begin when nobody is completely sure who controls critical business systems, where important information is stored, or how access would be recovered if something unexpected happened.

Use this checklist to evaluate whether your firm maintains ownership, control, and visibility over the technology it relies on every day.

This checklist will help you:

Identify who owns your firm's critical technology assets
Verify access to domains, email, and cloud services
Review administrator accounts and permissions
Confirm ownership of websites and backups
Identify gaps that could create operational or security risks
Document areas that need attention

Email and Domain Ownership

☐ We know who owns our domain name.

☐ More than one trusted person can access the domain registrar account.

☐ Business email accounts are not tied to a former employee.

☐ Administrative access to email systems is documented.

☐ Recovery information for email administrator accounts is current.

Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace

☐ We know who the Global Administrator (Microsoft 365) or Super Administrator (Google Workspace) is.

☐ MFA is enabled for administrator accounts.

☐ Administrative access is limited to appropriate personnel.

☐ Recovery methods have been reviewed within the last year.

☐ Former employees no longer have access.

Files and Document Storage

☐ We know where client files are stored.

☐ Staff are using approved storage locations.

☐ Multiple copies of the same files are not scattered across devices.

☐ Access permissions are reviewed periodically.

☐ Confidential information is not stored in unexpected locations.

Account and Access Control

☐ Each employee has their own account.

☐ Shared passwords are not routinely used.

☐ Former employees have been removed from systems.

☐ Vendor access is reviewed periodically.

☐ Administrative accounts are documented.

Backups and Recovery

☐ Critical data is backed up.

☐ Backup systems are documented.

☐ Backup restores have been tested.

☐ More than one person knows how to access backups.

☐ Backup credentials and recovery information are available if needed.

Employee Departures and Business Continuity

☐ There is a documented offboarding process.

☐ Firm systems are not dependent on a single individual.

☐ Technology ownership information is documented.

☐ Key account credentials can be recovered if necessary.

☐ The firm could maintain access to critical systems if a key employee left unexpectedly.

How Did You Score?

24–30 Checked

Strong technology ownership and control practices are in place.

18–23 Checked

Most key areas appear covered, but some gaps may exist.

0-17 Checked (Further Review Recommended)

Your firm may have technology ownership, access control, backup, or business continuity issues worth reviewing.

This checklist is intended as an educational self-assessment tool and does not constitute legal, security, or compliance advice.

Our Philosophy

Technology should support your law practice—not distract from it.

We believe the best technology decisions begin with understanding. By sharing practical knowledge and real-world guidance, we hope to help solo attorneys and small law firms build a stronger technology foundation with confidence.

Looking for Personalized Help?

If you're ready to apply these ideas to your firm, explore our services or request a consultation. We're happy to discuss your firm's technology goals and answer your questions.

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Helmlight Consulting LLC

Chapel Hill, NC

919.913.5004

info@helm-light.com