It might be time to deactivate a database when a case closes and you're ready to remove it from Everlaw altogether, or when it's on a temporary pause and you want to restrict access and save on billing. On Everlaw, you have a few options for deactivating a case.
This article goes over these options, along with some example scenarios and best practices. Use this article to help you decide which deactivation option that best suits your current needs.
Options
When you know that a case on Everlaw won't be active for a while, or if it's time to remove it from Everlaw entirely, you have a few options: suspend, archive, or export and delete.
In general:
- Suspension is a good option for short term pauses, such as waiting for a decision on a pending motion
- Everlaw Archive™ is a lower cost, but more restrictive option than suspension. It is best when you don't expect to require any access to a case for at least 6 months. This might be a good option for a case that has settled, or if you are waiting on review by an opposing party.
- Deleting a database (after exporting and downloading all the associated projects) is appropriate when a case is completely closed and you're confident that you won't need to revisit it. Deletion destroys its record and history in Everlaw.
Suspend
You can suspend either an entire database or just one or more projects within it. Suspension deactivates your project or database, but keeps all the data on Everlaw and available to reactivate at any time. Suspended databases are billed at a lower monthly rate than active databases.
When you suspend an entire database, you automatically restrict access to all the projects within it. This means that the documents and review work become inaccessible to users, though the actions from the Database Settings page are still available to Admins (including project export).
Suspended databases/projects can be reactivated immediately to the exact state they were in prior to suspension, with no loss in data, analytics, users, or any settings/configurations. There are no associated fees with reactivating a suspended database/project. Suspension is typically a good option if your case is quiet for now, but is likely to reactivate later and you'll need to regain access quickly.
Note
To save on hosting fees, you must suspend an entire database. When you suspend a partial project, the data within it is still active and available in the complete project, so the billable size of your active data does not reduce.
Learn more about Suspension, including detailed instructions, in our Suspension article.
Everlaw Archive
Everlaw Archive makes a database immediately inaccessible to all users, with no admin access (other than access to reactivate the database). The rate for archived data is lower than suspended or active data, and is ideal for longer term (> 6 months) pauses on case activity. Everlaw Archive is equivalent to a "cold storage" model of storing data: low storage costs with restricted access to the stored data.
Reactivating a case from Everlaw Archive can take a few hours, and there is a fee associated with reactivation. Once a case is reactivated, the case is restored exactly as it was; there is no loss in data, analytics, users, or any settings/configurations.
Learn more about Everlaw Archive, including detailed instructions, in our Everlaw Archive article.
Export and delete
When a case is closed and you don't have any expectation of needing to access it again, you can complete a project export and then delete the database from Everlaw. Once data is deleted from Everlaw, you are no longer charged any monthly hosting fees for it.
If necessary, exported data can be re-uploaded to a new database later as part of a database restoration. A restored database can include all the documents and review work from the previous project, but user history and other analytics are not included; restored databases do not seamlessly transition to their previous state the way suspended and archived databases do.
Note
Project exports and downloads must be completed prior to deleting a database. An export is a separate process and cannot be done after you delete a database.
Important
We recommend that you begin preparing to close your database 2 weeks before the end of the billing period. Export speed is roughly 1.5 million docs a day and deletion speed is roughly 1 million docs a day. Please account for download speeds to your local machine as well, or contact Everlaw Support for a managed export.
Tip
You can upload exported project data to Everlaw Staging Drive for longterm storage.
Learn more about how to export projects in our Export a Project article.
Learn about deleting databases and projects in our Delete Projects and Databases article.
Compare your options
The table below compares your database suspension, archive, and export/delete options:
| Suspension | Everlaw Archive | Delete | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review | Documents cannot be reviewed | Documents cannot be reviewed | n/a after deletion |
| Data export | Data can be exported |
Data cannot be exported Tip: To avoid incurring a reactivation fee, exports should be completed prior to archiving a database. |
Must export and download prior to deletion |
| Reactivation time | Immediate | Typically hours | n/a after deletion; you need to create a new database and re-upload your exported data |
| Reactivation/Restoration | After reactivation, the database/project restores to pre-suspension status | After reactivation, the database restores to pre-Archive status |
Cannot be automatically restored. A database restoration does not restore the database to its pre-deletion status. |
| Optimization | Optimized for short‑term pauses and administrative workflows (< 6 months) | Optimized for long‑term retention and lower cost (6+ month) storage |
Optimized for permanently closed cases Project exports are optimized for long term storage (e.g. you don’t plan on revisiting the case but are required to store the data for 5 years) |
Tip
Need help deciding which option is right for you? Please reach out to support@everlaw.com to discuss these options in more detail.