Defender of Integrity (brand translation)A useful checklist is not about the number of files. It explains the chain from agreement and performance to the due date and non-payment. The following is a general working checklist, not a legally prescribed evidence list for every country, industry or procedure. Adapt it for goods, services or project work. Identify missing documents honestly; do not backdate or fabricate records.
1. Parties and authority
Collect each contracting party’s formal name, registration details, address and key contacts with their roles. Keep available evidence of who signed, ordered, accepted delivery or arranged payment. If buyer, consignee and payer differ, explain their relationship with supporting records. Internal names or email domains are verification clues, not standalone proof of legal identity or authority.
2. Contracts, orders and amendments
Gather contracts, orders, accepted quotations, applicable terms and supplemental agreements. Check scope, quantity, price, currency, payment terms and performance requirements. Preserve price changes, extensions, credits and settlement discussions alongside the originals, marking which version both parties confirmed. A latest draft alone is insufficient, and a proposal under discussion is not an effective arrangement.
3. Delivery and acceptance records
For goods, organize commercial invoices, packing lists, transport documents, delivery receipts and acceptance records. For services or projects, collect work products, milestone confirmations, acceptance comments and change records. Match dates, quantities and reference numbers to the transaction. Tracking data, customs documents and buyer acceptance records serve different purposes; preserve both sides’ comments and test records where quality is disputed.
4. Receivable and receipt reconciliation
For each invoice, assemble receivable details, the basis for the due date, reconciliations, credit notes, refunds, receipts and bank entries. Identify the invoice against which each receipt is applied and retain original-currency figures. Leave unclear allocations pending. A payment screenshot or remittance advice is not confirmation that your bank has credited the funds; finance should verify receipt, currency and any difference.
5. Correspondence, disputes and special arrangements
Keep complete email threads, meeting notes, chat exports, payment commitments and dispute notices, with language, time zone and source recorded. Separately file any guarantees, insurance, letters of credit, factoring or receivable assignments and related notices for review by the appropriate professionals. Pair translations with originals; a summary should not replace the original commitment.
6. Check completeness before handover
Index each file by reference, name, date, source, related invoice, original custodian and status. Use “received / missing / to verify / not applicable”; a blank field does not mean there is no issue. An example folder structure is “01 Parties, 02 Transaction, 03 Performance, 04 Receipts, 05 Correspondence, 06 Special arrangements”. This is an organizational suggestion, not a mandatory format.
An initial enquiry can use a one-page summary and redacted index. Before sending documents externally, verify the recipient, necessary scope and secure channel; avoid mass-mailing contracts or exposing unrelated personal data. Questions about evidential weight, notarization, authentication, cross-border transfers or mandatory retention should be reviewed by relevant professionals under the applicable requirements.