Chattel paper refers to a document used in secured transactions to sell property on credit while retaining some interest in the property.
Case files dated 1970 or later that were terminated during or after trial. Permanent. Paper: Transfer records to NARA 15 years after close of case. Electronic: Transfer to NARA 30 years after close of case.
Personalty: 20 years. Realty: Permanent. Extract realty records and rebind if necessary.
The Georgia Court records are accessible online on the E-Access to Court records page on the official website of the Judicial Council of Georgia, Administrative Office of the Courts. Select the County of Interest.
The ethics rules don't require a lawyer to keep closed files for any particular length of time. The exception is trust account records. Rule 1.15(I) does require that a lawyer keep trust account records for at least six years after the case is over.