Updated September 22, 2026
Record retrieval companies help law firms, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators obtain the documents needed to evaluate cases and claims. Their work can include identifying the right records custodian, submitting requests, following up, coordinating fees, and arranging delivery.
At The Records Company, we manage that work so your team can spend more time using the records. Our nationwide retrieval services bring provider communication, request tracking, and delivery into one coordinated process.
Comparing providers? Read our Top 10 Medical Record Retrieval Companies for Lawyers and Claims Teams guide for company profiles and questions to ask before choosing a service.
What do record retrieval companies do?
Submitting a request is the beginning of retrieval. A provider may need a different authorization, a corrected date range, payment, or confirmation of which documents are required. Each unresolved issue creates another task for the person managing the request.
A managed retrieval service coordinates those steps. When evaluating providers, ask who handles follow-up, how problems are escalated, where you can see progress, and what happens if the response does not include everything requested.
One case can involve several records custodians
A hospital visit can generate records and bills held by different organizations. The hospital, emergency physician group, radiology practice, and ambulance service may each require a separate request. Receiving one set of documents does not necessarily mean the treatment history or billing is complete.
The Records Company retrieves medical and billing records as well as employment, EMT, police, coroner, toxicology, and other records relevant to legal and claims work. We can discuss the record categories your matter requires before requests are submitted.
How The Records Company manages retrieval
- Define the request. Provide the subject’s information, records custodian, date range, requested record types, and supporting authorization or other required documentation. Identify any special delivery requirements.
- Coordinate with the custodian. Our team handles outreach and follow-up, including communication about requirements that need to be addressed before the records can be released.
- Track progress. Use our portal to follow your requests while our team manages the communications behind them.
- Receive the records. Access delivered documents and raise any questions about the response so the next steps can be identified.
For a law firm, this reduces the routine coordination competing with case preparation. For an insurer or administrator, it provides a consistent way to manage retrieval across claims and locations.
Compare turnaround times carefully
Ask how a retrieval company measures turnaround. Does the clock start when your team submits the request, when the authorization is complete, or when the provider accepts it? Does the reported time end with the first document or the complete requested response?
Provider response times, request scope, older records, and additional documentation requirements can affect delivery. A useful comparison looks at similar requests over a stated period. Discuss your common providers, states, and deadlines with our team so we can address the work you actually need performed.
Understand service fees and provider charges
The retrieval company’s service fee and the records custodian’s charges are separate parts of the total cost. Depending on the request, additional expenses may include copying, imaging, certification, access, or delivery.
Before choosing a service, clarify what its quoted fee includes, which expenses are additional, and how estimates and approval instructions are handled. Also ask about cancellations and charges that may arrive after records have been released.
When you speak with The Records Company, share your expected volume and billing requirements. That gives us a practical starting point for discussing pricing and how requests should be managed for your organization.
Make technology useful to your team
A portal should make it easier to see what is happening and access delivered documents. When evaluating AI or automation, ask to see the specific task it performs, the information it uses, and how staff handle exceptions.
If your firm uses Filevine, Litify, or another case management platform, discuss integration requirements with us. Confirm which information needs to move between systems, how documents should be organized, and what your staff will see before settling on a workflow.
Choose a service around your actual workload
Use a representative group of requests when evaluating a retrieval company. Include the providers, record types, and complications your staff encounters regularly. Compare the complete cost, status updates, follow-up work, and usefulness of the delivered records.
Our medical record retrieval company comparison guide offers additional questions to help you assess the options.
Talk with The Records Company
Tell us where retrieval is taking too much of your team’s time. Whether you are managing individual cases or a larger claims workload, we can discuss your requirements, walk through our process, and help you evaluate how TRC would fit.
Call (888) 270-5784 or email help@therecordsco.com to discuss your record retrieval needs.
