diff --git a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/config.py b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/config.py
index 722be5c..bb2da9d 100644
--- a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/config.py
+++ b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/config.py
@@ -52,9 +52,29 @@ ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = os.environ.get("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "")
 
 # Data directory
 DATA_DIR = Path(os.environ.get("DATA_DIR", str(Path.home() / "legal-ai" / "data")))
-CASES_DIR = DATA_DIR / "cases"
 TRAINING_DIR = DATA_DIR / "training"
 
+# Cases directory — new structure: cases/{new,in-progress,completed}/{case_number}/
+CASES_BASE = Path(os.environ.get("CASES_BASE", str(Path.home() / "legal-ai" / "cases")))
+CASES_NEW = CASES_BASE / "new"
+CASES_IN_PROGRESS = CASES_BASE / "in-progress"
+CASES_COMPLETED = CASES_BASE / "completed"
+CASES_DIR = CASES_NEW  # backwards compatibility — new cases default here
+
+_STATUS_DIRS = [CASES_NEW, CASES_IN_PROGRESS, CASES_COMPLETED]
+
+
+def find_case_dir(case_number: str) -> Path:
+    """Find a case directory across all status folders.
+
+    Returns the existing directory, or defaults to CASES_NEW/{case_number}.
+    """
+    for base in _STATUS_DIRS:
+        candidate = base / case_number
+        if candidate.exists():
+            return candidate
+    return CASES_NEW / case_number
+
 # Chunking parameters
 CHUNK_SIZE_TOKENS = 600
 CHUNK_OVERLAP_TOKENS = 100
diff --git a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/services/docx_exporter.py b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/services/docx_exporter.py
index 6eb229d..1fd3f89 100644
--- a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/services/docx_exporter.py
+++ b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/services/docx_exporter.py
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ async def export_decision(case_id: UUID, output_path: str | None = None) -> str:
 
     # Determine output path
     if not output_path:
-        case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case["case_number"] / "output"
+        case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case["case_number"]) / "output"
         case_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
         output_path = str(case_dir / f"החלטה-{case['case_number']}.docx")
 
diff --git a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/cases.py b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/cases.py
index c43b993..fba8d43 100644
--- a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/cases.py
+++ b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/cases.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ async def case_create(
     )
 
     # Initialize git repo for the case
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number)
     case_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     (case_dir / "documents").mkdir(exist_ok=True)
     (case_dir / "drafts").mkdir(exist_ok=True)
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ async def case_update(
     updated = await db.update_case(UUID(case["id"]), **fields)
 
     # Git commit the update
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number)
     if case_dir.exists():
         case_json = case_dir / "case.json"
         case_json.write_text(json.dumps(updated, default=str, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2))
diff --git a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/documents.py b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/documents.py
index d3b40cd..421864a 100644
--- a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/documents.py
+++ b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/documents.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ async def document_upload(
         title = source.stem
 
     # Copy file to case directory
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number / "documents"
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number) / "documents"
     case_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     dest = case_dir / source.name
     shutil.copy2(str(source), str(dest))
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ async def document_upload(
             doc["doc_type"] = classified_type
 
     # Git commit
-    repo_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number
+    repo_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number)
     if repo_dir.exists():
         subprocess.run(["git", "add", "."], cwd=repo_dir, capture_output=True)
         doc_type_hebrew = {
diff --git a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/workflow.py b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/workflow.py
index cecd6c5..90b9a06 100644
--- a/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/workflow.py
+++ b/mcp-server/src/legal_mcp/tools/workflow.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async def workflow_status(case_number: str) -> str:
     from pathlib import Path
     from legal_mcp import config
 
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number)
     draft_path = case_dir / "drafts" / "decision.md"
     has_draft = draft_path.exists()
     draft_size = draft_path.stat().st_size if has_draft else 0
diff --git a/web/app.py b/web/app.py
index 51200dc..228ae50 100644
--- a/web/app.py
+++ b/web/app.py
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ async def api_gitea_create_repo(req: GiteaRepoRequest):
         raise HTTPException(502, f"Gitea error: {e}")
 
     clone_url = repo.get("clone_url") or repo.get("html_url", "")
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / req.case_number
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(req.case_number)
 
     pushed = False
     if case_dir.exists():
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ async def api_upload_tagged_document(
     new_filename = generate_doc_filename(doc_type, case_number, party_name, ext)
 
     # Save to case directory
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number / "documents"
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number) / "documents"
     case_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     dest = case_dir / new_filename
 
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ async def _process_tagged_document(task_id: str, dest: Path, case_number: str, c
         result = await processor.process_document(doc_id, case_id)
 
         # Git commit + push
-        repo_dir = config.CASES_DIR / case_number
+        repo_dir = config.find_case_dir(case_number)
         if repo_dir.exists():
             env = {
                 "GIT_AUTHOR_NAME": "Ezer Mishpati", "GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL": "legal@local",
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ async def _process_case_document(task_id: str, source: Path, req: ClassifyReques
 
     # Copy to case directory
     _progress[task_id] = {"status": "copying", "filename": req.filename}
-    case_dir = config.CASES_DIR / req.case_number / "documents"
+    case_dir = config.find_case_dir(req.case_number) / "documents"
     case_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     # Use original name without timestamp prefix
     original_name = re.sub(r"^\d+_", "", source.name)
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ async def _process_case_document(task_id: str, source: Path, req: ClassifyReques
     result = await processor.process_document(UUID(doc["id"]), case_id)
 
     # Git commit
-    repo_dir = config.CASES_DIR / req.case_number
+    repo_dir = config.find_case_dir(req.case_number)
     if repo_dir.exists():
         subprocess.run(["git", "add", "."], cwd=repo_dir, capture_output=True)
         doc_type_hebrew = {