A system and method for avoiding serialization on updating the modification time of files in a cluster system. In accordance with the method, the modification time field of a file can be accessed by multiple readers or multiple writers and each client in the cluster system can update their own copy of the modification time. Whenever a client requests to read the modification time, the copies of the modification time are reconciled. The copies of the modification times are also reconciled when a cache flush or synchronization operation forces such reconciliation. The present system and method supports the requirement (of certain operating systems such as UNIX) that an explicit user-issued command to set the modification time is accomplished by granting an exclusive-write mode for the modification field.