NOTHING IS UPLOADED — OPEN YOUR NETWORK TAB AND WATCH

Before it leaves
the firm

Document metadata has produced real disclosures in real filings. A short checklist prevents almost all of them.

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Or choose one — it is read directly from your disk and never leaves this tab.

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The three that cause the trouble

Tracked changes carrying internal negotiating positions. Redactions applied as a shape over text rather than a removal of it. Document properties naming a colleague, a client or a matter number that the other side was not meant to have.

A working sequence

Finish the document. Accept or reject every tracked change. Delete all comments. Remove content properly rather than covering it. Export a fresh PDF rather than sending a working copy. Confirm the author field is empty. Then attach it.

Received files deserve the same attention

The check runs both ways. A document that arrives from the other side may carry its own tracked changes and properties. Reading them may be improper depending on your jurisdiction and rules of professional conduct — but knowing they are present is the first step to handling them correctly.

Why in-browser matters here

Privileged material should not be uploaded to a third-party service for processing, whatever its retention policy says. This page never transmits the file. You can verify that in the browser's network tab before you trust it with anything.

Common questions

Is it improper to read metadata in a document received from opposing counsel?

The rules vary by jurisdiction and bar association. Check your local guidance. Detecting that metadata is present is a separate question from mining it.

Why do redactions in PDFs keep failing?

Because a black rectangle is a drawing placed over text, not a removal of it. The text stays selectable underneath.

Is it safe to check privileged documents on this page?

The file is read locally and never transmitted. You can confirm this with the browser's network tab.

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