This Policy should be read together with the Terms of Use and, if you enable AI assistance, the separate AI processing disclosure shown by CivilDocket.
1. Scope
This Privacy Policy explains how CivilDocket collects, uses, discloses, stores, and protects personal information when you use the CivilDocket website, case workspace, document tools, court-form tools, CaseBrain features, AI-assisted features, case-law research tools, and related services.
CivilDocket is designed for litigation and legal-document work, which can involve highly sensitive information about users and other people. We seek to collect and use only information reasonably connected to providing and securing the Service.
2. Information we collect
Account information includes information such as your name, email address, password hash, account status, preferences, subscription status, login times, and security information.
Case information may include court file numbers, court locations, parties, children, relationships, lawyers and representatives, contact information, allegations, claims, positions, events, deadlines, notes, evidence descriptions, orders, settlement-process metadata, and other information you choose to record.
Documents and user content may include court forms, pleadings, affidavits, financial documents, correspondence, orders, endorsements, evidence, images, notes, drafts, chat messages, document-editor content, and other files you upload or create.
Technical and security information may include IP address, browser/user-agent information, session identifiers, timestamps, request and error logs, audit history, file metadata, and security events.
AI preference and audit information includes whether you accepted, declined, or revoked AI assistance, the version and text/hash of the disclosure shown to you, and when the decision occurred.
3. Why we use information
We use information to create and authenticate accounts; store and organize case workspaces; upload, display, edit, export, and manage documents; populate clearly identified form fields; provide calendars, deadlines, procedural resources, and case-management tools; provide support; maintain audit history; prevent abuse; secure the Service; diagnose errors; and comply with legal obligations.
If you expressly enable AI assistance, we also use the information needed by an AI-assisted feature to provide the processing you requested or enabled. Paid AI features may additionally require an active subscription entitlement.
4. AI processing is opt-in
CivilDocket does not treat account creation as consent to send your case information to an AI provider. New users are asked separately whether they want AI assistance. If you decline or revoke AI assistance, CivilDocket blocks user-case AI processing while keeping non-AI workspace features available.
When AI is enabled, documents, text, chat/editor content, and other case information required for an AI-assisted feature may be transmitted to approved third-party AI processing services. CivilDocket uses approved API or business services and does not authorize CivilDocket case information to be used to train provider models.
AI consent and paid subscriptions are separate. A subscription does not override a decision to keep AI assistance off. You can change your AI preference under Settings → Privacy & AI.
5. When information is disclosed
CivilDocket does not sell personal information to advertisers.
We may disclose information to service providers acting for CivilDocket where reasonably necessary to operate the Service, such as hosting, storage, security, document-processing, email or communications, payment processing when enabled, and approved AI processing when you have authorized AI assistance.
We may disclose information where required by law, court order, valid legal process, or where reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, abuse, a security threat, or an emergency involving safety or legal rights.
We do not disclose one user’s case workspace to another user unless the Service provides an authorized case-sharing or membership function and access has been granted through that function.
6. Public legal sources and integrations
CivilDocket may retrieve or link to public court forms, legislation, rules, practice directions, court information, CanLII or other public case-law sources, and similar legal resources. A request to an external source may necessarily disclose technical request information to that source.
For a direct CanLII metadata or citator request, CivilDocket sends the authorized API key and only the public database or decision identifiers and bounded collection filters needed for that request. It does not send your uploaded documents, drafts, case narrative, or other stored private case content to CanLII. Optional AI-assisted case-law discovery is separate and remains subject to the express AI authorization described above.
If CivilDocket later offers an optional connection to an external account or court service, the connection will be governed by the permissions and disclosure presented for that integration.
7. Storage and processing locations
CivilDocket and its service providers may store or process information in Canada or other countries. When information is processed outside your province or Canada, it may be subject to the laws and lawful-access requirements of the jurisdiction where the service provider processes it.
We select service arrangements with privacy and security considerations appropriate to the sensitivity and purpose of the processing. AI processing remains subject to the separate user authorization described above.
8. Retention
CivilDocket retains account, case, document, audit, security, and system information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Service, maintain the integrity and security of the system, satisfy legal and accounting requirements, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements.
Deleting a document or case through an available CivilDocket deletion feature removes or schedules removal of the applicable active records and files, subject to technical backups, security logs, audit records, legal holds, and information we are required or reasonably permitted to retain.
Turning off AI does not automatically erase information that was already saved in your CivilDocket case record as a result of earlier authorized processing. It stops new user-case AI transmissions and queued AI work as described in the AI disclosure.
9. Security
CivilDocket uses technical and organizational safeguards intended to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or misuse. Measures include authenticated accounts, password hashing, access controls, private application storage, CSRF protections, audit logging, transport-security expectations, and separation of user AI consent from subscription entitlement.
No internet service can guarantee absolute security. You should use a unique password, protect access to your email and devices, sign out of shared devices, and promptly report suspected unauthorized access.
10. Cookies and local browser storage
CivilDocket uses session cookies and may use local browser storage for functions such as authentication, security, interface preferences, and application state. These technologies are used to operate the Service rather than for third-party behavioural advertising.
If CivilDocket later introduces non-essential analytics, advertising, or similar tracking, this Policy and any required consent controls should be updated before that processing is enabled.
11. Information about children and other people
CivilDocket accounts are not intended to be created by children. Family-law case files may legitimately contain information about children and other people who do not have CivilDocket accounts.
You are responsible for ensuring that you have a lawful basis or authority to provide personal information about other people and for avoiding unnecessary disclosure of sensitive information that is not relevant to your use of the Service.
12. Access, correction, export, and deletion
CivilDocket provides tools to review and update much of the case and account information stored in your workspace. Available document and case-management tools may also allow deletion or export of user-controlled information.
You may request access to or correction of personal information held by CivilDocket, or ask questions about retention and deletion, subject to identity verification and any lawful exception or retention requirement.
13. Privacy choices
You may decline AI assistance during onboarding and continue using non-AI CivilDocket features. If you previously enabled AI, you may revoke that authorization under Settings → Privacy & AI.
You may choose not to provide optional information, although some features cannot operate without the information they specifically require. You can stop using the Service at any time.
14. Privacy incidents
If CivilDocket becomes aware of a privacy or security incident affecting personal information, we will investigate and take steps appropriate to the nature of the incident, including notifications where required by applicable law.
15. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as CivilDocket, applicable law, or our service providers and processing practices change. The current version and effective date will be posted on this page. Material changes may also be communicated through the Service, and a change to AI processing may require a new express AI authorization where appropriate.
16. Contact and privacy questions
Privacy questions, access or correction requests, and privacy concerns may be sent using the current contact information published by CivilDocket.