How to send text messages to your lawyer
Export the conversation to one PDF with the date, time and number on every message, put the attachments in the same folder, and send it the way your lawyer asks, often through a secure upload link they give you. Do not forward the texts themselves, delete anything, or edit the export, and keep the phone as it is in case the messages need to be checked against it.
Before you send
- Ask your lawyer what they want: the whole thread or a range, PDF or spreadsheet, Bates numbers or not. See what lawyers ask for.
- Export the conversation and read through the preview to check it is the right one and the right range.
- Write any notes in a separate document or email, not on the export.
Ways to send it
- A secure upload link or client portal from your lawyer’s office: usually the best choice for large or sensitive files.
- Email: fine for a small PDF if your lawyer agrees. Zip the folder if there are many attachments.
- A USB drive or printed copies, if they ask for them.
What to avoid
- Forwarding messages from your phone: forwarded texts lose their original times and senders.
- Dozens of separate screenshots by text or chat: hard to keep in order and easy to miss one.
- Deleting the conversation after sending, resetting the phone or trading it in, until your lawyer says it is fine.
What to keep in mind
- This is general information, not legal advice. Follow your lawyer’s instructions.
- Messages may contain private details about other people. Send them only to your lawyer, not to the other side or anyone else, unless your lawyer tells you to.
Questions
Is email safe enough?
Ordinary email is not end-to-end encrypted. Many law offices provide a secure portal for that reason. Ask what they prefer.
My export is large. What now?
Export a date range, or leave the videos out of the PDF and send them separately, if your lawyer agrees.
How do they know the files were not changed?
TextExhibit writes manifest.txt with a SHA-256 hash for every file. Anyone can recompute the hashes later and compare.
Export the whole conversation
TextExhibit turns a conversation into one PDF with exact times, names and numbers, photos in place and page numbers, on your Mac. Free to preview; $24.99 once to export.