Help & How-To

How CaseGuardian works

Plain-English how-to and a side-by-side glossary that translates legal jargon into everyday words.

Reading level: written for everyone — no law degree required.

The basics, in plain words

Step-by-step: your first capture

  1. Open CaseGuardian and tap the big Capture button.
  2. Pick a type: photo, video, voice note, or document.
  3. Take or record the thing you want to save.
  4. Add a short note about what it is.
  5. If you want the app’s smart helper to read the file and pull out dates or names, flip the Parse with AI switch on. Otherwise leave it off.
  6. Tap Save to Vault. Done.

Step-by-step: sharing with your lawyer

  1. Go to your Vault.
  2. Tap New Share.
  3. Pick the items you want to send.
  4. The app shows you a Review screen with everything inside. Look it over carefully — nothing leaves your phone until you tap Seal.
  5. Type your lawyer’s phone number and email. Both are needed so a stranger can’t open the link if they find it.
  6. Tap Seal & Send. Your lawyer gets a text with an access code and an email with the link — sent separately, so neither one alone unlocks the package. They tap the link, enter the code, and the envelope opens.

Legal jargon vs. everyday words

A side-by-side translation. The left column is what you’ll hear in a courtroom or from your attorney. The right column is what it actually means.

Legal termWhat it means in plain words
Chain of custodyA list that shows who had the evidence, when, and that nobody messed with it.
Hash / cryptographic signatureA unique fingerprint for the file. If even one pixel changes, the fingerprint changes too.
AuthenticatedProven to be the real, unchanged thing.
AffidavitA written statement you swear is true.
DiscoveryThe part of a case where each side has to share their evidence with the other side.
Custody orderA judge’s written rules about who the kids live with and when.
Parenting time / visitationThe hours or days you have your kids.
50/50 custodyEach parent has the kids about the same amount of time.
Verbal agreementSomething you and the other parent agreed to out loud, not in court.
Attempted pickupYou showed up to get the kids but it didn’t happen.
SealedLocked up so it can’t be changed or peeked at.
Two-factor (2FA)Two ways to prove it’s really you — like a password plus a code texted to your phone.
BiometricYour face or fingerprint, used to unlock things.

Common questions

Is the AI helper looking at all my stuff?

No. The AI helper only sees an item if you flip the Parse with AI switch on for that one item. It’s off by default. You can turn it off again before you seal anything. And before any item is sent to the AI, the app runs an on-device pass that redacts your name, phone number, email, address, and the names of the people in your life — the AI helper sees what matters to your case, never the people in it.

Can someone else open my share link if they get my lawyer’s phone?

No — they’d also need access to your lawyer’s email inbox to pass the second check. The access code is sent by text, the link by email, and the two never travel in the same message. That’s why the app makes you enter both contact methods.

What happens when I delete my account?

Your phone asks for your face, fingerprint, or passcode first (we never see this — it stays on your phone). Then your account and evidence are removed from our servers within 30 days. Bitcoin anchors for your past captures stay in the public ledger forever — but they’re just fingerprints, with no personal information attached.

Does CaseGuardian replace my lawyer?

No. We help you organize and prove your evidence. Your lawyer is the one who uses it in your case. Anything the app or AI says is information, not legal advice.

How old do I have to be?

CaseGuardian is for users 18 and older. If you’re a minor in a documenting situation, please have a trusted adult or attorney use the app on your behalf.

Verify any capture against Bitcoin

Every photo, video, voice memo, document, and entry you save in CaseGuardian is fingerprinted (SHA-256 hashed) on your device and submitted to OpenTimestamps, which anchors that fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Anyone — your attorney, opposing counsel, or a judge — can independently confirm that a capture existed at or before a specific Bitcoin block, without trusting CaseGuardian.

Open the public verification page and paste any hash from an entry’s “Integrity seal” card, or upload a downloaded .ots receipt. The page runs entirely in your browser — the hash is sent only to the OpenTimestamps public calendars. CaseGuardian never sees the request.

Open the verification page →

Need a human?

Email support@case-guardian.com and a real person will get back to you. Reply STOP to any text from us to opt out of SMS.

© CaseGuardian L.L.C.

30 N. Gould St., Ste. R, Sheridan, WY 82801, USA