If your case-file server fails, or a critical drive gives up in the middle of a matter, you need your data back as soon as possible, handled in a way that keeps privilege intact and stands up in court. Working from Guildford, our legal data recovery service supports solicitors and chambers across Surrey and further afield, working in-house, under NDA, with logged custody records and forensically sound methods. Your clients’ data stays within the United Kingdom.
Our own team recovers fee-earners’ laptops, drives and case-file servers under NDA, using logged custody records and court-ready handling whenever evidence is at stake.
Whether it is a chambers file server or a partner’s dead laptop, we recover it in our own UK laboratory and maintain privilege throughout.
We recover document- and practice-management systems (including NetDocuments, iManage, SOS and Proclaim), along with matter archives stored on failed RAID arrays and servers, by first imaging each member disk and then reassembling the array offline.
A laptop that will no longer boot, yet its drive still contains privileged documents, emails and drafts: we image it read-only and recover them without altering a single file, preserving the original metadata.
We recover deleted emails and documents for disclosure and e-discovery purposes from OST and PST archives, Exchange EDB stores and unallocated space, with the recovered items carved and dated.
Court-ready recovery carried out on a write-blocked, hash-verified image with a logged chain of custody, for litigation and investigations, and completed in such a way that a second examiner could duplicate the results.
BitLocker and all other encrypted volumes, opened using the recovery key or credentials you supply: the drive is imaged first and the copy then decrypted. Strong encryption we do not attempt to break.
Archived matters, external media and legacy backup drives that have stopped reading.
See also: Forensic recovery · Servers · RAID · Encrypted drives.
Client data is dealt with to a standard that respects legal professional privilege at every step of the way.
Additional information about how we protect your confidential data: Data security & confidentiality.
Where data may become evidence, the method used to handle the device is as important as the recovery itself. We record each device’s receipt, handling and return, devices are imaged in read-only mode to leave the original intact, and forensically sound methods keep the recovery defensible. Documentation of the process can be provided to the court, the opposing side or your client, and data can be delivered in a disclosure-ready format when required.
A safe route from the moment your device breaks right through to a verified, privileged handover.
Simply contact us regarding a problem with a device you would like recovered and we will provide guidance on the best course of action for recovering your data securely.
Bring your device to us or post it insured for a diagnosis of the fault. We will then tell you what can be recovered.
Prior to commencing any chargeable work, you will receive a written fixed-price quote along with an estimate of the time frame for completion of the recovery process.
The recovery process takes place entirely in house. Our employees verify the results of the recovery process prior to returning your data on new encrypted media or providing access to it via a secure download method.
We also serve other sectors: Finance · Healthcare · Business & enterprise · University & research.
Just send your device to us with information about what went wrong. One of our engineers will inspect the unit at no charge to yourself and confirm your specific quote in writing before we do anything else.
The first thing in recovering your data is getting the unit to us. Package it up securely and safely. Add your contact information inside the package and send it off. Once we’ve completed the free diagnostic we’ll confirm the exact price in writing before we undertake any work.
If you intend to ship the item via postal services, we highly suggest that you use a tracked and insured service. If you prefer to hand-deliver the item to us, this is permitted Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. However, please ensure you have packaged the item in accordance with the instructions listed previously.
Do you want additional information prior to proceeding? Please complete the form providing further detail regarding your issue. Upon completion of this form, one of our engineers will evaluate your case and provide you with a customised price quote.
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Quick responses to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Yes. Every legal client is covered by an NDA at no additional cost, all of the work is performed in-house by our own engineers, and with ICO registration and GDPR compliance in place, nothing that you supply will leave the UK.
Yes. The receipt, handling and return of each device are documented, each drive is imaged read-only so the original remains unaltered, and this documentation can be provided to the court, to the other side or to your client.
Our methods are forensically sound: each original drive is protected by a hardware write blocker while an exact image is made, so the original never changes. That image is compared to the source using a hash, and only the copy is worked on, with the receipt, handling and return of the drive all documented so that the chain of custody remains intact.
Frequently, yes, although much depends on the device and whether anything has overwritten the data since it was lost. Deleted emails, documents and files can be recovered and handed over ready for disclosure or e-discovery purposes.
We work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. We are not available round the clock, but legal deadlines take precedence. Most recoveries typically take three to four working days, and often less.
Costs vary depending on the device. Single-drive recovery starts at £300, RAID or NAS recovery at £500, and forensic work (where a court-ready, documented process applies) at £800. All prices are plus VAT and follow a free diagnostic and a written quote provided before work starts.
Yes. From our Guildford base, we provide legal recovery services for solicitors and chambers within Surrey and beyond. Devices can be dropped off at the Guildford Business Park point by appointment or posted to us fully insured from anywhere in the UK, and your data remains in the United Kingdom from beginning to end.
Contact us for a free diagnostic and written quote. An NDA is put in place, all work stays in-house, and custody is logged wherever it is required.