What this means for your firm
Four things DataFrugal does for every file your firm stores with it.
Files can't be quietly deleted
Set how long a case file must be kept, and it locks for that period. No one — not even an administrator — can change or delete it early. If a file genuinely needs to come down sooner, two different administrators must approve the request together. No one can approve their own request.
Every download is on record
Each time someone opens a file, DataFrugal writes down who did it and when. If that record can't be written, the download simply doesn't happen. There is no preview feature — opening a file always means downloading it — so there is no way to read a file without it being recorded.
Shared files stay where you put them
Only the person who owns a file can share it, and the person they share it with cannot pass it on to anyone else. So for any client file, you always know exactly who has ever been able to see it — the owner, and the people the owner chose.
Every draft is kept, not just the latest
When a contract goes through many rounds of edits, DataFrugal keeps every earlier version. You can always go back and see exactly what a document looked like before the last change.
One thing worth knowing
What DataFrugal offers today is a retention lock — you choose a period up front, and the file is protected for that period. It can only be made longer later, never shorter, without two administrators approving the change together. This is different from a court-ordered “legal hold,” which stays in place indefinitely until it is explicitly released. DataFrugal does not offer that today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from law firms about how DataFrugal keeps case files safe, locked, and traceable.
Can DataFrugal replace our document management system?
No. DataFrugal is where your files are safely stored, locked, and tracked. It works alongside the tools your firm already uses for drafting and case management, not instead of them.
Does DataFrugal offer a “legal hold”?
Not today. DataFrugal offers a retention lock, which you set for a chosen period when you save a file. It stops the file from being changed or deleted early unless two administrators approve the request together.
This is different from a court-ordered legal hold, which stays in place until it is explicitly released rather than for a fixed period you choose in advance.
Who can see our clients' files?
Only the person who uploaded a file, and anyone that person chooses to share it with. A person you share a file with cannot forward it to someone else inside DataFrugal. Every share and every download is recorded.
Can we prove who downloaded a file, if we're asked?
Yes. Every download is recorded against the person who requested it, with the file name and the time. Since there is no way to view a file's contents in DataFrugal without downloading it, this record covers every time a file has been read.
Is our data stored in India?
On our AWS-backed plan, yes — your files are stored on AWS in Mumbai, and our application also runs on AWS in Mumbai. Our Wasabi-backed plan stores files outside India. Tell us your requirement and we'll recommend the right plan.
See it on your own files
Talk to us about a short pilot for your firm — no pricing commitment, just a look at how your files would actually be protected.
Talk to us