Release a legal hold from the Release sub-tab on the Legal hold tab. Record the reason, decide how to notify custodians, and type the case title to confirm. After release, destructive actions like delete and dedupe unblock on the case. The audit log of the hold stays intact. Export a signed package any time. The package gives opposing counsel everything they need to verify the record on their own.
Releasing a hold
Four steps. Plan to do them in one sitting once you've cleared the release with co-counsel.
- Open the Release sub-tab. Inside the case, open Case Settings, choose the Legal hold tab, and switch to Release. The sub-tab only appears for active holds.
- Record the release reason. Write a short reason that opposing counsel can see in the export package. Add a privileged narrative separately if your firm wants a more detailed work-product note recorded.
- Choose how to notify custodians. Pick All custodians, Selected custodians, or Silent (no notification). For Silent, you must record a written rationale.
- Type the case title to confirm. The form requires the case title verbatim before the Release hold button enables. This guards against accidental release.
Release options and fields
Release reason (short)
Required. Two or three sentences. Appears verbatim in the default export package, so write it as if opposing counsel will read it. Example: "Matter resolved by settlement on 2026-05-15. All preservation duties tied to this case have ended."
Privileged release narrative
Optional. Attorney work product. The narrative is excluded from the default export package; an opt-in toggle at export time includes it when you're sharing with co-counsel under a privilege agreement. Don't paste anything here that you wouldn't want recorded in your firm's case file. Attorney-client privilege risk gives the broader framing for why work-product separation matters.
Notify custodians
Three notification modes, with the exact UI labels:
- All custodians- A release notice goes out to every active custodian on the hold roster. Use this when the matter has reached a clean conclusion that you're comfortable communicating broadly.
- Selected custodians - A release notice goes out only to the custodians you pick. Use this when some custodians have already been released individually, or when the firm wants targeted communication.
- Silent (no notification)- No release notice goes out. Use this only when communicating release would itself cause harm (an ongoing related matter, an undisclosed settlement term, an internal investigation that's still active). The rationale field becomes required and is recorded in the audit log verbatim.
Silent release rationale
Required when Notify custodians is set to Silent (no notification). Two or three sentences explaining why custodians should not be notified of release. Recorded verbatim. Treat this as a record an attorney may need to defend later.
Selected recipients
Shown when Notify custodians is set to Selected custodians. Pick each custodian who should receive a release notice. The list is scoped to active custodians on this hold.
Typed confirmation
The release button stays disabled until you type the case title exactly. The form pulls the title from the case record so an accidental release on the wrong case is harder to trigger.
Export options
From the Overview sub-tab or the Audit log, choose Export bundle to produce a signed package of the hold record. Available on active holds and released holds.
Include privileged narratives toggle
Off by default. The default protects attorney work product: privileged narratives recorded with the hold (the basis narrative, the release rationale, the silent-release rationale, and privileged custodian-interview notes) are excluded from the export.
Turn the toggle on only when you are exporting to co-counsel under a privilege agreement, to internal firm storage, or to insurance counsel where work product remains protected. Don't turn it on when the export is going to opposing counsel.
What's in the export package
The package is a single download containing the full hold record:
- Summary PDF describing the hold lifecycle: when it was placed, the scope, the custodians on it, when notices went out, when acknowledgments came back, and when (or whether) the hold was released.
- Audit log spreadsheet with one row per recorded action, opening in Excel or any standard tool.
- Signed copy of the recordthat opposing counsel can independently verify came from Hintyr and hasn't been modified after export. Verification uses stock open-source tools.
- Recipient verification instructions and the public key needed to run the check. Instructions are written for a recipient with no prior Hintyr exposure.
When can I release a hold?
Release a hold once the matter resolves: a settlement closes, a judgment enters, a regulatory inquiry ends, or your firm and co-counsel agree the preservation duty has expired. Always check with co-counsel before releasing on a matter with related ongoing litigation. Releasing a hold doesn't erase its history. The audit log preserves a record of the hold no matter how the case ends. Spoliation is what you're defending against; a complete audit log is the defense.
Edge cases and limits
- Release is one-way. Re-issuing the hold later starts a new hold record on the case. The original hold's audit log stays available as a closed record.
- Released holds retain their entire audit log. You can still run Verify integrity and export packages from a released hold.
- You can release individual custodians before releasing the hold itself. That use case lives on the Custodians sub-tab and does not end the hold.
- External preservation systems (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and similar) are your firm's responsibility to release in those systems after the Hintyr hold ends.