TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. For a boutique, the way to make it a service rather than a one-off is a routine: a calendar, a checklist and a short report.
“Evidence hygiene” is our shorthand for a scheduled routine in which the firm helps a client freeze, date and file the documents they would rely on if a dispute arose. It suits boutiques that already see the same files at the same moments: IP firms before a disclosure or a licence, construction firms around variations and handover, creative-industry firms at delivery.
This guide sets out what to date for each, three illustrative tiers with margins at TimeBinder’s published prices, and a one-week set-up. It is general information for firms in the US, UK and Europe first, not legal advice, and it assumes the resale model: the firm buys TimeBinds, sets its own price, and keeps the difference.
Table of Contents
What the service is, and is not
It is a repeatable habit: at set points, the firm gathers the client’s key files, makes a dated record of each bundle, files the certificates and sends a short summary. It is not forensic examination, it is not file storage (TimeBinder does not store files, so the client keeps using their own systems), and it is not advice on how any evidence will be treated.
What to date, by practice area
| Practice | Moments | Typical bundle | Pooled or ASAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP and innovation | Before a disclosure, an NDA meeting, a filing or a licence | Invention disclosure, design files, the executed licence or assignment set | ASAP before disclosure; Pooled for routine drafts |
| Construction | Contract signing, each variation, each drawing issue, handover | Executed contract set, variation orders as issued, issued drawing sets, handover pack | ASAP for executed sets; Pooled for issues |
| Creative industries | Delivery, licence, collaboration start | Master files, split sheets, licence and deliverables pack | Pooled for drafts; ASAP at delivery |
Each bundle fits in one TimeBind of up to 10 files; zip larger sets. A TimeBind records that the exact files existed no later than the recorded time, not who made them. For related workflows, see timestamping before you disclose, NDA and a timestamp and recording background IP before a client contract.
Three tiers, with the numbers
Illustrations only. TimeBinder cost uses the Expert plan at about US$3.33 a Token (US$50 for 15 Tokens), where a Pooled TimeBind is 1 Token and an ASAP TimeBind is 3. Staff time is assumed at an internal US$40 an hour.
| Tier | Client pays | Includes | TimeBinder cost | Staff time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone add-on | US$90 per milestone | One ASAP TimeBind and a filing note | US$10.00 | 30 min = US$20 | US$60 |
| Quarterly check-up | US$300 a quarter | 4 Pooled and 1 ASAP (7 Tokens), a summary | about US$23.33 | 2 h = US$80 | about US$197 |
| Monthly retainer | US$350 a month | 6 Pooled and 2 ASAP (12 Tokens), a summary | US$40.00 | 3 h = US$120 | US$190 |
Your prices will differ; the point is to price the routine and the judgement, because the US$10 to US$40 of TimeBind cost is a small part. For volume, plan thresholds and pricing mistakes, see how to price a timestamping service.
Set it up in a week
- Inventory. List each client’s recurring moments and files.
- Name bundles. Use the matter number and a short label; never the client’s name.
- Calendar it. Put the cadence in your matter system so it does not depend on memory.
- Make the summary. One page: what was dated, when, and the certificate reference.
- Write it into the engagement terms. See engagement letter wording and a client explainer.
The one-page summary the client receives
The summary is what makes the retainer visible. Keep it to one page:
- Header: matter number, period covered, and who prepared it.
- What was dated: one line per bundle, with a short label, the number of files, Pooled or ASAP, the time recorded and the certificate reference.
- What it shows: the plain two-line statement that the exact files existed no later than the recorded time and still match, and that it does not show who made them or that they are accurate.
- What is coming up: the next moments you expect to date, such as a variation, an issue or a delivery.
- What we need from you: any file the client has not yet sent.
Where it does not fit
Skip the retainer for clients with only a few files a year; a milestone add-on is enough. If a dispute already needs a technical examination of a device or file, that is a different job, as explained in forensic examination vs an independent timestamp. And if the client needs somewhere to keep files, point them to their own document system.
Keep it honest and in scope
Say what it shows: that exact files existed no later than a time and still match. Do not promise outcomes, and do not call it proof of who made or owns anything. Check the fee and disclosure rules for your jurisdiction before you sell a retainer, as set out in the professional-conduct checklist.
How a TimeBind fits, and what it does not show
A recurring routine gives the client a steady record and gives the firm a defined, explainable service. A TimeBind adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes for each bundle; the retainer makes sure the right bundles are dated at the right moments.
A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. TimeBinder makes the fingerprint in your browser and the file stays on your device. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, or that anyone agreed to it. It does not store files or show that any of them is accurate. It complements your engagement terms, your professional rules and legal advice; it does not replace them. This is general information, not legal advice.
A firm can offer a client a dated record of the exact brief or exhibit that was filed. The free AI citation filing checklist is a starting point for the checks around that file. It cannot find a fabricated citation, and it is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a document management system?
No. A TimeBind records a fingerprint and a time. It does not store the file, so the client keeps using their own systems.
How often should a client’s files be dated?
At the moments that matter to that practice: disclosure, execution, variation, issue, handover or delivery. A quarterly check-up catches what slipped through.
Should we use Pooled or ASAP?
Pooled is cheaper and usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours. ASAP goes into its own transaction and can be checked without relying on TimeBinder, so use it where a dispute is likely.
Can we offer this to creative clients as well as IP clients?
Yes. The routine is the same; the bundles differ.
What does it cost to try?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
Sources checked
Checked on 10 November 2026. We quote only what these documents say and mark where a point depends on your own rules or local law. Anything we could not verify from a primary source is left out.
- TimeBinder pricing: Token prices, Pooled and ASAP, Expert plan
- TimeBinder business plans: Business plan details
- ABA Model Rule 1.5: communicating the basis of fees and expenses
Pilot it with one client
Choose one client with a recurring moment, date the next bundle, and send them the one-page summary. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, Pooled TimeBinds start from US$5, and an ASAP TimeBind is US$15. Prices checked 10 November 2026. See plans and pricing. Open TimeBinder
