Freelance dispute evidence: build a clear, usable project record.

Start with a question to establish instead of collecting everything.

Write a specific question: “Was the requested export included in the agreed deliverables?” or “Which version received the client’s comments?” You can then select records that illuminate it instead of collecting every exchange since you first met.

Separate the statement, its support and the uncertainty

For each issue, distinguish what you are saying, the document you rely on and what remains to check. “The client requested a variation in message P03” can be documented. “The client knew the variation would cost more” requires finding the reference that shows what was understood and accepted.

Keep material that qualifies your interpretation too. A reservation, an acknowledged correction or information received late is part of the sequence. Omitting it can make the record harder to understand once the other party presents their own timeline.

A French reference on the burden of proof

French Civil Code article 1353 provides that a party seeking performance of an obligation must prove it; a party claiming to have discharged the obligation must substantiate payment or the event that ended it. Connect your request to relevant material rather than assuming that a large collection removes the need to establish the specific point.

This preparation does not determine all applicable evidence rules or how the case will be assessed. Where a record is missing or its meaning is disputed, identify that limitation and have the situation examined instead of assigning it a certain legal effect.

Gather the agreement, versions and confirmed changes.

Start with the records defining the project: the accepted offer, agreement, brief, deliverables, price and review or handoff conditions. Add confirmed changes with their dates and connection to the previous version. A proposal sent and a change accepted must remain distinguishable.

Connect exchanges to the correct material

For every delivery, locate the file or preview presented, its name, the sending message and the feedback received. Add useful decisions and the relevant invoicing or payment records. A label such as “final” is not enough to identify the version actually examined.

If the record cannot be found, leave the request and its status in the index. Do not recreate a past approval as a document that appears to have been made at the time. A summary prepared today should be identified as a later summary.

In Dealokr, the signed agreement brings together the project scope and deliverables. Start with that reference to identify what was accepted, then reconcile it with useful changes and documents. The record is easier to follow when each item explains a stage of the same project.

Connect a short timeline to a stable document index.

The timeline explains the events; the index shows where each can be checked. Give each useful record a stable reference, such as P01 or P02. Note its title, date, location and the issue it helps explain. Adding a record should not silently change every reference already sent to someone else.

An anonymised index example

These dates are illustrative. Add payment records if the question concerns them, with their status and source. Distinguish the event date, document date and retrieval date when they differ. A file downloaded today does not by itself prove what was visible at the time of delivery.

Keep analytical comments in a separate column or note. The reader should be able to distinguish a documented event, an interpretation and a question that still has no answer.

Retain originals and use screenshots as signposts.

Keep faithful copies of the original files and exchanges available in your own authorised spaces. For an email, retain the complete message and attachments where possible; for a document, locate the relevant file rather than just an image of its first page. The available saving options depend on the tool being used.

Annotate a copy without rewriting the source

You can prepare a reading copy highlighting useful passages, clearly identified as annotated. Preserve the intact document separately. Do not crop away a decisive reservation or replace a date or content to make the timeline look more convincing.

A screenshot can help locate a comment or a displayed status. Identify its source, when it was captured and what it does not show. Isolated images rarely explain a decision as well as the complete exchange to which they belong. If a link changes or access ends, record what you retained and what you could no longer verify.

Identification and integrity of electronic writing

In France, Civil Code article 1366 recognises the evidential force of electronic writing subject to conditions concerning identification of its author and preservation of its integrity. A filename, PDF or screenshot is therefore not sufficient to guarantee a document’s legal effect.

In Dealokr, previews, revision requests and timestamped project events help locate what was presented and discussed. Reconcile them with the versions and messages you retain. That operational history does not by itself constitute certified legal archiving or a decision on the dispute.

Share useful records while protecting confidential information.

Prepare a selection for a recipient and a question instead of granting general access to your entire workspace. An adviser may need a complete exchange; a contact locating one version does not necessarily need all the invoices and contact details in the project record.

Limit the data without hiding relevant context

The GDPR requires personal data to be limited to what is necessary for the purpose. On a sharing copy, exclude unrelated information such as another client’s contact details or a personal conversation. Mark redactions and preserve the original intact; if their effect on understanding is uncertain, ask how to transmit the record appropriately.

Check the recipient, access permissions and agreed channel. Avoid a link open to anyone who receives it. Do not include passwords, keys or secret credentials in the archive; an access requirement should be handled separately through suitable authorisation.

Respect limits on collection and reuse

Work from material you legitimately have access to. Do not try to fill gaps by entering someone else’s account or secretly collecting exchanges. Where another party holds the information, request the record through an appropriate route or have the relevant procedure clarified.

Mediation exchanges may be subject to a particular confidentiality framework. Do not freely attach them to material intended for wider circulation or use elsewhere; have it checked what may be communicated and to whom. Wanting to defend your position does not make every form of reuse equivalent.

Separate originals, working copies and transmissions.

Create a structure for each project, with a reading note and index at the top level. Separate retained files, analysis and versions actually sent. You can then find the source without confusing a recent annotation with the document reviewed during the project.

A folder structure to adapt

example-project/
  00_reading/
    summary.txt
    document-index.csv
  01_originals/
    accepted-quotation.pdf
    feedback-message.eml
  02_versions/
    presentation-v01.pdf
    presentation-v02.pdf
  03_invoicing-payment/
  04_working-copies/
  05_transmissions/
    adviser-send-01/

The names are illustrative. The index can reference each file’s initial name and location without changing its content. Check that the records open and arrange a separate protected backup. An archive that exists but can no longer be read does not meet the need.

Set retention according to the records and their use

In France, retention requirements vary with the records and accounting, tax or legal obligations. An invoice’s retention period does not become the period for every project message. Check the rules for your activity and the needs of the case before setting a deadline or deleting material.

The CNIL distinguishes current use of data from justified intermediate archiving, for example for an obligation or litigation, with restricted access. Plan a review of records and permissions when the project or disagreement ends. This avoids leaving everything available indefinitely without a documented reason.

Transmit a traceable selection and check its reception.

Ask the recipient about the format, records needed and channel before sending. Prepare a summary, index and relevant documents, with the questions on which you want advice. A complete set of references is more useful than a narrative that forces someone to search several conversations for the files.

A simple document transmittal

Keep a copy of the transmission, the index sent and the file list. A receipt confirmation concerns delivery; it does not mean agreement on the substance. If you add a document later, preserve its reference and explain what it supplements.

Connect the record to the project workflow

In Dealokr, the client pays 100% upfront for a fixed-price project through Stripe Connect. You present the preview, follow revisions and request the transfer under the project conditions; hosted final files become accessible after confirmation. Bank arrival is separate. This sequence helps locate events in the project record without guaranteeing the outcome of a disagreement or replacing your own retention obligations.