Free Privacy Tool for Lawyers
Legal Document Anonymizer — Use AI Without Exposing Client Names
Remove all client names and identifying details from a document in seconds. Use AI safely. Restore the original names afterward with your private key. No data stored.
Anonymize a documentWhat this tool does
- ✓Replaces all names, companies, and locations with consistent placeholder tokens
- ✓Generates a private restore key so you can reinstate original names after AI processing
- ✓Documents are never stored — processed in memory and discarded immediately
- ✓Supports .txt, .docx, and .pdf files up to 5 MB
How to use this tool
- 1
Upload your document
Upload the document you want to anonymize (.txt, .docx, or .pdf — maximum 5 MB). The tool detects and replaces all personal names, company names, and identifying details with placeholder tokens.
- 2
Download the anonymized document and your restore key
Download the anonymized version of your document (names replaced with tokens like [PERSON_1], [COMPANY_2]) and a private restore key file. Keep the key safe — you will need it in Step 4.
- 3
Use the anonymized document with any AI tool
Paste or upload the anonymized document to ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or any other AI tool. The AI sees only the tokens — no real client names ever leave your office.
- 4
Restore original names
Return to the Document Anonymizer. Paste the AI's output (which contains the placeholder tokens) and upload your restore key. Click Restore to download the final document with all real names reinstated.
Why Canadian lawyers must anonymize before AI
Every time you paste a client's name into an AI tool, you risk:
Training data exposure
Some AI providers use API inputs to train future models. Your client's name could end up in a model that is later queried by anyone.
Prompt logging
AI providers log prompts for safety review and debugging. Your client's information sits in logs you have no control over.
Law society discipline
Sending identifiable client data to third-party AI tools without consent or safeguards may breach your professional confidentiality obligations.
Anonymizing takes 30 seconds. The alternative is a potential law society complaint, a client confidentiality breach, or worse.
Frequently asked questions
Is my document stored on Lexo365's servers?
No. Documents are processed in memory and the original is discarded immediately after the anonymized version and restore key are generated. Lexo365 does not retain any copy of your document or the restore key after the session ends.
What happens if I lose the restore key?
The restore key is generated once and not stored anywhere — if you lose it, the names cannot be restored automatically. You would need to manually re-insert the original names using the token map. This is by design: zero retention means zero risk of a data breach on the server side.
What file formats does the anonymizer support?
The tool supports .txt, .docx (Microsoft Word), and .pdf files. Maximum file size is 5 MB. For .pdf files, text must be selectable (not a scanned image). If your PDF is scanned, convert it to Word or text first.
Do Canadian law society rules require anonymizing documents before AI?
Yes, effectively. Law Society of Ontario guidance, BC Law Society guidance, and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada model code all require lawyers to take reasonable steps to protect client confidentiality when using cloud or AI tools. Sending identifiable client information to a third-party AI API without anonymization is widely considered a breach of confidentiality obligations.
How does the anonymization work technically?
The tool uses named-entity recognition (NER) to identify persons, organizations, and locations in the text. Each unique entity is assigned a consistent token (e.g. [PERSON_1] always refers to the same person throughout the document). The restore key maps each token back to the original name.
Is this sufficient to meet Law Society AI guidelines?
Anonymization significantly reduces the risk of client information disclosure. However, law society guidelines are evolving and vary by province. The tool eliminates direct identifiers (names, companies) but contextual re-identification may still be possible from facts in the document. For highly sensitive matters, consult your law society's current guidance before using any AI tool.
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