No upload · No third-party data processor · No account

PDF Tools for Lawyers
and Paralegals

Redact privileged information, protect client files, sign engagement letters, and strip hidden metadata before filing — every operation runs locally in your browser. No document you touch here is ever transmitted to a server.

Redact a Document — Free Why this matters for privilege ↓
✓ True redaction, not a visual cover ✓ No third-party data processor ✓ Password encryption ✓ Works offline ✓ Free, no subscription

Why Uploading a Privileged Document Is a Real Risk

Most online PDF tools work by uploading your file to their servers, processing it there, and deleting it some time later. For a birthday invitation that's harmless. For a document covered by attorney-client privilege or work-product protection, it introduces a third party into the chain of custody — a vendor with its own servers, its own staff, its own breach history, and its own subpoena exposure.

PDFree's tools run entirely as WebAssembly and JavaScript inside your browser. A client contract, a discovery document, or a settlement draft is read into your device's memory, processed there, and the result is handed back to you — no upload occurs at any point, so there is no third-party processor to disclose, no data-sharing agreement to negotiate, and no server log of the document's existence.

Verify it: open any tool below, press F12 for DevTools, click the Network tab, and process a file. You'll see the app's own code load — and no request anywhere carrying your document's bytes.

Tools Built for Legal Workflows

⬛ Redact privileged content True redaction — the page is rasterized and the underlying text is not recoverable, not just visually covered 🔐 Protect client confidentiality Password encryption before emailing a file — the password never leaves your device ✏️ Fill and sign contracts Complete engagement letters and NDAs, then draw, type, or upload a signature locally 🏷️ Strip hidden metadata Remove author name, edit history, and other hidden properties before filing or exchanging with opposing counsel 🔗 Merge case documents Combine exhibits, correspondence, and filings into a single PDF locally ✂️ Split discovery bundles Extract specific pages or ranges from a large production before sharing

True Redaction vs. a Visual Cover — Know the Difference

Not every "black box over text" tool actually removes the underlying content — some only draw an opaque rectangle on top, leaving the original text still present in the PDF's internal structure and recoverable by copy-paste or a simple text search. That distinction matters enormously for privileged or confidential material.

Redact PDF (this tool) A simple "cover" tool
Underlying text still in the file No — removed at the object level Yes — hidden underneath the box
Recoverable by copy-paste or text search No Yes, in many PDF viewers
Suitable for privileged/confidential text ✓ Yes ✗ Not recommended

Always use the dedicated Redact PDF tool — not a generic annotation or "cover area" feature — for anything that needs to actually disappear from the document.

Who This Page Is For

⚖️
Solo practitioners & small firms

No budget for enterprise document-management software, but the same need to keep client files off third-party servers.

📋
Paralegals preparing productions

Redacting PII and privileged text from discovery bundles before they go out the door.

🏛️
In-house counsel

Reviewing and signing contracts without routing every draft through a vendor's cloud.

Need a step-by-step walkthrough that combines filling, signing, and locking a contract? See the Fill, Sign & Flatten guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PDFree's redaction tool safe for privileged or confidential content?

The Redact PDF tool performs true redaction — the page is rasterized and the content under the box is removed at the object level, not just covered. It cannot be recovered by copy-paste or text search. This is different from a generic "cover area" tool elsewhere on the site, which only draws an opaque box — always use Redact PDF specifically for privileged material.

Can I use PDFree for attorney-client privileged documents?

Yes. Because processing is entirely local and no file is ever uploaded, there is no third-party processor with access to the content — which sidesteps the waiver-of-privilege concern that can come with uploading to a cloud service.

Does PDFree remove hidden metadata like author name and edit history?

Yes, using the Metadata tool. PDFs often carry hidden author, software, and timestamp properties worth stripping before filing or exchanging with opposing counsel.

Is a signature added with PDFree legally binding?

PDFree adds a visual signature (drawn, typed, or uploaded), not a certified digital signature with a cryptographic audit trail. This satisfies the US ESIGN Act and UETA for most contracts and engagement letters. For matters needing a qualified electronic signature or certified audit trail, use a dedicated certified e-signature provider.

Can a paralegal use these tools without special IT approval?

Since no file is uploaded anywhere, PDFree doesn't introduce a new third-party data processor into the firm's workflow. Many firms still confirm internally before use on client matters, but the technical risk profile is close to a local desktop tool.