What is a Chain of Custody?

What is a Chain of Custody?

A chain of custody is a documented record that tracks evidence from the moment it's collected to the moment it's presented in court. It answers a simple but critical question: can you prove this evidence hasn't been tampered with?

Think of it like a parcel tracking system. Every time the package changes hands, it gets scanned. You know exactly where it's been, who handled it, and when. If there's a gap in the tracking, you can't be certain what happened during that time.

Why Does It Matter?

Evidence is only useful if it's trusted. A chain of custody provides that trust.

Without one, the opposing side can argue that evidence was altered, fabricated, or taken out of context. Even if the evidence is genuine, the lack of documentation creates doubt—and doubt can be enough to have evidence thrown out entirely.

Courts don't just want to see what the evidence says. They want to know that what they're looking at is exactly what existed at the time it was captured, unchanged and complete.

What Does a Chain of Custody Include?

A proper chain of custody typically documents:

• Exactly what was collected (files, messages, accounts, etc.)

• When it was collected (date, time, timezone)

• Who collected it (and their credentials or authority to do so)

• How it was collected (the method and tools used)

• Where it has been stored since collection

• Who has accessed it, and when

• Cryptographic verification (hashes) proving the content hasn't changed

Each of these links in the chain matters. A single undocumented gap—evidence sitting on someone's laptop for a week, or a file being opened without logging—can weaken the entire record.

Digital Evidence Needs Extra Care

Physical evidence is relatively stable. A signed contract in a safe isn't going to change itself.

Digital evidence is different. Files can be edited invisibly. Metadata can be stripped. Screenshots can be doctored. Without proper controls, there's no way to prove that what you're presenting is what originally existed.

This is why forensic collection methods exist. They capture not just the content, but also the metadata, timestamps, and cryptographic hashes that act as a digital fingerprint. If even a single character changes, the hash changes—making tampering immediately detectable.

How Proof Handles Chain of Custody

Every acquisition through Proof automatically generates a complete chain of custody report. This includes:

• Timestamps for every action taken during collection

• Cryptographic hashes (SHA-256) of all captured data

• A detailed log of the acquisition process

• Secure, encrypted storage with access controls

You don't need to understand the technical details—we handle that. What you get is a professional, court-ready record that demonstrates your evidence is exactly what it claims to be.

The Bottom Line

Evidence without a chain of custody is just information. It might be true, but you can't prove it. A proper chain of custody transforms raw data into something a court can rely on.

If you're collecting evidence for any legal purpose—employment disputes, family matters, contract disagreements, harassment cases—the chain of custody isn't optional. It's what separates evidence that holds up from evidence that gets challenged.