Begin with a plain timeline
Write what you did and saw in order. Include approximate times if exact ones are unavailable, and label them as approximate. Keep the site or app name, relevant URLs, device, browser, and whether you were signed in. Distinguish firsthand observations from things another person told you.
Preserve the original records
- Cookie banners, settings, and confirmation screens.
- Privacy notices and their dates.
- Requests, replies, and reference numbers.
- Relevant breach or recording notices.
- Original files kept privately, with separate redacted copies if needed.
Keep changes visible
If you make a redacted copy, keep the original and identify the copy as redacted. Do not edit the original to make your concern easier to explain. If a page changes, save the new version separately with its date. Write down gaps in your memory rather than filling them in.
A useful first message
“I used [website or app] on [date] from [region]. I saw [brief observation] and chose [setting, if relevant]. I have saved [record types]. I would like to know whether your firm can review the concern.” Leave out passwords, identification numbers, diagnoses, and account details.
What happens next
Counterpoint Legal’s published intake guidance emphasizes the facts, records, jurisdiction, and scope of a matter. An inquiry does not mean the firm has agreed to represent you or protect a deadline. Ask for confirmation of any engagement.
Go to the source
Official resources for the facts discussed here. Checked October 5, 2026.