Answers/The life queries
A private folder for divorce, custody, or legal documents
In an active legal matter, you will want a single, organised, easily searchable folder — timeline, correspondence, receipts, screenshots, court documents. You will also want that folder unreadable to anyone else on the machine, unreadable in a cloud sync, and readable to you in three years when the next chapter comes back around.
How to organise it
Subfolders: 'correspondence' (dated exports of relevant emails and messages), 'timeline' (one running markdown file), 'receipts', 'court', 'notes'. File names with ISO dates first (2026-07-08-name) so they sort right.
How to seal it
One sealed bundle at the top level. Unseal when working in it, re-seal when done. Elba is one HTML file — no install, no admin rights, no cloud, AES-256-GCM.
If your lawyer needs a copy, share the sealed bundle by whatever channel you both prefer; share the passphrase through a different channel.
Questions people actually ask
- What if the other party subpoenas my devices?
- This is not legal advice. Encryption is legal in most jurisdictions; talk to your lawyer about what you must disclose and when.
- Can I include audio recordings?
- Yes — the folder can contain any file type. Know your local law on recording consent.
Take the island
Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.
- €49MMXXVI· now ·
- €39MMXXVII2027
- €29MMXXVIII2028
- €19MMXXIX2029
- FreeMMXXX2030
the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030
pay once · no account · nothing leavesRelated answers
- Keeping therapy notes and personal writing off the cloud entirely
Some writing needs to feel unwatched. How to keep it local, encrypted, and out of every 'AI features enabled' upgrade.
- Where to keep tax records encrypted for seven years without a subscription
The retention window is long; the subscription clock is longer. A one-time-purchase pattern that will still open in 2033.
- Encrypted client notes for therapists and clinicians without a compliance headache
The clinician question is bigger than storage. Where a local encrypted folder helps, and where you still need a proper EHR and BAAs.