Texts, emails, recordings, screenshots: what a French court accepts as evidence

Is my evidence file ready?

Tick what you already hold. The result is a readiness category, not a prediction of the outcome.

Already have the documents?

Which evidence is admissible, and what makes it strong?

The table covers each type of evidence with what strengthens it and what weakens it before a French civil judge.

Are text messages and emails admissible in a French court?

Yes, in civil matters, when they were obtained fairly and can be attributed to their author. The Cour de cassation has admitted text messages since 2007: their author cannot ignore that the device records them. Weight depends on the export (number, timestamps) and on keeping the full thread.

Is a screenshot enough, or do I need a bailiff’s report?

A screenshot is admissible but weak; a commissaire de justice report fixes the date and the context. For online content that may disappear, the report is presumed accurate until proven otherwise. For a private conversation, a complete screenshot showing the date and the other person’s identity is often enough.

Can I use a recording made without telling the other person?

Sometimes, since 22 December 2023, when the evidence is indispensable and the intrusion into privacy is proportionate; never on its own. The plenary assembly held that unfairly obtained evidence is no longer excluded automatically in civil matters: the judge weighs the right to evidence against the other party’s rights.

The judge must assess whether such evidence undermines the overall fairness of the proceedings, weighing the right to evidence against the competing rights at stake.Cour de cassation, plenary assembly, 22 December 2023, no. 20-20.648 (summarised wording, full text on Légifrance)

How do I prove who wrote a message?

With converging clues: number or address, headers, full thread, context, the other party’s replies. An electronic document has the same weight as paper when its author can be identified and its integrity guaranteed (Civil Code, article 1366). Keep the digital original, not only a retyped copy.

Does a statement from a relative count?

Yes, but the judge weighs it freely; precise, dated, personally witnessed facts matter more than the family tie. The statement must follow article 202 of the code of civil procedure: identity, relationship to the parties, statement that it is for court and that false statements are punishable, date, signature, ID copy.

How does the fairness rule work at the labour court?

The principle is the same, with stricter review of the employee’s privacy and of undeclared monitoring devices. No information concerning an employee personally may be collected by a device that was not brought to their attention beforehand (Labour Code, article L1222-4). Professional exchanges remain in principle accessible to the employer.

How long should I keep evidence?

At least until the time limit to act expires: five years in general, two years for consumer claims, three years for salary, twelve months to contest a dismissal. Export and back up now: a lost phone or a closed account erases the evidence. A dated copy on two devices is enough.

How do I number and present exhibits?

With a numbered exhibit schedule, one exhibit per fact to prove, legible copies and a one-page timeline. Every exhibit must be disclosed to the other party; the judge sets aside those that were not exchanged. The schedule follows the order of your argument, not the calendar.

When should Julie or a lawyer review the file?

As soon as a piece of evidence is contested or was obtained without consent: Julie sorts the exhibits and flags the gaps, a lawyer argues their admissibility. Before the judicial court above 10,000 € and on appeal a lawyer is mandatory; before the labour court it is not, but fairness is argued.

What this page is built on

What should you check before continuing?