Updated November 2026 · Southern New Hampshire
Law firm shredding in NH: off-site pickup built around Rule 1.6
Law firm shredding in NH starts with one sentence in the Rules of Professional Conduct and ends with a certificate in the file. This post explains what Rule 1.6 and Rule 5.3 ask of your firm’s paper, how an off-site pickup works from your office to our shredder, and what it costs by zone.
$20 per large box at 10 boxes or more, pickup from $129.95 by zone, Certificate of Destruction on every job.
- $20 per large box
- Since 2007
- BBB A+
- Certificate on every job
Quick answer
New Hampshire Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6(c) requires a lawyer to make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of client information, and Rule 5.3 extends that duty to vendors you hire, so a firm’s shredding needs locked handling, a vendor you have vetted and a Certificate of Destruction. New Hampshire Document Shredding picks up sealed boxes from your New Hampshire office and shreds them at our Tewksbury office for $20 per large box at 10 boxes or more, plus $34.90 per job and a pickup fee of $129.95, $159.95 or $199.95 by zone. Twenty large boxes from a Nashua or Manchester firm come to $594.85.
Law firm shredding in NH: what Rules 1.6 and 5.3 ask
New Hampshire adopted its own version of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the confidentiality rule is where every conversation about a firm’s paper begins. Rule 1.6(a) says a lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client without informed consent or another listed exception. That covers every page in every closed file, not only privileged communications.
Paragraph (c) is the part that reaches the shred bin. It requires a lawyer to make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to the representation. A box of closed files left by a dumpster, or a bag of drafts in open recycling, is exactly the inadvertent disclosure the rule is written to prevent.
The rules do not name a shredding method or a vendor standard. They ask for reasonable efforts, and the New Hampshire Ethics Committee comment to Rule 1.6 adds that a lawyer is responsible for reasonably ensuring adequate protection of client confidences held or stored by others. Your shredding vendor is one of those others for as long as your boxes are in its hands.
| Rule | What it says | What it means for your paper |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 1.6(a) | Do not reveal information relating to the representation without informed consent or an exception | Every page of a client file stays confidential through destruction |
| Rule 1.6(c) | Make reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure or access | Locked bins, sealed boxes, a vetted vendor and a record of destruction |
| Rule 1.6, NH Ethics Committee comment | A lawyer is responsible for reasonably ensuring protection of client confidences held or stored by others | Your duty follows the boxes to the shredding vendor |
| Rule 5.3(a) and (b) | Lawyers with managerial or supervisory authority make reasonable efforts so a nonlawyer’s conduct fits the lawyer’s obligations | Someone at the firm chooses and checks the vendor on purpose |
| Rule 5.3, NH Ethics Committee comment | NH uses “each” partner instead of “a” partner, so the duty is shared by all managers | Every partner owns the decision, not just the office manager |
Read the full rules on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch site before you set firm policy. We quote them here so you can see why the logistics below look the way they do, not as legal advice about your obligations.
Vetting a shredding vendor under Rule 5.3
The ABA comment printed with New Hampshire’s Rule 5.3 speaks directly to outside services. It lists sending client documents to a third party for printing or scanning among its examples, and says a lawyer must make reasonable efforts to ensure those services are provided in a manner compatible with the lawyer’s professional obligations. A shredding vendor fits the same pattern.
How far that goes, the comment says, depends on the vendor’s experience and reputation, the nature of the services, the terms that protect client information, and where the work is done. For a firm in New Hampshire using us, that last point means your boxes cross into Massachusetts to be shredded at 1215 Main Street in Tewksbury. Know that before you book, and note it in your file.
- Where is the paper shredded? For us, only at our Tewksbury office, never at a third site you were not told about
- Who handles the boxes between your door and the shredder, and are they kept locked?
- When is the paper shredded after pickup? Ours is shredded after it arrives at our office, so ask the vendor to put its timing in writing
- What does the certificate show? Ours lists the date and weight for each job
- Is anything resold or recycled whole? All of our shred is recycled after cross-cut shredding
- Do they claim a certification? Ask to see proof of any badge a vendor names, and do not rely on one you cannot check
Our post on questions to ask a shredding company has the longer list, and our page on chain of custody shredding explains each hand-off. Put the answers in a memo. A short written record of why you chose a vendor is the kind of reasonable effort the comment describes.
How an off-site pickup works for a New Hampshire firm
With our off-site shredding, we collect from your office and shred at ours. Nothing is shredded in your parking lot. Here is the route your boxes take.
- Book and give a box count. Book online or call. Tell us how many boxes, their size, and your town so we can confirm the zone.
- Describe the access. Our price assumes ground-level or elevator access. Stairs or a restricted loading area add a handling fee, and we quote it up front.
- Seal and list. Tape each box shut and keep your own list of which matters went in which box. That list, plus our certificate, is your record.
- Hand over at the door. The boxes leave your office sealed and go straight to our Tewksbury office.
- Shredded at our office. The paper is cross-cut shredded after it arrives. Pickups are by appointment, so book well ahead of any deadline.
- File the certificate. Your Certificate of Destruction shows the date and weight. Our page on the certificate of destruction shows what it records.
Our shredding pickup checklist is a one-page version of these steps you can hand to whoever runs your file room.
The numbers a managing partner asks about
These are the figures that decide most law firm shredding budgets, from our rates and the New Hampshire rules.
- No long-term contract required
- Business Associate Agreement available if your firm handles PHI as a HIPAA business associate
- Witnessed sessions at our office for $1.99 per pound, $100 minimum
- Drives and phones physically destroyed, quoted per item
What law firm shredding costs in New Hampshire
Most firms ship enough boxes that the flat box rate applies. At 10 boxes or more you pay $15 per small box or $20 per large banker’s box, plus $34.90 per job and the pickup fee for your zone. Under 10 boxes, the paper is priced by the pound at 99 cents, and a banker’s box weighs about 30 pounds.
| Large boxes | Drop-off in Tewksbury | Zone 1 pickup (Salem, Pelham, Windham, Plaistow) | Zone 2 pickup (greater Nashua, Manchester) | Zone 3 pickup (Seacoast) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 boxes, about 150 lb | $183.40 | $313.35 | $343.35 | $383.35 |
| 10 boxes | $234.90 | $364.85 | $394.85 | $434.85 |
| 20 boxes | $434.90 | $564.85 | $594.85 | $634.85 |
| 40 boxes | $834.90 | $964.85 | $994.85 | $1,034.85 |
The pickup fee is per trip, not per box, so it shrinks as a share of the bill as the job grows. On 40 boxes from a Nashua firm, transport is about 16 percent of the total. On 5 boxes it is nearly half. Batch your closed files into one or two pickups a year rather than calling every month. Our post on shredding pickup cost by distance explains the zones, and the zone for towns not listed above, such as Concord, is confirmed when you book.
For a small office with a few boxes and someone who drives past Tewksbury, the drop-off is cheaper. Five boxes at the counter cost $183.40, against $343.35 picked up from greater Nashua.
What goes in a law firm’s shred boxes
Most of what a firm shreds is not the closed file itself. It is the paper that piles up around open matters: drafts, duplicates, printed emails, notes from calls. All of it is information relating to the representation, and Rule 1.6 does not care whether it is a final or a draft.
You do not need to strip files before they go in the box. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay. Take out three-ring binder hardware and hanging-folder frames, and keep anything that is not paper out of the paper boxes.
Closed matters
Files whose retention period has run under your firm’s policy. Decide the period first, then shred. More on that below.
Working paper
Drafts, duplicate exhibits, printed emails, deposition outlines and call notes from open and closed matters alike.
Firm records
Billing runs, payroll, HR files and old bank statements past their retention dates. These carry staff and client financial data.
Media, bagged apart
Old drives, USB sticks, discs and phones. We physically destroy them and quote per item. See our hard drive destruction page.
When a firm should watch the shredding
Pickup is the right choice for most closed files. Some matters call for more. Our witnessed shredding lets someone from your firm stand at our Tewksbury office and watch the material go through the shredder, with the certificate signed in front of them.
Firms choose it for a matter with unusual press interest, a client who asks to see the destruction, or files the firm has been ordered or has agreed to destroy. It costs $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum on the shredding charge, plus the $34.90 per-job fees, and it is by appointment.
| Option | Best for | Example cost |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off at the counter | A few boxes, someone driving past Tewksbury | 5 boxes, about $183.40 |
| Off-site pickup | 10 or more boxes, routine closed files | 20 boxes from greater Nashua, $594.85 |
| Witnessed at our office | Sensitive matters, client requests, agreed destruction | 5 boxes, about 150 lb, $333.40 |
Our post on when do you need witnessed shredding compares the two side by side.
Retention comes before shredding
Rule 1.15 sets one firm number. Records of client or third-party property other than funds must be kept for six years after final distribution of that property, and trust account records follow the New Hampshire Supreme Court Rules. Those records stay out of the shred boxes until that time has run.
For client files in general, the rules are less precise. The Ethics Committee comment to Rule 1.15 points to a 1999 New Hampshire Bar article on retaining client files. It notes that a 1997 proposal for a six-year minimum was never formally approved, and the article ties the decision back to the lawyer’s duty under Rule 1.16(d) not to prejudice the client. Most firms settle on a written policy with their own counsel and their malpractice carrier.
Once a matter’s period has run, you need a plan for the actual closeout: which files, who signs off, how clients are told. Our law firm file closeout plan walks through those steps. If your office is in the Queen City, our post on Manchester law office shredding covers the local details.
This post is about getting paper out of your office safely once that decision is made. The decision itself belongs to the firm.
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire require law firms to shred client files?
The rules do not name a method. Rule 1.6(c) requires reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of client information, and that duty runs through disposal. Shredding with a vetted vendor and keeping a Certificate of Destruction is a common way firms meet it. Read the rule on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch site and set your own policy.
Is using an outside shredding company allowed under Rule 5.3?
Yes, with care. The ABA comment printed with New Hampshire’s Rule 5.3 says lawyers may use outside services but must make reasonable efforts to ensure those services fit the lawyer’s professional obligations. Ask where and how the paper is shredded, who handles it, and what record you get, and keep the answers.
How much does law firm shredding cost in NH?
At 10 boxes or more, $20 per large box or $15 per small box, plus $34.90 per job. A pickup adds $129.95 in Zone 1, $159.95 in Zone 2 or $199.95 in Zone 3. Twenty large boxes picked up from greater Nashua or Manchester come to $594.85 in total.
Where are our files shredded?
Only at our office at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA, a short drive south of the New Hampshire line. We do not shred at your address and we have no office or plant in New Hampshire. Paper picked up from your firm is shredded after it arrives at our office.
Can someone from the firm watch the files being shredded?
Yes. Witnessed shredding at our Tewksbury office costs $1.99 per pound with a $100 minimum on the shredding charge, plus $34.90 per job, by appointment. Your representative watches the material go through the shredder and the certificate is signed in front of them.
Do we need to remove staples and folders?
No. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay in. Remove three-ring binder hardware and hanging-folder frames. Bag drives, USB sticks, discs and phones separately, since we physically destroy them and quote them per item. Packing takes minutes this way.
How long must a NH firm keep records before shredding?
Rule 1.15 requires records of client or third-party property other than funds to be kept for six years after final distribution, and trust account records follow the Supreme Court Rules. For client files generally, the rules set no fixed period. Set a written policy with your counsel and malpractice carrier.
Can you pick up from a second-floor office with no elevator?
Yes. Our standard pickup price assumes ground-level or elevator access. Stairs or a restricted loading area add a handling fee, and we quote it up front when you book so there are no surprises on the invoice. Tell us about the access when you call or book online.
Sources
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.6, Confidentiality of Information (checked November 2026)
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Rule 5.3, Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance (checked November 2026)
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Rule 1.15, Safekeeping Property (checked November 2026)
Book a pickup for your closed files
Tell us your box count, your town and your access, and we will confirm the zone and the total before anyone lifts a box. Every job ends with a Certificate of Destruction for your file.
Where we shred
1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Route 38, near I-495, about 15 minutes south of the New Hampshire line.
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Witnessed sessions and pickups outside these hours by appointment.
- Drop-off: walk in, 99¢ per pound
- Pickup: from $129.95 by zone
- Witnessed: $1.99 per pound, $100 minimum
New Hampshire Document Shredding · 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876 · (978) 636-0301 · Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.