Written by the Removal Lab team.
Typed your name into Google and found a Justia docket or court opinion staring back at you? Justia removal usually means getting that page out of search engines: Justia says it will not fully remove items without a court order sealing them or designating them for removal, but it makes reasonable accommodation on written request to block case filings and opinions from search results. Removal Lab checks your case for free, tells you which route fits and prepares the requests, with no upfront payment on qualifying cases. Justia, Google and the courts make the decisions.
Being named in a case says little about who you are today, yet a docket page can sit near the top of your search results for years. This page explains what Justia says it will and will not remove, how to ask and what to do about lawyer listings and reviews.
Short answer: Justia removal
1. Open Justia Support and choose the option for blocking a Justia link from search engines.
2. List every Justia link in the Comments box and select Send Request.
3. Without a court order, Justia says it will not fully remove items but will block case filings and opinions from search engines.
4. With an order sealing the records or designating them for removal, send the order with your links.
5. Lawyers can hide or delete a Justia profile after claiming it.
Here are the key facts of Justia removal at a glance, all from Justia’s own pages.
| Question | What Justia says |
|---|---|
| Will it delete a docket or opinion? | Not fully without an applicable court order marking the records under seal or designating them for removal from the public record |
| Will it hide a page from Google? | It makes reasonable accommodation on written request to block case filings and opinions from search results, using the robots.txt protocol |
| How do I ask? | Through the Justia Support form, using the option for blocking a Justia link from search engines |
| How fast? | It has no control over how long removal from search engines takes |
| Does California privacy law force deletion? | Personal identifying information in public court records is not personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act |
| What about other websites? | It cannot control pages on sites that are not from Justia |
| Lawyer profiles | Claim the profile, then hide it or delete it in the profile editor |
What Justia publishes and why your case is there
Justia’s Why Is My Information Online page says it publishes records from federal and state courts as a public service. It says the information does not cover everything in court records available to the public and that filings should not be considered findings of fact or liability.
The same page explains why private details can show up. Personal details in evidence or other public filings become visible once the court makes its electronic records accessible. Justia says it cannot control that. It also says a not for publication label on an opinion does not mean the opinion is sealed or that its contents are protected.
That is why Justia removal rarely means deletion. What usually changes is how easy your case is to find. For most people, that is the whole problem.
The Justia removal policy in plain words
These are the working parts of Justia removal, as Justia describes them.
- No court order, no full removal. Justia says it will not fully remove items from its database without an applicable court order marking the records under seal or designating them for removal from the public record.
- Search engines can be blocked. On written request, Justia says it makes reasonable accommodation by using the robots.txt protocol to block case filings and opinions from search results.
- Timing is out of its hands. Justia says it has no control over how long removal from search engines takes.
- Other sites are separate. Justia says it cannot control webpages on sites that are not from Justia.
- California privacy law does not apply to the record. Justia says personal identifying information in public court records is exempt from the right to know and the right to request deletion under the California Consumer Privacy Act.
- The court is the place to delete. To have information deleted, Justia tells people to contact the court directly or hire an attorney to petition the court to seal it.
How to ask for Justia dockets removal step by step
Justia dockets removal is a written request through Justia’s support form. Every Justia removal request starts here. The form is short, so the details you put in it matter.
- Collect every link. Search your name and case number on Justia. Dockets sit on dockets.justia.com and filed documents often open as PDF files on cases.justia.com. Copy the address of each page that shows your name.
- Open the form. Go to Justia Support. Under I need help with, choose the option for submitting a request to block a Justia link, such as a court docket or judicial opinion, from search engines.
- Write the request. In Comments, which is required, list each link and ask Justia to block the pages from search engines. Keep it to a few plain sentences.
- Attach the order if you have one. Justia’s page does not say what to include. If a court has sealed the records or designated them for removal, say so and offer a copy.
- Add your details and send. Fill in Name and Email, then select Send Request. Keep a copy of what you wrote.
- Check later. Search your name again over the following weeks. Search engines move at their own pace.
Prefer to hand it over? Send the links through our free case review and we will prepare the Justia removal request with you.
Can you remove your name from Justia completely?
People searching how to remove name from Justia pages usually hope for deletion. Justia ties full removal to a court order that marks the records under seal or designates them for removal from the public record. It does not publish what it does page by page once it has such an order, so send the order with your links and ask. Most guides on how to remove name from Justia pages skip this part.
A Justia removal request without an order will not take your name off Justia itself. A blocked page should fall out of Google and other engines over time, but Justia does not control that timing. Copies of the same case on other sites are not touched by a Justia removal request.
| Your situation | Best next step | Google route that may help |
|---|---|---|
| No court order, page still live | Ask Justia to block search engines | The refresh tool does not apply while the details are still on the page |
| Court order sealing or designating the records for removal | Send the order with every link | Refresh outdated content, once the page is gone or has changed a lot |
| Filing shows ID numbers or bank details | Ask a lawyer about the court. Ask Justia to block the page | Personal information removal |
| Page shows your home address, phone or email | Ask Justia to block the page | Results about you |
| Copies on other court data sites | Use each site’s own process | Depends on the site |
Justia lawyer listings, ratings and client reviews
Justia removal works differently for lawyer listings. Justia also runs a lawyer directory. Its Lawyer Directory FAQ says any attorney licensed in the United States can have a free profile and that you may already have a listing. A lawyer who wants Justia removal for a profile has two choices once the profile is claimed.
| Item | What Justia says | What a lawyer can do |
|---|---|---|
| Directory profile | Claim it first, then use the profile editor. In Core Information, Change Your Profile Status hides it and Delete Profile deletes it | Hide it, which can be undone, or delete it, which Justia says cannot be restored |
| Justia Lawyer Rating | Based solely on attorney to attorney reviews. Advertising or payment cannot affect it | Opt out of the entire Rating and Reviews system |
| Client reviews | A lawyer may not remove a review on their own | Flag a review, contest one from someone who received no legal services, reply in public or opt out of client reviews |
To claim a profile, Justia’s FAQ lists three options: Claim by Email, Claim by Phone and Claim by Photo. It says the photo option is always available for unclaimed profiles and that a photo claim may take a few business days to approve. You need a personal firm email address, not a shared office one.
Justia’s Client Reviews Policy says only people who received professional services from the attorney may review. It lists what it does not allow, including non client reviews, fake reviews, obscene or illegal content, spam, privileged content, content sealed under court order, threats, harassment, hate speech and personally identifying information. If an attorney flags a review for moderation, Justia says it is not published at that time and the reviewer has seven days to provide verification. If the reviewer verifies, the lawyer has seven days to provide more information.
Its client reviews page adds that reviews based solely on a free consultation are not permitted and that each client may review an attorney once. The rating page says client reviews are not part of the Justia Lawyer Rating. For other lawyer review sites, see review removal for law firms and Avvo review removal.
The court record and Justia’s copy are different things
Justia removal changes Justia’s pages or how search engines see them. It does not touch the court record. Sealing, expungement and redaction are court processes, under rules that differ by court and by state. Justia itself points people to the court or an attorney for deletion.
A court order also does not travel by itself. Florida’s law enforcement agency says privately operated websites are not subject to an expungement order and that people need to contact those companies directly. Send a copy to Justia and to every other site that shows the case.
For federal cases, Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure says that, unless the court orders otherwise, filings should show only the last four digits of a Social Security or taxpayer number, the year of birth, a minor’s initials and the last four digits of a financial account number. A court can order more redaction for good cause or limit remote electronic access by people who are not parties. If a filing shows more, ask a lawyer about raising it with the court. Our court record removal page explains each layer.
Please speak to a lawyer
This page is general information, not legal advice. Sealing, expungement and court privacy rules differ by court and by state. A lawyer, a legal aid office or your court’s self help centre can tell you what applies to your case.
Clearing the Google result after Justia removal
Justia removal and Google removal are separate steps. Google’s Refresh outdated content tool is for pages you do not own that no longer exist or have changed a lot. Google says it is not for information that is still on the live page. So it fits when Justia removes or redacts a page under a court order, not while the page is only blocked. See our refresh tool guide.
Google’s personal information policy covers details such as Social Security and tax ID numbers, bank account and card numbers and pictures of a signature or ID. Google says it can only remove things from Google Search results. See how to remove personal information from Google.
For your phone number, home address or email, Google’s Results about you tool may help. Google says it won’t remove results for pages owned by government or educational institutions or by newspapers, so a court’s own website will usually stay.
Other places your case may appear
A Justia removal request covers Justia only. Your case may also appear in these places.
- CourtListener. It has its own removal policy. See CourtListener removal.
- UniCourt. It has its own process for court records. See UniCourt removal.
- Old Casetext links. Casetext now belongs to Thomson Reuters. See Casetext removal.
- News stories. A report about your case is a separate matter. See news article removal.
What to do if a Justia removal request gets nowhere
- Reply to Justia’s answer with any link you missed and a copy of any court order. If a court has sealed the records or designated them for removal, send that order. It is the condition Justia’s policy names for full removal.
- Ask a lawyer whether you qualify for an order to seal, expunge or redact the record.
- Use Google’s personal information or Results about you routes where the page shows those details.
- Publish accurate pages about yourself that can outrank the case. See suppressing negative search results.
- If a blog or forum twists your case into false claims about you, that is a separate problem. See defamation removal.
What Removal Lab can and cannot do for Justia removal
We can find every page that shows your case, on Justia and elsewhere. We check each one against the site’s own policy and Google’s rules, prepare the Justia request with you and file the Google requests that fit. The check is free and confidential. On qualifying cases there is no upfront payment and you pay only when the content is removed. Our removal cost guide explains how pricing works.
We cannot delete a court document, change a court record, give legal advice or promise an outcome. We do not work for Justia, Google or any court. See what we cannot remove and how to remove your name from Google.
A worked example
This is a made up example to show the steps. It is not a client case.
A small business owner finds a federal docket from an old contract dispute on Justia as the second result for her name. There is no court order and the case was never sealed.
She starts her Justia removal by searching Justia for her name. She finds the docket page and two PDF filings. She opens Justia Support, chooses the option for blocking a Justia link from search engines and lists all three links in Comments with two sentences in her own words. She keeps a copy and checks Google every few weeks. She also finds the same case on another court data site and sends it a separate request.
How Removal Lab works
- Send the link. WhatsApp, email or the two field form. Two minutes, no long questionnaire.
- Free policy check. A specialist reads it against the platform rules and tells you honestly whether it qualifies.
- We build and file the case. The right policy, the right channel, the evidence attached. We handle the appeal too.
- Pay only when it is gone. No upfront payment on qualifying cases. If the platform says no, you owe nothing.
What we will never do
- Promise a removal. The platform decides, not us.
- Post fake reviews or pay anyone to delete a review.
- Pressure, threaten or try to identify a reviewer.
- Charge an upfront fee on a case that does not qualify.
Want help with Justia removal?
Send the links. A specialist checks Justia, Google and any other site that shows your case and replies within one business day. Free, confidential and no upfront payment on qualifying cases.
Frequently asked questions
What does Justia removal mean?
Justia removal usually means keeping a Justia docket or opinion out of search engines. Justia says it will not fully remove items from its database without a court order sealing them or designating them for removal, but it makes reasonable accommodation on written request to block case filings and opinions from search results.
How do I ask for Justia removal?
Go to Justia Support and choose the option for blocking a Justia link, such as a court docket or judicial opinion, from search engines. List every link in the Comments box, add your name and email and select Send Request.
Can I remove my name from Justia?
Not fully without a court order. Justia ties full removal to an order marking the records under seal or designating them for removal from the public record. Without one, the realistic goal is keeping the page out of search engines.
What is Justia dockets removal?
Justia dockets removal is a request to keep Justia docket pages and filings out of search results. Justia says it does this with the robots.txt protocol after a written request.
How long does Justia removal from Google take?
Justia says it has no control over how long removal from search engines takes. Search your name again over the following weeks and keep a copy of your request.
Does the California Consumer Privacy Act let me delete my case from Justia?
Justia says personal identifying information in public court records is not personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act. It says that information is exempt from the right to know and the right to request deletion.
Does an unpublished opinion mean my case is sealed?
No. Justia says a not for publication label does not mean an opinion is sealed or that its contents are protected.
How does a lawyer remove a Justia lawyer profile?
Claim the profile first, then log in to the profile editor. In Core Information, turn the profile status off to hide it or choose Delete Profile. Justia says data in a deleted profile cannot be restored.
Can a lawyer remove a client review on Justia?
Justia’s client review policy says a lawyer may not remove a review on their own. A lawyer can contest a review where the writer did not receive legal services, which Justia says may eventually lead to its removal.
Can a lawyer opt out of Justia ratings and reviews?
Yes. Justia says attorneys may opt out of the entire Justia Lawyer Rating and Reviews system. Its client review policy also says lawyers may opt out of client reviews at any time.
Will Justia removal take my case off other sites?
No. Justia says it cannot control pages on sites that are not from Justia. Each copy of your case needs its own request.
Can Removal Lab handle Justia removal for me?
Removal Lab cannot delete anything and does not work for Justia or Google. We check your case for free, prepare the requests that fit and on qualifying cases you pay only when the content is removed.
Sources: Justia: Why Is My Information Online, Justia Support, Justia Lawyer Directory FAQ, Justia Client Reviews Policy, Justia client reviews FAQ, Justia Lawyer Rating and Reviews, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 5.2, FDLE: Seal and expunge questions, Search Console Help: Refresh outdated content, Google Search Help: Remove personal information and Google Search Help: Results about you. Removal Lab does not work for Justia, Google or any court. Every decision is made by the platform.