The question of how to send legal documents through mail gets asked more often than you’d think. Legal documents need special, secure handling because their content is usually confidential and time-sensitive. 

The Internet, email, and other online document delivery systems offer the promise of secure and timely delivery. However, even if tight security measures are in place, these systems are prone to attack, interruption, and interception, making them less reliable for sending documents securely.

Sending mail through a mail carrier such as the United States Postal Service is still one of the best ways to send legal documents safely and securely. 

That’s where Click2Mail comes in – a mailing software service working closely with the USPS to send legal documents securely through the mail. 

How to Send Legal Documents Through Mail Securely

Certified Mail
Use Certified Mail for crucial or valuable documents where it is necessary to have proof of the date that an item is mailed and delivered. The sender can access tracking that confirms the date of mailing, verification of the delivery date, or that delivery was attempted but unsuccessful.

The USPS maintains a record of delivery for two years from the date of mailing. Click2Mail retains records  of barcode tracking scans for much longer, meaning the tracking information will be available via your Click2Mail account long after it’s been disposed of by USPS.

Receipt For Sender
The chain of custody begins with the sender. It is often necessary to show you sent documents when you say you did to the correct addresses. With Certified Mail you receive a unique tracking number that shows the date and time of mailing. Should the need arise, that receipt is clear and indisputable evidence. If the US Post Office says you sent it, you sent it.

USPS Return Receipt Electronic
Certified mail requires a signature from the receiver, whether that is the intended recipient or someone authorized to sign for documents at the address. The signature shows the date the documents were received and who signed for them, removing the possibility of a dispute about late or non-delivery. The USPS’s optional Return Receipt Electronic (RRE) makes it easy to get this information – it’s available as a PDF from USPS.com or your Click2Mail account order history.

Return Receipt Service
When an electronic receipt doesn’t meet your legal requirements, choose a green card Return Receipt. This is a physical card with the recipient’s signature, returned to you by mail, which you can show if you need to.

Although it is not possible to request a Return Receipt after the date of mailing, it is possible to request information from the USPS delivery record if the previously purchased Return Receipt did not arrive.

Cost of Service

US Postage and Fees for Certified Mail
Base Postage/Fees Rates
as of May 2023*
Certified Mail in a #10 envelope$4.78
Certified Mail with Return Receipt Electronic
Signature (PDF) (replaces Green Card)		$6.88
Certified Mail with Return Receipt Green Card
(Old Fashioned Green Card)		$8.83
*Postage rates and fees are determined by the USPS and may change at any time.

Priority Mail Express
Priority Mail Express is a good choice for sending letters, large or thick envelopes, tubes, and packages containing mailable items when delivery time is important. 

It offers:
• Guaranteed delivery time of 1-2 days
• Insurance up to $100
• Tracking
• Delivery Confirmation
• Signature Confirmation

Click2Mail is a great help when you need to send Priority Mail Express letters! We can mail 1 or 100 for you tomorrow, and you don’t even have to go stand in line at the post office.

Priority Mail
When time is less critical but you still need perfect end-to-end tracking, cut the Express. 

Priority Mail offers:
• Delivery time of 1-3 days
• Insurance up to $500
• Tracking
• Delivery confirmation
• Lower cost

Click2Mail offers an excellent service called Priority Mail Plus, where you can place your order by 12 P.M. Eastern and have your legal documents mailed that same day and delivered by USPS as soon as the next day. (It’s almost as if we intended to make the sending of physical letters for our clients our #1 priority!)

First Class Mail 
First Class mail suggests better treatment, and USPS does forward First Class mail to a new address and returns it to the sender if it can’t be delivered. However, while it is economical and reliable, there is no concierge service here. Regular First Class mail does not include tracking, insurance, or delivery verification and is typically used for documents that do not require proof of sending or delivery. Click2Mail improves on Regular First Class by adding Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) so you get IMb tracing on each piece, which is similar to tracking and monitors movement of that mailpiece through the postal delivery stream. IMb tracing does not include an actual delivery scan or signature confirmation.

First Class mail is suitable for letters, postcards, flat envelopes, padded envelopes, and lightweight packages. It’s also pretty affordable.

Click2Mail’s Automation Solutions to Print and Mail Legal Documents
Most office systems today have many functions and capabilities relevant to their clients, including the tools to automate at least some of their postal communications. Often, the missing piece is delivering that mail to the post office.

Click2Mail’s Automation Solutions to Print and Mail Legal Documents

Click2Mail solves that problem by providing a comprehensive suite of on-demand postal mail creation functions that integrate into almost any communications and transaction workflow your business needs. 

Email-to-Mail allows you to  have emailed documents automatically printed for you the next business day and mailed through the United States Postal Service, for just pennies more than the price of postage alone.

MailJack+ is ideal for easily sending legal documents, invoices, statements, and other computer-generated communications that already have names and addresses and are ready to mail. 

Use the USPS Services
The USPS has a long history of delivering documents securely and on time and is generally more affordable than its private sector competitors.

Use the USPS Services
The USPS has a long history of delivering documents securely and on time and is generally more affordable than its private sector competitors.

It also:

  • Is required by law to protect the privacy of its customers.
  • Provides the return of undeliverable First Class mail, proving the attempted delivery.
  • Provides payment protection on Priority Mail Express in case of non-delivery.

Conclusion

Legal documents contain confidential, sensitive data. To answer the question of how to send legal documents through mail, know that you require a secure channel. This should include verification of the sending and receiving dates and secure transportation between the two parties. Time is often critical when dealing with legal documents, and guaranteed delivery dates may be important.

You could handle this yourself, but why? You’ve got better things to do with your time. Why not let Click2Mail do that for you? With our speedy services and helpful postal mail apps, we’re a modern and friendly postman’s assistant. And we won’t fail to deliver your legal documents to the post office on account of a rainy day or a traffic jam either.