In criminal law, the term ‘chain of custody’ is a familiar concept and until some years back it was not a major concern for civil litigators. But with the advent of online records, the actual nature of evidence in civil litigation has undergone a sea change. From tangible paper records to electronic data, the average New York lawyer now has to change his attitude towards records used as evidence in court. And that means being hyper aware of the chain of custody (COC) and how this can affect the outcome of the trial.