1. A method, comprising: receiving, at an online electronic data discovery system, a request to preserve data related to a legal matter and an identification of a custodian associated with the data, wherein the request is received from a source device via a private network, wherein the custodian is identified by a job function of the custodian, wherein the request is received with a first input that includes a release criterion for discarding the data related to the legal matter, wherein the release criterion includes a statute of limitations date and an event for triggering a release of the data related to the legal matter, wherein the first input further includes a preservation criterion that includes a document subject type that identifies the data related to the legal matter that is to be preserved; automatically accessing a directory via the private network in response to receiving the request; receiving information from the directory indicating whether the identified custodian is accessible via the private network; sending a preservation notice to the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the custodian is accessible via the private network, wherein the preservation notice indicates that the data related to the legal matter is not to be discarded; and sending the preservation notice to a custodian other than the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the identified custodian is not accessible, wherein the identified custodian is not accessible when the job function of the custodian is determined to have changed.