LawServa
Counsel and Agents
Counsel and Agents in LawServa is the register of every counsel your firm briefs and every agent firm it instructs, on each matter. It records what they were asked to do, the day they appear, whether they have confirmed, the fee agreed and what they reported afterwards, so no hearing is left with nobody confirmed to attend. It is used by litigation lawyers, legal assistants and clerks who arrange appearances.
Before You Start
You need the permission to view counsel and agents. Counsel and Agents is a tab of Matters under Files. You can also open it from a matter record, where it shows only that file's briefs.
The Register
The register lists each brief with its number, Who, Matter, To Do, Status and an Action button. By default it shows briefs that are Still to Happen. Use Search, Status and Kind (counsel, agent or Both) and press Filter, or choose All to include finished and cancelled briefs.
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Briefed, Not Yet Confirmed | You have sent the brief and they have not yet confirmed |
| Confirmed | They have confirmed they will act |
| Done | The appearance or work has happened |
| Cancelled | They were stood down |
Briefing Counsel or Instructing an Agent
- Open Matters, then the Counsel and Agents tab.
- Press New Brief. The Brief Counsel or Instruct an Agent dialog opens.
- Choose the Matter.
- Under Counsel or Agent, choose Counsel Briefed or Agent Instructed.
- Enter Who, and their Chambers or Firm, Email and Telephone.
- Enter What They Are To Do, in the words you used in the brief.
- Enter the Day They Appear and the Court. Leave the day blank for advice with no fixed date.
- If the brief covers a hearing in the diary, choose it under Diary Entry This Covers.
- Enter the Date Briefed and the Fee Agreed (RM).
- Press Record It.
| Field | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | The counsel or the person at the agent firm | Encik Ahmad bin Ismail |
| Chambers or Firm | Their chambers or firm | |
| What They Are To Do | What you asked them to do; this is what they will be held to | Appear at case management |
| Day They Appear | The hearing or appearance date | |
| Diary Entry This Covers | The diary date this brief is for | Case management, High Court |
| Fee Agreed (RM) | The agreed fee; leave blank if nothing is agreed, or enter 0 for a courtesy arrangement | 1500.00 |
Recording Confirmation
- Press Open on the brief.
- Under They Have Confirmed, enter the Date They Confirmed.
- Press Confirm It.
After the Appearance
- Open the brief.
- Under It Has Happened, enter the Day and, in What They Said Happened, their report.
- Press Mark Done.
The report then appears under What They Reported. To add or correct it later, use Write Up the Report or Correct the Report and press Save Report.
Correcting or Standing Down a Brief
To fix a mistake, open the brief, expand Correct the Details, make the change and press Save Changes.
To cancel a brief, open it, expand Stand Them Down, enter Why and press Stand Down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does LawServa Email the Brief to Counsel?
No. You send the brief yourself. The register records what was asked and what happened.
How Do I Know a Hearing Has Nobody Attending?
Link each brief to its diary entry with Diary Entry This Covers. LawServa can then show when a hearing has nobody confirmed against it.
What Should I Enter as the Fee for a Courtesy Appearance?
Enter 0. A blank fee means nothing has been agreed yet, while 0 records a real courtesy arrangement.
Can I See All Briefs for One Matter?
Yes. Open the register from the matter record, or search by the matter number.