Generate a Document from a Precedent

Generate a Document in LawServa lets you turn one of your firm's precedents into a finished letter or document for a single matter, with the client, matter, party and firm details filled in automatically from the file. The result is saved as a PDF in the matter's documents. It is used by fee earners, clerks and secretaries who produce standard letters, such as covering letters, demands and engagement letters, many times a day.

Before You Start

• You need permission to use precedents. Your firm grants this under Firm Management; if you do not see the Generate Document button on a matter, ask a partner or your practice manager.
• The precedent must be In use. Precedents that are still a Draft or have been Retired are not offered. Precedents are written and settled in the precedent library, reached from Documents > Templates and Precedents.
• The matter details should be complete. Every value in the letter is read from the matter, the client record, the matter parties and the firm profile, so a gap on the file becomes a gap in the letter.

Opening the Screen

1. Open the matter you want the document for.
2. Scroll to the Documents card on the matter.
3. Press Generate Document.

The screen opens with the title Generate a Document and a line naming the matter number and title. The Matter Documents button at the top takes you back to the matter's documents at any time.

Choosing a Precedent

The screen lists every precedent your firm has marked as in use. Precedents filed under the matter's own practice area are listed first, then General precedents, then the rest. Nothing is hidden: you can still use, for example, a general engagement letter on a probate file.

A precedent marked Starter example is one of the Malaysian examples shipped with LawServa that your firm has not yet settled as its own.

If the list is empty, the screen says no precedent is in use yet and offers a Precedent Library button. If you can author precedents, you can write one there or install the shipped examples; otherwise ask a partner or your practice manager to set one up.

Previewing and Generating

1. Press the Preview icon on the precedent's row.
2. A dialog opens showing the document with this matter's details filled in. The line under the title names the precedent and version and confirms that this is exactly what will be filed.
3. Read any warnings at the top of the dialog (see below).
4. Where your firm has AI switched on, you can ask the assistant to read the draft and point out anything to look at again. It does not rewrite the letter, advise on the law or confirm it is fit to send.
5. Under File It As, choose how the document is categorised in the matter's documents. The default is Correspondence.
6. Press Generate It.

To try a different precedent, press Pick Another. To leave without generating anything, press Close. Previewing changes nothing on the file.

Blank Fields

If the matter is missing a value the precedent needs, the dialog shows a warning such as One field has no value on this file, and names each missing field. In the document each gap appears as ''[ ]''. You can either:

• fill the value in on the matter and preview again, or
• generate now and complete the gap by hand afterwards.

Starter Examples

When you preview a starter example, the dialog warns that it is written by LawServa, is not approved by the Bar Council and is not legal advice. It should be settled by your firm before it is used on a real file.

What Gets Filed

When you press Generate It, LawServa:

• produces the document as a PDF, named after the document's title;
• files it on the matter, under the category you chose in File It As, with a note naming the precedent and version it came from;
• records who generated it, when, which precedent version was used and which fields were blank at the time;
• takes you to the matter's documents with the message Document generated and filed.

Because it is filed like any other matter document, it can be found in a documents search and can trigger your firm's automations in the same way as an uploaded file.

File It As Options

The options are Agreement, Title and Search, Loan Documents, Stamping, Court Document, Correspondence (the default), Identity and CDD, Financial and Other. They are the same categories used for uploaded matter documents.

Where the Details Come From

To change what appears in a letter, correct the matter, client or party record, not the generated document, then generate again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Can I Not See the Generate Document Button?

The button only shows to people with permission to use precedents. Ask a partner or your practice manager to grant it under Firm Management.

Why Is My Precedent Not in the List?

Only precedents with the status In use are offered. A Draft or Retired precedent must be put in use in the precedent library first.

What Does [ ] Mean in the Document?

It marks a field that had no value on the matter when the document was generated. Fill the value in on the matter and generate again, or complete it by hand.

Where Is the Generated Document Saved?

It is saved as a PDF in the matter's documents, under the category you chose in File It As, with a note naming the precedent and version used.

If I Change a Precedent Later, Does the Filed Letter Change?

No. The filed PDF stays as it was generated, and LawServa records which precedent version it came from.

Related Guides

• Documents and Correspondence
• Matters
• Enquiries and Clients
• AI Lawyer
• Compliance, Reports and Automations
• Firm Management and Access