LawServa Safe Custody

Safe Custody in LawServa is the firm's register of original documents held in the strong room: original titles (geran), wills, executed agreements, sealed court orders, share certificates and other originals that belong to clients. It records where each one is kept, who has it when it leaves the room, when it is due back, and on what authority it was finally handed back or destroyed. It is used by reception, conveyancing clerks, lawyers and partners.

Before You Start

Open it from Safe Custody under Files in the menu. You can also open the register filtered to one file from that matter.

What you can do depends on your role:

If you can only read the register, the item window says so and shows no forms.

Booking an Original In

Book an original in at reception, on the day it arrives, before it goes into the cabinet.

1. Open Safe Custody and press Book In. The Book an Original In dialog opens.
2. Choose Whose Original It Is (the client) and, if it came in on a live matter, the File It Arrived On. Only open files are listed.
3. Choose the Kind of original.
4. Under What It Is, type the words on the document itself, not a summary.
5. Add the Identifying Number, such as the lot, title, grant or certificate number.
6. Check How Many Pieces, the Date Received and who it was Received From.
7. Under Kept At, say exactly where it is being stored, for example "Strong room, cabinet B, box 4". Places already used by the firm are suggested as you type.
8. Add anything useful under Anything Else, then press Book In.

LawServa gives each item a reference in the form ''SC/2026/0001''.

Booking In Fields

Kinds of Original

• Original Title (Geran)
• Original Will
• Original Executed Agreement
• Sealed Court Order
• Share Certificate
• Passport or Identity Document
• Statutory Declaration
• Power of Attorney
• Insurance Policy
• Other Original

Finding an Item

The register opens on the Held view. Use the tabs to switch between Held, Out, Overdue, Released, Destroyed and All. The Overdue tab shows a count when anything is late.

To narrow the list, use Search (reference, lot or title number, description, client, matter or cabinet), Kind and Kept At, then press Filter. The list shows the Reference, What It Is, Whose, Kept At and Where It Is Now. Press the open icon on a row to open the item.

Editing an Entry

While an item is held, the people who keep the register can correct its Kind, What It Is, Identifying Number, How Many Pieces, Kept At and Anything Else, then press Save Changes. The reference, the client and the date it arrived cannot be changed.

If the item is signed out, its storage place cannot be changed here. Record it back in and say where it went. Once an item has been released or destroyed, its entry is history and can no longer be edited.

Signing an Original Out

1. Open the item from the register.
2. Under Sign It Out, pick the person in the firm carrying it in Taken By. If it is going to the client, counsel or the land office, leave that as Somebody outside the firm and name them in Or Taken by Whom.
3. Say What For, for example "Presentation of transfer at the land office".
4. Check When It Went Out.
5. Set Due Back. It defaults to 14 days ahead and cannot be earlier than the day it went out.
6. Press Check Out.

Recording It Back In

1. Open the item. While it is out, the Record It Back In section appears.
2. Check When It Came Back. It cannot be before it went out, or in the future.
3. Confirm Put Back At, which may not be where it came from.
4. Note any damage under Anything Wrong with It, such as a tear, a missing page or a new stamp.
5. Press Check In.

Releasing or Destroying an Original

When the original goes back for good, a lawyer or partner records the outcome. It must be in the strong room first: if it is signed out, record it back in before releasing it.

1. Open the item and go to Hand It Back for Good.
2. A partner chooses What Happened to It: Released - handed back to the person entitled to it or Destroyed - on a recorded authority. Lawyers who are not partners can only release.
3. For a release, name the person under Handed To, for example "Encik Ahmad bin Ismail, in person, identity checked".
4. Check the date under On. It cannot be in the future or before the firm received the item.
5. Under On What Authority, write a sentence naming the client's written instruction, the court order or the retainer term. "Client asked" is not accepted as an authority.
6. Press Record Outcome.

Statuses

The What the States Mean panel on the register explains each state. Every state shows a word and a symbol, so it reads the same in black and white.

Held and Out are worked out from the movement history, so the register and the history always agree.

Movement History

Each item shows its full Movement History: when it went out and came back, who took it, why, and who recorded it. Movements are written once and cannot be edited or deleted. An item booked in before the register was used may have no movements, which does not mean it was never taken out.

Labels, Receipts and Printouts

• Print Label in an item's window opens a label for that one item.
• Print Labels on the register opens a label sheet for the items currently listed, two labels across on A4. Print it, or choose Save as PDF in the print dialog.
• Receipt PDF produces an Acknowledgement of Receipt for the client while the item is held.
• Release PDF produces a Release Acknowledgement for the person collecting, once it has been released. A destroyed item has neither.
• Download PDF produces the Safe Custody Register on A4, using the filter you have on screen.
• Movements CSV downloads every movement in and out of the strong room as a spreadsheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I close a matter that still has originals in safe custody?

No. LawServa refuses to close a file that still holds originals marked Held. Return them to the client, or record a formal release, before closing the file.

Why can I not release an item?

Releasing is reserved to a lawyer or a partner, and destroying to a partner. The item must also be back in the strong room; if it is signed out, record it back in first.

Can I correct a mistake in a movement?

No. Movements are written once and cannot be edited or deleted, so record the next movement carefully.

How is an original flagged as overdue?

An item becomes Overdue when it is signed out and its Due Back date has passed without it being recorded back in. The Overdue tab shows how many there are.

Why is the register empty on the Held view?

Everything may have been released or destroyed. Switch to the All view to read the history.

Related Guides

• Matters
• Documents and Correspondence
• Undertakings
• Risk Radar
• Firm Management and Access
• Troubleshooting and FAQ