LawServa · LawServa: Legal Practice Manual
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.
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:
| Task | Who Can Do It |
|---|---|
| Read the register, print labels and PDFs | Anyone allowed to see Safe Custody |
| Book originals in, edit entries, sign them out and back in | The people who keep the register |
| Release an original for good | A lawyer or a partner |
| Destroy an original | A partner only |
If you can only read the register, the item window says so and shows no forms.
Book an original in at reception, on the day it arrives, before it goes into the cabinet.
LawServa gives each item a reference in the form ''SC/2026/0001''.
| Field | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Whose Original It Is | The client the document belongs to. You must choose a client, a file, or both. | Encik Ahmad bin Ismail |
| File It Arrived On | The open matter it came in on. Leave blank for an original held outside any live matter. If you choose both, the file must belong to that client. | The matter number |
| Kind | The type of original (required). | Original Title (Geran) |
| What It Is | The wording on the document (required). | Original issue document of title, Geran 12345, Lot 456 Mukim Petaling |
| Identifying Number | What proves it is the right document. | Geran 12345 / Lot 456 |
| How Many Pieces | A whole number, 1 by default. | 1 |
| Date Received | The date it was handed over. It cannot be in the future. | Today |
| Received From | Who handed it over (required). | Encik Ahmad bin Ismail, in person |
| Kept At | The exact storage place (required). | Strong room, cabinet B, box 4 |
| Anything Else | Free notes. |
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.
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.
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.
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.
| State | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Held | In the strong room. |
| Out | Signed out and not back yet. |
| Overdue | Out past the date it was due back. |
| Released | Handed back for good, on a recorded authority. |
| Destroyed | Destroyed on a recorded authority. It no longer exists. |
Held and Out are worked out from the movement history, so the register and the history always agree.
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.
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.
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.
No. Movements are written once and cannot be edited or deleted, so record the next movement carefully.
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.
Everything may have been released or destroyed. Switch to the All view to read the history.