LawServa · LawServa: Legal Practice Manual
Undertakings in LawServa is the firm's register of every professional undertaking given by the firm and every undertaking received from another party, recorded against the matter it arose on. It shows what the firm has promised, what it is waiting on, what is due soon and what is overdue, and it keeps a record of who discharged each one and how. It is used by lawyers, partners, clerks and anyone who records or follows up undertakings on a file.
Under Bar Council Ruling 14.09, failure to honour an undertaking amounts to professional misconduct, and an undertaking binds the firm however junior the person who gave it. The ruling does not require a register; this one exists so nothing given in a hurry is forgotten.
The register opens on Outstanding undertakings. Use the strip under the heading to switch between Outstanding, Discharged, Withdrawn and All.
To narrow the list:
You can also open the register from a matter's own page, which filters it to that matter and shows every status. Press Show the whole register to go back to the full list.
| Column | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| No. | Row number on this list |
| Due | The date for performance, with an Overdue pill once it has passed, or a Today or days-left pill within 7 days. No date fixed if none was set |
| Undertaking | A Given or Received pill, the other party and the start of the wording. AI-read wording or Amended pills appear where they apply |
| Matter | The matter number and client |
| Who Is Bound | For a given undertaking, the solicitor who gave it; for a received one, The other firm. Both show the date given |
| Status | Outstanding, Discharged or Withdrawn, with the closing date, and the Open button |
Record it the day it goes out, in the words actually used.
| Field | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Matter | The file the undertaking arose on | An open conveyancing matter |
| Who Gave It | Whether it is the firm's own promise or one owed to the firm | Given by This Firm |
| To or From | The other party | Maybank Berhad, or Lim & Partners |
| Solicitor Who Gave It | The lawyer or partner personally bound. Required when the firm gave it. A lawyer or partner recording their own may leave it as You | A partner's name |
| What Was Undertaken | The wording, not a summary. This is what the firm will be held to | To forward the redemption sum within 14 days of receipt |
| Date Given | When the undertaking was given. Defaults to today | 23/09/2026 |
| To Be Performed By | Optional. Nothing is computed from it; it drives the due pills and the reminder | 07/10/2026 |
If the matter is already closed, the undertaking is still recorded, but you are warned that the file is on no working screen and advised to reopen it if it is still live.
Where your firm has AI switched on, the dialog has a Read a Letter for the Promise section. Paste the letter in and ask the assistant to find the undertaking in it. Press Use It to put the proposed wording into What Was Undertaken. It reads the letter only and records nothing; you still fill in the fields and press Record It. An undertaking recorded this way carries an AI-read wording pill in the register and on the PDF, so always check the wording against the letter itself.
Only the solicitor who gave the undertaking, the file's partner or somebody with approval authority over that solicitor can change those three things on a given undertaking. Anyone who can edit matters can correct the other party and the date given.
Every change is kept. The row shows an Amended pill, and the dialog lists each amendment under Amendments with who made it, when, what each field said before and the reason given.
How is required unless you choose a document as proof. A withdrawal always needs a note of who released it.
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | Still to be performed, or still awaited from the other party |
| Discharged | Performed, with the date, the person who recorded it and how |
| Withdrawn | Released by the other party, or it never took effect |
Press Download PDF for the Undertakings Register as an A4 document. It uses the filter currently on screen and shows it at the top, with the number of entries, how many were given by the firm, how many were received, how many are overdue and who prepared it. Each entry lists the date given, matter, parties, wording, due date and status. Press CSV beside it to download the same list as a spreadsheet, or Print to print the page.
Only lawyers and partners can record an undertaking as discharged or withdrawn. For one given by the firm, it must be the solicitor who gave it, the file's partner or somebody with approval authority over that solicitor. The dialog tells you when this applies to you.
No. A discharge or withdrawal cannot be undone and the undertaking can no longer be edited. If the position changes, record a new undertaking.
You gave it on a file you are now screened from. The promise stays on your register because it binds you personally, but the file is not named.
No. Leave To Be Performed By blank if no date was fixed. Without a date there are no due pills and no reminder email, so set one whenever the undertaking has a deadline.
The matter still has an outstanding undertaking. Perform it and record it as discharged, or record it as withdrawn, then close the file.