The originals register

Firms hold clients' originals: title deeds, indentures, wills, share certificates, sealed orders, executed counterparts, powers of attorney, passports lodged for an affidavit. The register says what each is, whose it is, which matter it came in on, and where it has been on any day.

Record an original

1. Open Documents and choose Originals in its rail, then New, Record an original; or open the matter's Documents, Originals tab.
2. Describe it, choose its kind and its matter and client, and record when and from whom it arrived.
3. Choose where it is kept, from the firm's own places.

Where originals are kept

The firm's buildings, strong rooms, safes, shelves and boxes are its storage tree, under Settings, Documents, Originals storage. An original is filed in a place with nothing inside it, such as a shelf or a box. Safe custody explains the tree, places kept to named people, and stock checks.

Movements

Each movement, chosen from the original's actions, is a line on a custody chain that can never be edited:

• Check out to a person, with a reason and a day it is due back.
• Return to storage, or Move to another place.
• Release to the client, or to a third party, against a signed receipt filed on the matter.
• Report lost, with the compliance function and the responsible partner told, or Report damage.

The standing of an original always follows from its chain; nobody sets it by hand.

What is outstanding

Documents, Originals, Checked out lists originals out past their due day, still held on a closed matter, or untouched for the firm's number of days, 365 unless the firm changes Original held without movement (days) under Settings, Documents, Document settings, with every reason each is there.

A matter cannot close while the firm holds its client's originals, unless the managing partner passes that with a reason, because a will or a deed is often kept in safe custody past its matter.