Undertakings

An undertaking binds the lawyer who gives it personally, and the firm with them. Docavra keeps every one, given or received, in one register.

Record one

On the matter's Undertakings tab, or from Compliance, Firm, Undertakings, choose Record undertaking and give:

• Matter: the matter it is on.
• Direction: Given by the firm for a promise one of the firm's lawyers makes, or Received by the firm for one made to the firm by the other side.
• Kind: one of the firm's undertaking kinds (to hold documents to order, to pay money, to deliver title deeds, to discharge a mortgage, to lodge documents, or other), each with its risk.
• Given by (or Given to, for one received): the firm's lawyer.
• Given to (or Received from): the party on the other side.
• Given on, Due by, the Undertaking letter (a document already on the matter) and the words of The undertaking.

Giving one asks whether the lawyer holds a practising certificate on the day, as Settings, System, General, Compliance, Practising certificate enforcement sets: the firm may refuse, warn or say nothing. One the firm receives is not checked.

A partner's approval before it is given

The risks a partner approves first are set under Settings, System, General, Compliance, Undertakings needing a partner's approval (high, as shipped). An undertaking of such a kind is recorded as Proposed and waits in the Approvals inbox of the partners. A partner other than the one who proposed it, and other than the lawyer giving it, chooses Approve (with a note, if they wish) or Refuse with the reason. Whoever proposed it is told either way. Only an approved one is given.

Changing the words, the party, the day it falls due or the letter of one approved, or still waiting, sends it back to wait for a partner's approval, the earlier decision cleared: the partner approved what it said, not what it says now.

Keep it, release it, or record its breach

From the undertaking's page:

• Discharge records the promise kept, and how.
• Record the release records that the person it was given to let the firm go, why, and the document of release where there is one.
• Record a breach records an undertaking not met: the day, what happened, what the firm did, and the day it was reported to the General Legal Council, if it was. Record the report to the Council adds that day later. A breach is told at once to whoever manages compliance, and reads red on the matter, on the lawyer's page and in the register.

The lawyer and the matter's responsible partner are told as an undertaking the firm gave falls due (the days before are Undertaking reminder (days before due), seven as shipped) and every day it is overdue. One the firm received reminds the lawyer it was given to.

A matter cannot close while an undertaking the firm gave on it is proposed or open. One the firm received does not hold it.

The register

Compliance, Firm, Undertakings lists every undertaking on the matters you may open: search by number, words, party or matter, and narrow by Standing, Direction, Kind, Risk, Binding, Lawyer and Due, then export it as a file after you confirm. Each person's page has an Undertakings tab listing those they gave or received that still bind.