Reviewed and updated: 21 July 2026.
A legal attendance note is a matter record, not a cleaned-up transcript. It should show the client’s instructions, the relevant factual account, advice or warnings given, authority to act, deadlines and the next legal step.
Recording may improve factual recall where the firm permits it, but legal significance cannot be delegated to transcription software. A qualified and authorised person must review the final note before it enters the matter file.
This guide provides general workflow information and is not legal or regulatory advice.
Start with the matter questions
Before reviewing the recording, identify what the note must establish:
- Why did the client contact the firm?
- What does the client instruct the firm to do?
- What facts are material to the matter?
- Which documents or evidence were discussed?
- What advice, warning or limitation was given?
- What authority was granted or withheld?
- Which deadlines or urgent risks arise?
- What follow-up information is missing?
This prevents the note becoming a chronological replay of irrelevant conversation.
Use a legal matter-note structure
- Matter identification: reference, client, date, time and contact method.
- Participants: names, roles and anyone attending with the client.
- Purpose: reason for the meeting or call.
- Instructions: what the client asks the firm to do.
- Material account: relevant facts, chronology and source.
- Evidence: documents seen, promised or still required.
- Advice and warnings: what was explained and any uncertainty.
- Client decision: advice accepted, declined or left open.
- Authority: actions the firm may take and any limits.
- Deadlines: limitation, filing, response or commercial dates requiring confirmation.
- Actions: owner, task, due date and dependency.
- Approval and filing: author, reviewer and matter-system location.
Separate the legal voices
| Voice | What it represents | Typical wording |
|---|---|---|
| Client account | What the client says happened | “The client stated…” |
| Third-party information | What another person allegedly said or did | “The client reported that the contractor said…” |
| Solicitor observation | What was directly observed or reviewed | “I reviewed the letter dated…” |
| Legal assessment | Professional analysis or advice | “I advised that…” |
| Client instruction | Authorisation or decision | “The client instructed us to…” |
An AI summary must not merge these into one apparently verified narrative.
Reconstruct chronology carefully
Client meetings often move backwards and forwards in time. Build a separate chronology from the transcript and verify dates against documents where possible. Mark:
- Exact date confirmed by evidence.
- Approximate period recalled by the client.
- Date supplied by a third party.
- Date still requiring verification.
- Deadline calculated by a qualified person.
Do not allow AI to convert “around March” into a specific date.
Replay legally significant wording
Check the audio directly where wording may affect:
- Admissions.
- Offers or settlement positions.
- Authority to incur cost or take action.
- Undertakings or promises.
- Advice and warnings.
- Scope limitations.
- Client consent or refusal.
- Ownership, identity or financial figures.
- Conditional and negative statements.
Where the recording remains unclear, record the uncertainty and seek confirmation.
Preserve advice and client choice separately
The note should make clear:
- What options were explained.
- Which risks or consequences were discussed.
- What recommendation was made, if any.
- What the client decided.
- Whether the decision was final or subject to further information.
“The client understood” should not be inserted automatically. Record the actual exchange and any indication that further explanation was required.
Protect confidentiality and privilege
Before using a recorder or transcription service, the firm should assess the complete capture, storage, processing and export route. Restrict access, avoid personal accounts and do not place the only matter record in a consumer app.
Raw audio can contain more confidential information than the approved note. Apply the firm’s retention, legal-hold and deletion rules rather than keeping recordings indefinitely.
Use a two-part review
Factual review
- Names, dates and figures.
- Speaker attribution.
- Chronology.
- Documents discussed.
- Instructions and actions.
Professional review
- Legal significance.
- Advice and warning accuracy.
- Authority and scope.
- Privilege and confidentiality.
- Urgency and deadlines.
- Proportionate detail.
Both reviews should occur before the note is treated as authoritative.
How NERALVO Halo may fit a firm-approved process
NERALVO Halo offers NOTE mode, supported CALL mode, 64GB local storage, up to 35 hours of recording and Bluetooth sync with DOWAY. DOWAY can generate transcripts, summaries, templates, translations, mind maps and exports. One year of DOWAY Max is included from activation.
These features do not make the device a legal case-management, confidentiality or privilege system. The firm must approve the complete workflow and the legal professional remains responsible for the note.
The matter-file test
A reliable attendance note should allow the next authorised fee earner to identify the instruction, material facts, advice, client decision, authority, deadline and immediate next action without interpreting the raw transcript.
If those elements remain ambiguous, the attendance note requires further review or client confirmation before filing.
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