Reviewed and fact-checked: 21 July 2026.
An attendance note should allow another authorised legal professional to understand the material contact, client instructions, advice, decisions, risks and next action. Recording may reduce reconstruction from memory, but neither a transcript nor an AI summary automatically becomes the firm’s authoritative attendance note.
Quick verdict: record only through the firm’s approved lawful process, make important instructions and qualifications explicit, verify the source transcript and require the responsible legal professional to approve the final note in the matter-management system.
Commercial disclosure: NERALVO sells the Halo AI voice recorder. This article provides general information about a controlled drafting workflow. It is not legal or regulatory advice and does not determine whether recording is appropriate for a particular firm, client, matter or jurisdiction.
What an attendance note needs to preserve
The purpose is not to reproduce every sentence. It is to create a clear contemporaneous professional record of the material contact.
- Date, time, method and participants.
- Matter and client reference.
- Reason for the contact.
- Material facts and documents discussed.
- Client questions and instructions.
- Advice, options, qualifications and risks explained.
- Decision, authority or approval given.
- Actions, owners and deadlines.
- Documents, correspondence or follow-up required.
- Author, review and filing status.
The transcript, AI draft and attendance note are different records
| Record | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Audio | Source reference where recording is approved | Temporary or retained according to policy |
| Transcript | Searchable representation of the audio | Requires correction |
| AI summary | Draft structure or extraction aid | Not authoritative |
| Attendance note | Professional matter record | Approved through the firm’s process |
This separation matters because AI may remove qualifications, misattribute instructions or turn a discussion into an apparent agreement.
Check the firm’s recording process before the meeting
Client meetings and calls may include confidential, privileged, commercially sensitive or special-category information. The firm should determine whether recording is necessary and permitted, which lawful basis and transparency arrangements apply, which devices and processors are approved, how access is restricted and when source files are deleted.
| Before recording | Required question |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Why is audio needed rather than ordinary notes? |
| Authority | Who has approved this use and matter type? |
| Client information | What will be explained before recording starts? |
| Alternative | What happens if recording is unsuitable or declined? |
| Security | Are the device, app, account and processor approved? |
| Review | Which responsible professional approves the note? |
| Retention | When are audio and working drafts deleted? |
SRA duties remain with the firm and responsible solicitor
The SRA Code of Conduct for Firms requires firms to act on client instructions, provide competent and timely service and maintain effective systems for supervising client matters. The SRA’s effective-supervision guidance was updated on 12 June 2026 and continues to emphasise direction, management, supervision and control where work is delegated.
An AI tool can support drafting. It cannot accept client instructions, exercise professional judgement or remove the supervising solicitor’s accountability.
How NERALVO Halo may support attendance-note drafting
NERALVO Halo is an ultra-slim, phone-mounted AI voice recorder with NOTE mode for suitable in-person meetings, supported CALL mode for lawful and disclosed phone or social-app calls, 64GB local storage, up to 35 hours of recording and Bluetooth sync with the DOWAY app. DOWAY can produce transcripts, summaries, templates, translations, mind maps and exports. One year of DOWAY Max is included.
Compatibility varies by phone, app, volume and case, so any CALL-mode workflow should be tested lawfully with the exact setup. Product features do not determine whether the firm may record a particular client contact.
Make material wording explicit during the contact
Do not expect the transcript to infer legal significance. Where appropriate, restate and confirm:
- The client’s instruction in clear terms.
- Who is authorised to give that instruction.
- The options considered.
- The advice and material risks explained.
- Any limitation, assumption or qualification.
- What the client decided or declined.
- Which document will be signed or supplied.
- The next action and deadline.
- Any issue requiring urgent escalation or specialist advice.
Weak: “We’ll probably proceed with the second option.”
Stronger: “The client instructs us to proceed with option two after we explained the additional cost and the risk that completion may be delayed. Written authority will be supplied by Friday.”
A robust attendance-note template
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Header | Matter, date, time, method, participants and author |
| Purpose | Reason for meeting or call |
| Material information | Relevant facts, documents and source |
| Client position | Questions, objectives and direct instructions |
| Advice | Options, risks, qualifications and recommendations |
| Decision | What the client authorised, rejected or reserved |
| Action | Task, owner, deadline and dependency |
| Follow-up | Correspondence, documents, approvals or next contact |
| Review | Responsible professional and approval status |
Correct the source transcript carefully
Check the relevant audio for:
- Client, witness, counterparty and organisation names.
- Speaker attribution and authority.
- Dates, monetary amounts, percentages and deadlines.
- Statutory, contractual and technical terminology.
- Negation and conditional wording.
- Exact instructions and any withdrawal or modification.
- Advice qualifications and uncertainty.
- References to documents, clauses or correspondence.
- Whether a statement was fact, allegation, opinion or legal assessment.
Preserve client instructions accurately
A discussion of possible action is not necessarily an instruction. The attendance note should show:
- What the client was asked to decide.
- What information and advice they received.
- What instruction they gave.
- Who gave it and their authority.
- Any condition or confirmation still outstanding.
- What the firm agreed to do as a result.
Where instructions appear inconsistent, incomplete or potentially unauthorised, follow the firm’s professional process rather than allowing an AI summary to choose one interpretation.
Separate fact, allegation, advice and assessment
| Category | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Client statement | “The client states that payment was made on 2 July.” |
| Documentary fact | “Bank statement reviewed shows a transfer dated 2 July.” |
| Allegation | “The client alleges that the signature was added without authority.” |
| Legal advice | “We advised that the available evidence may support…” |
| Professional assessment | “My preliminary assessment is subject to reviewing the full agreement.” |
This protects the record from falsely presenting disputed or provisional information as established fact.
Confidentiality and data minimisation
Record only what the defined professional purpose requires. Do not leave the recorder running through unrelated conversation, internal discussion or another client’s information. Restrict audio, transcripts and drafts to authorised people and avoid copying them into email, personal storage and multiple matter locations without need.
Supervision and delegated drafting
Where a trainee, paralegal, outsourced service or AI tool supports the draft, the firm should define:
- Which matter types are eligible.
- Who corrects the transcript.
- Which notes require supervisor review.
- How urgent instructions are escalated.
- How confidentiality and privilege are protected.
- How corrections and audit trails are maintained.
- Who is accountable for the final note.
The more significant the advice, instruction or consequence, the stronger the review should be.
A controlled post-meeting workflow
- Complete urgent client or protective action immediately.
- Move the audio into the approved secure workflow.
- Generate and correct the transcript.
- Identify material facts, instructions, advice and decisions.
- Check qualifications, authority, deadlines and document references.
- Remove irrelevant private conversation and duplicate detail.
- Draft the attendance note in the firm’s template.
- Complete the required legal and supervisory review.
- Save the approved note promptly in the matter system.
- Send a client confirmation where appropriate.
- Apply the firm’s retention policy to audio, transcripts and working drafts.
When recording is the wrong tool
A different workflow may be needed where:
- The contact involves highly sensitive or privileged material not approved for the device or processor.
- Recording could inhibit the client or undermine accessibility.
- The firm cannot provide an appropriate non-recorded process.
- A court, tribunal, prison, police station, employer, platform or third party prohibits recording.
- The matter requires a specialist evidential or certified recording system.
- Immediate action matters more than documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI transcript become the attendance note automatically?
No. It is source material for a professional record that requires verification and approval.
Does a recording prevent disputes about what was said?
No. It may clarify wording, but completeness, context, legality, access, authenticity and professional interpretation still matter.
Should every client call be recorded?
No. Recording should be necessary, proportionate and approved for the defined purpose.
Can a junior employee approve the AI note?
Only within the firm’s lawful delegation and supervision arrangements. The responsible authorised professional retains accountability for the legal service and record.
Should the full transcript be stored on the matter file?
Not automatically. Store the least amount necessary under the firm’s policy, with the approved attendance note as the usable professional record.
Can Halo be used in court or a tribunal?
Do not assume so. Recording may be prohibited or require express permission and a specialist process.
Preserve instructions without surrendering professional judgement
A permitted recording can reduce reconstruction time and help a solicitor verify exact wording. Accurate client instructions, competent review, effective supervision and confidentiality make the final attendance note reliable.
Explore NERALVO Halo for approved client meetings, supported calls and structured attendance-note drafting.
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