Legal Services Offshore blog
Building a deposition exhibit custody register with an offshore team
Keep exhibit source, version, movement, and return details visible while counsel controls selection and use.
Set the boundary for deposition exhibit custody registration
Published September 7, 2026. Start with a named matter and a written instruction that identifies deposition counsel. The support worker may prepare an administrative record from approved material. Legal interpretation, client advice, approval, and release remain with the firm. Give this workflow the identifier S7-02 so its evidence can be traced without relying on inbox memory.
Work from a closed source set
The permitted inputs are the counsel-selected exhibit set, source folder, exhibit labels, transfer receipts, session notes, and return instruction. Capture each source location, visible version, and access date before doing the check. Do not browse for a substitute or quietly repair a discrepancy. A source gap is a fact for the record, not permission to widen the assignment.
Build the working record
Use these fields: exhibit label, source filename, version, sender, recipient, transfer time, return state, and exception. Write what the source shows in plain language. Keep blanks when the approved material is silent. The record should let deposition counsel find the same item and reproduce the observation without a private explanation from the preparer.
Handle the awkward case
A PDF labeled Exhibit 12 has a different page count from the approved source. Record the count difference and leave the approved file unchanged. This is where a useful workflow differs from a tidy spreadsheet. Preserve the inconvenient evidence and assign one precise question. Never overwrite the earlier state after the reviewer answers; add the disposition as a later event.
Know when to pause
Pause when a label repeats, a file changes, custody evidence is missing, an exhibit is added, or use at the deposition must be decided. Send the relevant source references, the observed difference, and the requested decision to deposition counsel. Prepared, reviewed, approved, and released are separate states. A checked box cannot collapse those decisions into one.
Pilot and review
Test the process on a small batch that includes ordinary records and at least one known exception. Review for wrong source, stale version, missing field, permission overreach, and weak disposition evidence. Count each category separately. A single accuracy percentage hides the difference between a clerical correction and a question that belongs to counsel.
Protect client and matter data
Use named accounts, matter-limited permissions, approved devices, and firm-approved transfer paths. Put links or identifiers in the tracker when copying sensitive text is unnecessary. If material appears in the wrong location or reaches the wrong person, stop and follow the firm's incident path.
Close with evidence
Close the record after deposition counsel gives a documented disposition and the preparer links any correction to its earlier observation. Remove temporary access at assignment end and retain material only under firm policy. Recheck the workflow when a system, client instruction, reviewer, or source changes.