Question 1

What is Custody Note?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is a digital note-taking and workflow tool for criminal defence professionals. It helps users create structured police station attendance notes, including disclosure, client instructions, advice, interview notes and follow-up actions.

Question 2

Who is Custody Note designed for?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is designed for criminal defence solicitors, accredited police station representatives, litigators and legal teams involved in police station and pre-charge work in England and Wales.

Question 3

Does Custody Note provide legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. Custody Note is a note-taking and workflow support tool. It doesn't provide legal advice, replace professional judgment, or create a solicitor-client relationship.

Question 4

Can Custody Note help with police station attendance notes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Custody Note helps you set out police station attendance notes by prompting you to record the key information: disclosure, instructions, advice, what happened in interview and follow-up actions.

Question 5

Does Custody Note guarantee compliance?

Accepted Answer

No. Custody Note can support more consistent note preparation, but users remain responsible for complying with their own professional, regulatory, contractual and data protection obligations.

Question 6

Is Custody Note suitable for accredited police station representatives?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Accredited police station representatives, solicitors and criminal defence teams can all use it to keep structured records of their police station attendances.

Question 7

Is Custody Note free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Custody Note is free while it's in beta. A Pro plan, at around £9.99 a month, is planned after beta. You can't buy it yet. You can download it and use the attendance notes, PDF export and offline working at no cost.

Question 8

What is included free vs Pro?

Accepted Answer

During beta you get core attendance note workflows free: structured custody, voluntary and telephone forms, PDF export, local encryption, and offline use. It's free during beta. Sign in with your email to sync your notes across up to 5 computers. Notes are encrypted on your computer before upload. A Pro plan, at around £9.99 a month, is planned after beta, with managed cloud backup and advanced tools such as firm tracking and monthly reports. You can't buy it yet. See our Pricing page.

Question 9

Why is Custody Note free during beta?

Accepted Answer

We're still testing with real criminal defence workflows. Free beta access builds market feedback before we wire up paid Pro. Features and pricing may change when beta ends.

Question 10

How do I install Custody Note?

Accepted Answer

On Windows, install from the Microsoft Store (recommended). If your firm blocks the Store, there's a direct Setup.exe on our Download page. It isn't code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn you. Click More info, then Run anyway, or see our IT deployment guide for Intune and winget. On a Mac, download the .dmg for your Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel) from the Download page, open it and drag Custody Note to Applications. Mac isn't on the Microsoft Store or the Mac App Store. When you're ready to activate, paste your licence key into Settings → Licence.

Question 11

Is Custody Note available on the Microsoft Store?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for Windows only, on the UK Store. Custody Note for Windows (Store ID 9NFSRVT3T45V) is on the Microsoft Store in the UK, and you can install it from there now. It isn't listed on the US Store. The Store version is for Windows, not for Mac. Mac users download the .dmg (Apple Silicon or Intel) from our Download page. There's also a direct Windows Setup.exe on the Download page as a backup.

Question 12

I installed from the Microsoft Store. Why can't I see my licence or cases?

Accepted Answer

A Microsoft Store install starts fresh on that PC. That's normal. It won't pick up a licence or local database from an earlier direct (Setup.exe) install. If you've been given a licence key, open Settings → Licence and paste it in. Then click Validate. If you already use cloud backup on Pro, your backup isn't affected; sync needs a valid licence. If your cases don't appear, go to Settings → Backup and choose Full re-sync from cloud.

Question 13

What operating systems are supported?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note runs on Windows 10 and later (64-bit) and on macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel). On Windows, use the Microsoft Store or the Setup.exe from the Download page. On a Mac, use the .dmg from the Download page (it isn't on the Mac App Store). It doesn't run natively on Linux, iOS or Android.

Question 14

Can firms use Custody Note for multiple users?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Custody Note works for individual practitioners and for criminal defence firms. We offer multi-site pricing for firms with several users or offices. See our Pricing page, or contact us for a quote.

Question 15

Can I use Custody Note instead of my firm's case management system?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is for structured note-taking and getting the work ready afterwards. It isn't a full replacement for a firm's case management, compliance, billing or document management systems, unless those functions are built into the product you use.

Question 16

Is Custody Note only for England and Wales?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is designed around criminal defence and police station workflows in England and Wales. It may not be suitable for other jurisdictions without adaptation.

Question 17

Can Custody Note improve file quality?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note can help users record information in a more structured and consistent way, which may assist with file review, supervision and follow-up work. It doesn't guarantee any particular file review, audit or compliance outcome.

Question 18

Does Custody Note record or transcribe interviews?

Accepted Answer

No. Custody Note doesn't record or transcribe police interviews. It's only for note-taking. You write your own professional notes about disclosure, advice, what happened in interview and the outcome. Any audio or video recording of the interview is handled separately by the police under PACE.

Question 19

Can Custody Note be used on mobile?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is a desktop application for Windows and macOS. It isn't available as a native mobile app. See our Download page for details.

Question 20

Does the app work without internet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Custody Note works offline. Your database lives on your device and you can complete attendances with no connection. It's free during beta. Sign in with your email to sync your notes across up to 5 computers. Notes are encrypted on your computer before upload. Managed cloud backup is planned for Pro.

Question 21

Does the app update automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Windows installs from the Microsoft Store receive updates through the Store. Direct Windows Setup.exe and Mac .dmg installs (Apple Silicon or Intel) check for updates from our published releases. When a new version is available the app can download and apply it, so you stay current without reinstalling.

Question 22

Windows SmartScreen or antivirus blocked the installer. Is it safe?

Accepted Answer

Windows may show a SmartScreen warning ("Windows protected your PC") when you run the direct installer. You can avoid it by getting Custody Note from the Microsoft Store instead. If you do use the installer, click More info, then Run anyway.

Question 23

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note takes data handling seriously. Local data is encrypted on your device. Optional cloud backup uses encrypted processing in UK-region infrastructure. Please refer to our Privacy Policy, Security page and Terms of Use for full details and your own responsibilities as a data controller.

Question 24

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Attendance data is held in an encrypted local database on your Windows PC or Mac. If you enable optional cloud backup, encrypted snapshots are processed in UK-region infrastructure (AWS London, eu-west-2).

Question 25

What happens if my device is lost or stolen?

Accepted Answer

Local data is encrypted at rest. Follow your firm's incident response policy and notify relevant parties if required. Revoke the device's licence and sync access, and use full-disk encryption (BitLocker or FileVault) on every device, because the local database key is protected by your operating-system account. See our FAQ and Security page for guidance.

Question 26

Is cloud backup required?

Accepted Answer

No. Cloud backup is optional. You can rely on local storage and your firm's backup policy.

Question 27

Can I use the app on multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can install Custody Note on more than one Windows PC or Mac. It's free during beta. Sign in with your email to sync your notes across up to 5 computers. Notes are encrypted on your computer before upload.

Question 28

What if I forget my recovery password?

Accepted Answer

Recovery credentials are critical. If you use cloud key recovery features, follow the in-app prompts. Synced records can be opened on another of your computers with your licence key. Without a recovery password, cloud key copy or usable backup, encrypted local data can't be recovered.

Question 29

How is Custody Note licensed?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is free while it's in beta. A Pro plan, at around £9.99 a month, is planned after beta. You can't buy it yet. Firms can register interest in multi-user arrangements. See our Pricing page.

Question 30

Can firms use this across multiple users?

Accepted Answer

During beta, everyone uses the free version. Firms can contact us about multi-site and multi-user arrangements after beta.

Question 31

Can I cancel or get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note is free during beta, so there's nothing to cancel or refund. When Pro launches, it will be a direct subscription, and the Terms will set out cancellation and refund rights.

Question 32

Is Custody Note compliant with LAA requirements?

Accepted Answer

Custody Note helps structure attendance information and outputs commonly used in LAA workflows. It doesn't guarantee that any claim will be paid or audited without issue. The LAA doesn't endorse this product. You remain responsible for correct codes and compliance.

Question 33

Can I use Custody Note outputs in court files?

Accepted Answer

PDFs and exports are your professional documents. Whether to use them in court or disclosure is a matter for you, your client, and the rules of the forum.

Question 34

Is this a case management system?

Accepted Answer

No. Custody Note is specialised for police station attendance notes and related tasks, not full practice management.

Question 35

Who is data controller for client data?

Accepted Answer

Typically your firm is the data controller for client data you enter. We act as controller for website and licensing data, and as processor only where optional cloud services process data on your instructions. See our Privacy Policy.

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