Formal Record Hold Notice Form

This litigation hold notice form provides a clear, repeatable process for preserving official records when a matter is under investigation or headed to court. It identifies the records custodian, the requestor, and a case or contract reference number, then calls for detailed legal hold information, including the nature of the complaint, the party making the claim, and instructions to implement the hold notice. By initiating a moratorium on destruction, the form helps preserve records and avoid premature disposal during subject litigation.

The form directs staff to search across all likely sources: local workstations and laptops, personal shares on servers, home computers and smartphones, email journals, backups, archives, removable media, and physical department files on and offsite. It supports the capture of official public records that may also exist in a recording division or eRecording system, such as notices of federal tax lien, mortgages, liens, deeds, or declarations of condominium. It anticipates public records requests and ensures content is verified before records are frozen. A signature from the department or records owner acknowledges the notification, and a companion Hold Investigation Form lists the relevant documents.

In matters involving a federal court, counsel's office aligns the hold with applicable regulations, including the FRCP, 36 CFR, and 44 U.S.C. The records officer and transfer & disposition coordinator suspend disposition and extend the retention period as needed, overriding the normal disposition cycle. The form fits within a records schedule or general records schedule, observing disposal authority and preventing premature disposition. It supports documenting record series, record group, current physical location, and physical custody. For agencies using the NARA federal records centers program, coordination may include federal records centers, ARCIS entries, accession numbers, transfer numbers, and records disposition decisions until the customer agency concurs on notices.

Use cases include vendor disputes, employment claims, bankruptcy, regulatory audits, value adjustment board appeals, and property records issues. Teams may search for forms such as federal court forms, court forms, or bankruptcy forms, and consult tools like a recording fee calculator, a recording notification service, and a judicial directory to manage timelines and filings.

Proposal Kit helps organizations assemble these notices, request letters, and formal memos quickly, using its extensive template library, document assembly tools, automated line-item quoting for related services, and an AI Writer to build supporting materials, improving consistency and ease of use.

Beyond initiating a hold, organizations need a clear process for the disposition of records when the matter concludes. A short reappraisal phase helps determine which items remain subject to the retention of records and which materials, clearly nonresponsive to the litigation, can return to the records schedule. Until then, records remain frozen.

Teams should suspend destruction, document an extension of the retention period, and track the current physical custody, whether on network storage or in a records storage facility. A formal memo and request letter can communicate hold notice implementation steps, while a signed request letter confirms that departments understand the instructions to agencies and agree to preserve the materials.

Practical governance aids include concise definitions, FAQs, and checklists that explain how to identify frozen records, where to search, and when to escalate questions to counsel. Agencies operating under federal regulations may consult internal policy and frcp hq guidance to align their actions with civil procedure and discovery obligations. When the hold lifts, a measured return to the normal cycle with documented records disposition decisions protects the organization by showing that the reappraisal and final disposition of records followed established policy.

Proposal Kit streamlines these tasks by providing structured templates for the formal memo, request letter, and signed request letter, plus companion narratives, instructions to agencies, definitions, and FAQs. Its document assembly, extensive template library, automated line-item quoting for related services, and AI Writer help teams standardize hold notice implementation, communicate that records are frozen, manage the extension of the retention period, and plan the eventual disposition without extra complexity.

Organizations can strengthen their governance by setting clear triggers for when to issue, update, and release a notice, plus requiring periodic custodian acknowledgments. A lightweight certification process asks each owner to confirm they searched designated locations, tagged items as records frozen, and reported any gaps in access. IT can assist by mapping systems beyond email-collaboration platforms, chat, mobile devices, and cloud archives, and by flagging affected folders and boxes as records frozen in inventories and case trackers. Labeling, audit logs, and chain-of-custody notes help demonstrate that preservation steps were consistent and defensible.

Cost and risk controls matter during long matters. Tiering storage, limiting collection to systems relevant to the claims, and coordinating with off-site vendors can reduce spend while keeping evidence secure. Regular briefings align counsel, the records officer, and operations on what remains in scope and which custodians can be released as facts change. When the hold lifts, teams follow the retention plan and resume normal processes with documented sign-offs.

Proposal Kit can help standardize these steps with role-specific templates for notices, acknowledgments, certifications, and close-out summaries, so teams communicate consistently, mark content as records frozen, and maintain a clear record of actions from issuance through release.

How do you write a Formal Record Hold Notice Form document?

Form Litigation Hold Notice Form

Records Custodian's Name: Insert name of record keeper. Name of Requestor: Insert name of person requesting record hold. Case ID Number: Contract Reference Number.

Detailed Legal Hold Information:

Provide the details of the case and instructions to implement the Hold Notice Procedure. List the nature and specifics of the complaint or threat. Identify the party making the claim.

Notice of intent to investigate:

Local workstation - Laptop and/or department computer. Personal share or personal folders on servers. Home computer or smart phones. Email journals, backups, and archives.

Removable storage media. Physical department files on and off site. Use the Formal Hold Investigation Form to list all relevant documents. You will be notified after the content has been reviewed and the records to be placed on hold have been verified.

Requires signature of the department or records owner for acknowledgement of the notification.