You can create custodians in three places: the Custodians panel in Case Settings, the file context menu, and the custodian dropdown during file upload. Names must be between 1 and 100 characters and unique within the case.
From Case Settings
The primary way to create custodians is through the Custodians panel in Case Settings. Open your case, navigate to Case Settings, and select the Custodians tab. At the top of the panel you'll see a text field and an Add button. Type the custodian's name and click Add or press Enter.
The new custodian appears immediately in the list, sorted alphabetically. This method works well when you need to set up multiple custodians before uploading files, like at the start of a new matter when you know which individuals or entities will be involved.
From the file context menu
You can also create a custodian directly from the document browser. Right-click a file (or click its menu icon) and select Assign to Custodian. A submenu lists all existing custodians plus a Create New Custodian option at the bottom. Select it, type the new name, and confirm. The custodian is created and the file is assigned to it in one step.
This is convenient when you encounter a file during review that belongs to a custodian you haven't created yet. You handle both tasks in a single action without leaving the document browser. For more about the file context menu, see file actions.
During file upload
When uploading files to a case, the upload dialog includes a custodian dropdown. You can select an existing custodian or type a new name to create one on the fly. All files in that upload batch get assigned to the selected custodian automatically.
This approach is particularly useful when you receive a collection of documents from a specific custodian and want to assign them all during ingestion. For a complete walkthrough, see uploading files by custodian.
Name requirements
Custodian names must be between 1 and 100 characters. Names must be unique within the case. If you try to create a duplicate, Hintyr shows an error and the duplicate isn't created. Leading and trailing whitespace is trimmed automatically.
A common convention is "Last Name, First Name" format (for example, "Smith, John"), but Hintyr doesn't enforce any particular naming convention. Use whatever format is consistent with your team's workflow and production requirements.
Permissions
Only case members with editor or admin roles can create custodians. Members with read-only access can view the custodian list and assignments but can't add new ones. If you need to create custodians but don't have the required access, contact a case admin to update your role.