# Lend and return a document

Hand an original to a colleague or a client, see at a glance who holds it, and record its return so the lending log stays complete.

An original leaves the office for a hearing, a review or a signature. Recording the loan tells everyone who holds it, and recording the return closes the loan in the document's log.

## Before you start {#before-you-start}

- You need the **Manager** access right on **Correspondence**.
- Only a **Registered** document can be lent. The borrower must exist as a contact.

## Lend the document {#lend}

1. Open the document, then open the **Actions** menu and choose **Lend**.
2. Choose the **Borrower**. The **Date** is today; change it if the paper left earlier. A date in the future is refused.

![The loan names the borrower and the day the paper leaves the office.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8426-fd8f86a8/correspondence-lend-lend_dialog-en.png)

3. Click **Apply**. A **Lent** ribbon covers the corner of the document, the **Current Borrower** shows who holds it, and **Times Lent** counts one more loan.

![The Lent ribbon and the current borrower show who holds the document.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8430-1f91868e/correspondence-lend-document_lent-en.png)

## Read the lending log {#log}

The **Lending History** tab lists every loan of the document: the borrower, the day it left, the day it came back and who recorded it. An open loan, with no return day yet, is highlighted.

![The open loan in the lending log, with no return day yet.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8434-970361a6/correspondence-lend-lending_history-en.png)

## Record the return {#return}

1. Open the **Actions** menu and choose **Return**. The dialog shows who holds the document.
2. Check the **Date**, which cannot fall before the day the document was lent, and click **Apply**.

![The return dialog shows who holds the document and takes the return day.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8438-38525109/correspondence-lend-return_dialog-en.png)

The ribbon disappears, the loan is closed in the log and a note in the chatter records who returned it and when.

![The loan is closed and the chatter records the return.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8442-0fb5642e/correspondence-lend-return_note-en.png)

## FAQ {#faq}

### I cannot find **Lend** in the **Actions** menu. {#no-lend}

The document is either still a draft (register it first), already lent (record its return first) or no longer registered. A user with the **Read-only** access right sees no lending actions.

### Can I lend the same document to two people at once? {#two-borrowers}

No. A document has one holder at a time: record the return before lending it again.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/correspondence/lend-and-return-a-document
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Version: Correspondence 19.0.1.0.5
- Verified: 2026-10-14