Aptai de misericordia is a very interesting institution of law that is specific to the Dubrovnik Republic. References to Aptai can already be found in 1272, in the Dubrovnik Statute. The term itself stands for a specific tribunal fee collected by the Rector. Later, the meaning of the term itself changed and aptai started to indicate a civil court proceeding in which that fee had to be paid. Finally, in the second half of the 14th century, the term aptai started to stand for a mode or process that was used to ensure the fulfilment of the debtor's obligation. That obligation was made, i.e., signed in the Chancellery, and it became official after the expiration of the deadline entered in the document. Based on the evidence, it is therefore clear that the entries in the books of the Aptai de misericordia had the power of a judgment and that there was no need to pursue further legal action against the debtor. The entries contain the following information: name and surname of the donor of the charity promissory note, name and surname of the recipient of the charity promissory note, and payment deadline. Valuable items nominated by the borrower to be mortgaged were also sometimes indicated, together with the details of instalment payments. In the margin, along with singular entries, data on debt repayment, were specified. Most of the records in this series follow this model: Jacobus d'Abram Pardo hebreus dedit aptaii de misericordia supra Vitum Michaelis, Andream Pasqualis Vuchotich, et Demetrium Mihailovich calceolarius presentibus simul et in solidum de ducati sexaquinta de g. totius summae (vol. 4, f. 14).

The series gives relevant data for the research of credit transactions of Dubrovnik Jews, who mostly are referenced in the documents of the series as donors, or providers of charity. All the Jews referenced to in this series were permanent residents of Dubrovnik. The first references to their names in the documents date to the end of the 16th century, and many more Jewish names can be found in the documents since the middle of the 17th century. The names of some members of Jewish families such as Abeatar, Abenun, Amadio, Azubi, Coen, Danon, Franco, Israel, Maestro, Oef (Ohev) and Tobi were recorded. Some of them very often cited as creditors, or those who lent money, and the names of Solomon Maestro, and a well-known Dubrovnik merchant Raphael Coen especially stand out among those names. Other Jews that should also be pointed out for their importance are two brothers: Jacob Coen de Herrera (Martin de Marchena), a brother of a famous Jew Abraham Coen de Herrera (Allonso Nuñes de Herrera). The records show also references to other Jewish people of that time, such as: Ambonetti, Ascoli, Asser, Baraffael, Bueno, Cagli, Campos, Coen, Costantini, Forte, Gaon, Levi, Levi Mandolfo, Luzzena, Maestro, Nachas, Navarro, Pappo, Pardo, Russi, Saralvo, Terni, Tolentino, Valenzin, Vitali.

The fonds contains various types of powers of attorney registered in the period from the 15th to the beginning of the 19th centuries, in which, in addition to citizens of the Republic of Dubrovnik other non-resident citizens are also referenced, either in the roles of proxies or principals. The content of these documents was mainly related to various types of business activities conducted both in Dubrovnik and in foreign countries.

The fonds is very important for the historical reconstruction of the Jewish business network in the Mediterranean and in the Balkans. The references in the fonds provide information on Jews who lived not only in the Dubrovnik Republic but also in other countries, mainly in the countries of the Ottoman Empire and the countries of the Apennine Peninsula (most often in the Italian cities of Ancona and Venice). The content of these powers of attorney mainly relate to collection of debts, conduct of commercial affairs, representation in court, and out-of-court settlements of commercial disputes. According to the data in the fonds, Jews would mostly choose other Jews as their legal representatives and would seldom choose Catholics in this role. One of the exceptions is Jacob Tobi, who in 1594 authorized a famous Florentine merchant Bartolomeo Borgiani to conduct business on his behalf in Florence (vol. 31, ff. 104, 104v). Jewish people are referenced less in this fonds than in similar fonds Procurae di Cancellaria (HR-DADU-17). The most relevant difference between these fonds is that there is very scarce data on Jewish women in this fonds. Among the women referenced to in this fonds, for example, there is a reference to Mira, the widow of Moshe Alfandrino, who in 1585 authorized Moshe Malamed to collect debts in Sarajevo that remained unpaid after the death of her son Jacob (vol. 28, ff. 106v, 107). Another woman referenced in the fonds is Simha, the wife of Samuel Maestro. In 1613, with the permission of her guardians Jacob Coen de Herrera and David Senior, she authorized her husband to conduct all her business affairs on her behalf (vol. 34, ff. 132, 132v). Apart from Jacob Coen de Herrera, his brother Abraham Coen de Herrera is also referenced to in this fonds (vol. 33, f. 187, 187v). Some members of other Jeiwish families such as Abeatar, Abenun, Abenmelech, Abuaf, Azubi, Baruch, Bencastiel, Bendanon, Calderon, Calvo, Cidi, Cohen, Gaon, Graciano, Israel, Jeshurun, Lanciano, Luzzena, Maestro, Miranda, Mursa, Sasson, and Sarfatin are also referenced to in the fonds.

The series consists of wills of citizens, i.e., residents of the Dubrovnik Republic, as well as the wills of non-residents of the Republic, in the period from the end of the 13th to the beginning of the 19th century. The series is a very important archival source for both researchers of the legal history of Jewish people and for those who research the history of their everyday life and daily routines.

Approximately 20 wills of Jewish people have been preserved in the records of the State Archives in Dubrovnik, dating from the 16th to the 18th century. Out of this number, 16 wills were recorded in this series, and the names of the testators indicate some prominent and famous persons such as Didacus Pyrrhus (vol. 51, ff. 27v-28v), Aron Cohen, a famous rabbi of the 17th century (vol. 55, ff. 164v-166) and his descendant Raphael Cohen, a distinguished merchant and benefactor (vol. 74, ff. 66-67). The wills of Abram Abinun (vol. 59, f. 33v; 1628), Nathan Ambonetti (vol. 87, ff. 67v, 68), Rica Barrafael (vol. 80, f. 149v), Moshe Calderon (vol. 43, ff. 182, 182v), Abram Campos (vol. 66, f. 33v), Isac Vita Campos (vol. 81, f. 33v), Joseph Esperiel (vol. 55, ff. 21-22), Ester Maccioro (vol. 63, ff. 94v-95v), Ester Maestro, the wife of Moshe (vol. 58, ff. 168, 168v), Ester Maestro, the wife of Solomon (vol. 78, ff. 62, 62v), Solomon Pardo (vol. 84, ff. 129v), Decora de Silva (vol. 72, ff. 39, 39v) and Bona Vitali (vol. 81, ff. 49v, 50). The remaining wills are in the fonds of Diversa Notariae (HR-DADU-9), Diversa Cancellariae (HR-DADU-15), Diversa et possessio de criminalibus (HR-DADU-24), Miscellanea (HR-DADU-61) and in the series Diversa de Foris (HR-DADU-30.2). Most wills have been published.

There is no reference to Jewish people in the series.
The series, which covers the period from the mid-14th to the 80s of the 16th centuries, contains the executions of wills registered in the Testamenta Notariae (HR-DADU-12.1).

The series consists of registers in which, during the period from the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century, the names of legal guardians were entered, most often for women (usually widowed) and minor children. The data show that the guardians referenced to in the files would not represent those women and children only in the execution of wills. Since this is one of few series where references on women and minor children can be found, it is very useful to researchers because it provides valuable data for the genealogical reconstruction of Jewish families in Dubrovnik. Most often the records reference to women and children from some Dubrovnik Jewish families such as Abuaf, Campos, Cohen, Levi Mandolfo, Luzzena, Maestro, Pappo, Pardo, Penso, Terni, Tolentino, Valenzin. The guardians of Jewish women and minor children were usually Dubrovnik Jews. According to the data, a Jewish woman, or a Jewish minor, could have between one to three legal guardians. Guardians belonged sometimes to Dubrovnik nobility, particularly in cases where they would actually serve as lawyers. Occasionally, other Dubrovnik citizens would also appear in these documents in the role of guardians of Jewish women and children. The series is closely related to the decisions of the Minor Council (Acta Minoris Consilii HR-DADU-4.1). More precisely, the proposal would be first accepted by the Minor Council, i.e., the permission would be given to a woman (most often a widow) to perform a certain job with the permission of her legal guardian. The name of the guardian would be then entered in the registers of this notarial series most often on the same day. If the Minor Council issued a permit to a woman to appoint, with a prior consent of her guardian, a person to represent her in the conduction of her business in the Republic or in any other state, this information would be then entered in the registers of the Procurae di Cancellaria (HR-DADU-17). This is another indicator of overlapping competencies of the Public Notary and the Chancellery. For example, on May 6, 1793, according to the data, the Minor Council allowed Rachel, the widow of David Luzzena, to appoint, with the permission of her guardian, a person to represent her in all her business affairs (HR-DADU-4.1, Acta Minoris Consilii, vol. 110, f 83). On the same day, the names of her guardians, a nobleman Antun Caboga and a citizen Petar Čingrija, were entered in the books of this series (vol. 13, f. 19c). A day later, in the books of Procure di Cancellaria, it was registered that Rachel Luzzena, with the permission of her guardians, appointed her son Samuel as her representative, or, legally, as her alter ego (HR-DADU-17, vol. 82, ff. 158v, 159).

There is no reference to Jewish people in the series.
The series includes legacies from the late 15th century and in the period from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century. Volume 4 is entitled: Indice di legati fatti da diverse persone ad Comune, while volume 5 concerns a legacy by Zamagna from the end of the 17th century.

The series includes dowry agreements, dating from the mid-14th to the early 19th century. Most contracts were written in the form of certificates according to which the husband confirmed that he had received his wife's dowry. Records concerning marriage contracts and dowry agreements were initially entered in the books of the Diversa Cancellariae (HR-DADU-15) and Diversa Notariae (HR-DADU-9) fonds. Since the beginning of the middle of the 14th century, these contracts began to be entered in special books belonging to this series. A tergo of the books of Libri dotium Notariae, notaries entered the so-called Venditiones tacitae.

Since this is one of the few series in which women were mentioned, the series is very important for the genealogical reconstruction of Jewish families, as well as for further attempts to analyse the connections and relationships of Jewish people made through marriages. Approximately seventy agreements referencing Jewish people can be found in the volumes 16-22 (1627-1811) of this series. The records provide the following information: name and surname of the husband and wife, name of the father of the wife (or, sometimes, of the father of the husband), total amount of the dowry and total amount of the husband's dowry adding (tosefet), and name of the person who paid the dowry. The dowry was usually paid by the wife's father, and sometimes by the brother or the mother. The record most often would follow the following template in Latin: Ego Isak Danielis Tolentino Haebreus confiteor, quod super me, et omnia mea bona habui, et recepi pro dote, et parchivio Judittae meae conjugis filiae Abram Tolentino tempore mei matrimonii a dicto Abram Tolentino meo sexoce ducat. 40 per ducato in pecunia numerata mihi dante, et solvente pro dote, et parchivio prefatis. Quam quidem dotem habui, et recepi secundum ordinem, et consuetudinem Rhacusii. Haec autem cartha nullo testimonio rumpi possit (vol. 22, f. 5v, 1804). Most records in the series reference to members of indigenous Dubrovnik Jewish families such as Levi Mandolfo, Luzzena, Tolentino, Valenzin. The records do not contain any details on the content of the dowry concerned. This information can be found in translations of Ketubahs, which are registered in the Diversa de foris series (HR-DADU-30.2) and in the Diversa Notariae fonds (HR-DADU-9). A tergo of the books of this series (Venditiones tacitae) there are records on credit business, insurance business and other types of money transactions, in which other references of the Jewish people from Dubrovnik can be retrieved.

There are no references to Jewish people in the series.
The records that are related to marriage contracts and dowry agreements were initially entered in the books of the Diversa Cancellariae (HR-DADU-15) and Diversa Notariae (HR-DADU-9) fonds. Since the middle of the 14th century, these contracts began to be entered in special books belonging to this series. The series consists of various registers with marriage contracts, or letters of engagements, in which a commitment to provide dowry and define what would be given as dowry was stated. According to the data, Jewish people who wanted to register Ketubahs in notarial and chancellery books of the Republic, would first have them translated into Italian. Most Ketubahs were registered in the Diversa de foris series (HR-DADU-30.2) and in the Diversa Notariae fund (HR-DADU-9).