This often includes two or more parties to an underlying transaction, the topic of which might be custody of cash or significant paperwork over assets in which many parties have a stake. Original title documents for real land and original share certificates are examples of such assets.

The duties of all parties are outlined in an Escrow Agreement, which also specifies how to handle the escrow asset. It is worth noting that the job of the Escrow Agent must be clearly stated in order to avoid ambiguity and multiple interpretations. The milestones (if any) that will dictate how the escrow asset is handled must likewise be free of different interpretations.