Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers document assembly software (see article below), an iPad practice management system, and iPad scanner, a cloud application for discovery document review, and a sound capture program for Macs. Don't miss the next issue.
Document Assembly Breaks the $100 Price Barrier
Some lawyers misunderstand document automation technology. They worry that producing documents faster will reduce their billable hours. On the contrary, it enables lawyers to earn more. With document automation software, you can set a flat fee per document type. The more efficient your document automation software, the more documents you can create without hiring additional employees. Still, lawyers have one legitimate concern — making a large investment in document assembly software that fails to pay off. This explains why one legal vendor has decided to dramatically undercut its competitors on price and complexity.
TheFormTool PRO … in One Sentence
Your Dollar Matters' TheFormTool PRO is a document automation program that integrates with Microsoft Word.
The Killer Feature
TheFormTool PRO doesn't require any programming knowledge to use. You can create a basic form (template) in a few minutes. Templates exist in Word format with TheFormTool PRO's tools above in the toolbar or ribbon.
Creating a form works as follows. At the end of a model document, TheFormTool PRO inserts a table with three columns — Label, Question, and Answer. For all the variable blanks in your document, you fill in the first two columns (e.g., Testator / Who is the testator?). With just a few clicks, you then connect each Label to the appropriate blank(s) in your document. When you need to create that document, you just enter your answers into the table. TheFormTool PRO inserts your answers (such as the testator's name) into the appropriate blanks.
"I specifically designed TheFormTool as third-generation document automation software," TheFormTool's creator Scott Campbell told us. "It's easily mastered by anyone, whether in a large firm or solo practice. There's no need to hire expensive consultants. Customers say it's fun to use."
Other Notable Features
Smart Answers enable you to fill in templates faster by eliminating typing. For example, a securities lawyer could create a list of shareholders from which to choose.
The Fields tool enables you to further save time by automatically having TheFormTool PRO take care of verb agreement, pronouns, and plurals (e.g., indicate that a person is female and your document will use "her," "she," etc. along with singular verbs). The Lists and Master Lists tools work similarly for entering boilerplate information like signature blocks.
Conditional relationships make your forms dynamic by adding or deleting words, phrases, sentences, or entire sections depending on an answer to a single question. For example, you can include a section only if the person is married. You can also take advantage of Boolean logic driven by multiple choice or yes/no answers.
Other features include date precedents to automatically calculate forward or reverse due dates for actions or events, summary edit pages listing all the changes made to a document, the ability to save answers to use across different forms, and network support for sharing forms, documents, and data throughout your office.
What Else Should You Know?
TheFormTool PRO costs $89, and works with Word 2007 and later. Your Dollar Matters also offers a free product called TheFormTool, which lacks some of the more advanced features. On the flip-side, for $350 you'll receive TheFormTool PRO plus the company will set up five forms for you. Learn more about TheFormTool PRO.
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