Second Opinions

How Do I Start Automating Documents?

By Paul Unger

WHAT SOFTWARE program is the backbone of every law firm and legal department in the world? Answer: Of course, it's the word processor. Unfortunately, most firms don't use 50 percent of its features, and most aren't even aware that client information stored in their practice management software can be used to generate everyday documents. These programs can dramatically improve the way you practice law. In fact, if there is a single program that can wildly improve profitability or the bottom line, it is document generation.

Luckily, these tools are readily available, reasonably priced, and aren't difficult to learn. What do you need and how does it work?

Word Processing

This one is easy. Nearly every law practice in the world uses Microsoft Corp.'s Word and/or Corel Corp.'s WordPerfect. Despite heated debate inside and outside law firms, for the most part, both are quite equal when you compare feature against feature. The only observation worth noting is that Word appears to be more stable than Word Perfect. However, most importantly, both work equally well with practice management and document generation software. In fact, when comparing Word and WordPerfect working inside these programs, they are so similar that you may find yourself checking the title bar to see which program you are using.

Program (alphabetically)	Data Merge Word/Word Perfect?	HotDocs Integration	HotDocs Automatic field mapping(1)	HotDocs Manual field mapping(2)	Crystal Reports Integration	Data Merge with PDFs
Abacus Law	Y	Y	N	Y	Y (4) (no charge)	N
Amicus Attorney	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y (no charge)	N
Case Master (STI)	Y	Y	N	Y	Y (5)	N
Needles	Y	Y	N	Y	Y (no charge)	Y
ProLaw	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y SQL (no charge)	N
TimeMatters	Y	Y	N	Y	Y (6)	N
Perfect Law	Y	N	N	N	Y	N
Footnotes (1) Automatic field mapping is a feature within the practice management program that offers the person developing the template a list of fields within the database to drop in the HotDocs template as you create it. Otherwise, you have to create a new field within your HotDocs template and then go back and map the HotDocs field to the Database field, which is duplicating work. (2) Allows mapping of existing fields between the database and HotDocs through computation variables or a utility in the database program. (3) Requires advanced edition of program $299 versus $199. (4) FoxPro database ­ drivers packaged with Crystal. (5) Need to purchase Faircom driver (800) 234-8180. (6) Need to purchase drivers.

Okay, what is practice management software and how does it work with the word processor?

In a nutshell, practice management programs store information about a case (i.e., case numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, deadlines, statute dates, client family info, phone calls, e-mails, billing information, parties in litigation, research, etc.) and seeks to organize such information in a way that makes sense and can be easily retrieved by lawyers.

Once this information is entered in the case management database, it can be inserted or merged into documents via a "template."

Depending on how much work you put into creating the template, entire words, phrases, paragraphs or pages of text can be included or excluded throughout the document. Ultimately, you can create a close to perfect finished document within a fraction of the time it would have ordinarily taken through typical word processing and cutting and pasting.

Now that you know what practice management software can do, how do you know which one is right for your law firm? This one isn't as easy because there are so many players in this arena. Among the main players, all will perform simple data merges with Word and WordPerfect. However, only a handful will nicely integrate with a third-party document generation program such as HotDocs. Lets take a look:

Document Generation

Abacus Law	HotDocs Only
Amicus Attorney	HotDocs Only
Case Master	HotDocs Only
Needles	HotDocs Only
Perfect Law	Its own program
ProLaw	HotDocs only
TimeMatters	HotDocs only

Document generation programs work in conjunction with your word processor (usually Word or WordPerfect) to help you automate your document production, significantly reducing the amount of time you spend cutting, pasting and typing text. For example, take a complex document such as a revocable living trust with hundreds of optional paragraphs. This document may take around five hours to create by the time you finish the final draft. After automating the trust into a template using a program like HotDocs, taking into account all optional paragraphs, the same document should take only 10 minutes.

Document assembly programs help users (usually paralegals or attorneys) create templates by accessing an existing Word or WordPerfect document (so you don't have to retype the document) and replacing changeable text with variables (i.e., <Client Name>). You can also make the inclusion of words, sentences, paragraphs or pages of text conditional upon certain questions asked.

For instance, if your client has children, language dealing with the children and their names can automatically be inserted throughout the document. In the end, you will have created a "questionnaire" or an on-screen interview. Based on those answers, the appropriate text will be included in the finished draft. After the document is assembled, you can save your document, as well as save your answers so they can be used to reassemble the same document, if needed, or assemble other documents that use the same information. This cuts back on the possibility of human error, and eliminates redundant data entry.

To further streamline the document creation process, you can populate the variables in a template directly from any ODBC-compliant database (most practice management programs such as Amicus Attorney, ProLaw, etc.). If you have client information stored in one of these practice management databases, the template will import the client information directly into the document. So, instead of taking 10 minutes to generate the revocable living trust, it now takes five minutes because you do not have to do as much data entry.

There are a handful of document generation programs for lawyers on the market today ­ HotDocs, FastDraft, Rapidocs, thinkDocs, Ghostfill and SmartWords. Without question, the program that has captured the lion's share of the market is HotDocs by Capsoft Development. One way to measure such success is to look at what program the practice management programs have selected. Hands-down, they have all selected HotDocs and none of the others listed above.

While some critics may argue that their current system is efficient and profitable, let me assure you that cutting and pasting text from old documents is an antiquated method of creating documents for your clients. It is not only inefficient and unreliable by today's standards, but also costly ­ very costly. Why do something in five hours that you can accomplish in 10 minutes? Why not switch to value-based billing? If there is a single program that can dramatically improve profitability or the "bottom line," it is has to be document generation software. If you combine document generation with practice management software, the sky is the limit. Only then will you realize how these programs will revolutionize the way you practice law.

Paul J. Unger is a solo practitioner and a partner with Henley, March & Unger Consulting Ltd. in Columbus, Ohio. HMU provides practice management, document automation and trial consulting services. Unger is a certified consultant for Amicus Attorney; and his firm is a reseller of HotDocs.