Tips
| TIPS AND TRICKS The Law Office is a busy place. It is governed by Ethical Rules that make efficiency and compliance in the law office a must. Every Lawyer has his or her way to doing things, and we subscribe to the philosophy, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, things can always be improved. Your goal might be to improve Profits. It might be to improve Efficiency. Or it might be to improve Ethical Compliance or to safeguard against Grievances. In any case, what you consider to be "not broke" might not be the best way. Here we list some ideas. Some are generalized software solutions. Some are procedural solutions. These are tips and techniques used in active law firms to help them get the job done quickly, efficiently, and with accuracy. Some may work for you. Some may not. This page will expand over time. If you have any ideas you would like to submit, we would be happy to include them. If you have a disagreement with or a question about any of these tips or tricks, don't hesitate to ask. Simply CLICK HERE. |
Document Management
Creating Captions
Unlocking Table Cells in WordPerfect
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
Law firm's live and die on documents. Documents are the basis for supporting a case. In today's world we produce and store
documents on computers. Often those computers are on Networks. They are efficient. They are fast. Computers make producing
documents quick and easy (at least easier and faster than banging each document out on a typewriter--remember those days?).
But Computers and Networks bring with them their own set of new troubles.
Where should I save it?
What do I name this document?
Where is the document that Sally typed?
Document Management is every bit as important on computers and networks as it is in your paper folders and file cabinets. Here are
some things to try and consider.
WHERE TO SAVE FILES
Whether you are using a single computer or a network, one smart approach is to create a FOLDER for each case. A good procedure is
to require who ever OPENS a case to create a CASE FOLDER. Case Folders should be stored in a single location. If you are working
on a stand-alone computer (no network), create a PARENT FOLDER called CASES (ie. C:\CASES). If you are working on a network,
create a PARENT FOLDER on the Network, (ie. F:\CASES). In the CASES folder, create a Folder for each case opened. What should
you name the case folders?
File Numbers:
Some law firms use the Case File Number. That's pretty good, but it is not as efficient as it could be. Suppose you need to find
documents form a Client that has several cases with your firm. You would need to locate each of their File Numbers first and then
jump around to those various folders. If their File Numbers are wildly different this may mean a LOT of jumping around--and as you are
relying on a list of File Numbers that you must first generate and the reference, a case or two may get skipped over.
Client Names:
Some law firms use Client Names. This isn't that bad either, but it also is not as efficient as it could be and occasionally creates
problems of its own. What if two clients have the same name (John Smith)? Or, what do you do about one client that has several cases
with you? We need another approach.
Name and File Number:
A good approach is to use a combination of the Client's Name and the Case File Number. We have found that using the client's LAST
NAME and the FILE NUMBER works very well. 1. There is no problem with duplications (as with clients having the same name)--the
File Number solves that problem. 2. Locating documents from several cases for the same client becomes easier and more efficient--a
listing of the folders will automatically GROUP all of the client's folders together (as they all have the same last name). This is the
method we suggest. Many Case Management Systems, such as MyCaseFiles, use an approach like this.
WHAT SHOULD I NAME THIS DOCUMENT?
Most computers these days allow LONG FILE NAMES, so descriptive names are best. But what is a good descriptive name for a
document?
If we've created a system and a procedure for storing our documents, such as a CASES Parent folder with Case Specific Folders using
the Client Name and File Number, we do not need to include any Client or Case information in the name of the document. We already
know the client and the case based on the folder the document is stored in. So, a good descriptive name would be something that
references the content of the document, ex: Letter to Adjustor, or Interrogatories, or Subpoena, or Complaint. Such a description is a
good start for a document name, but we can do a little more. Often documents are re-typed, re-used, or must be traced in terms of
when they were produced or delivered. ADD THE DATE. While you cannot use conventional Date notation (04/01/02) in a File Name
(the slashes / are not valid File Name characters) you can use a Date notation of 04-01-02. So we might name a document something
like: Letter to Adjustor 04-01-02. Pretty descriptive. We know the document is to the Adjustor and it was written or mailed on April first of
2002, which identifies it from other letters we might have written to the Adjustor.
We can take this one step further. It may be beneficial in your firm to have documents automatically listed CHRONOLOGICALLY. There
are a couple of key ideas and considerations here. First, to ensure a Chronological listing you must be very specific with DATES.
Computers sort files ALPHABETICALLY. Alphabetical sorting DOES NOT WORK with DATE ABBREVIATIONS. 10-1-2001 comes
Alphabetically BEFORE 1-10-2001. The HYPHEN (-) comes Alphabetically AFTER a 0 (zero). So, 10- is listed ABOVE 1-. The key to
getting DATE NOTATED File Names to list CHRONOLOGICALLY is this: Use 2 digits for the Month, 2 digits for the Day, 4 digits for the
Year, and (MOST IMPORTANT) list the YEAR FIRST! You must also list the Date PRIOR TO the File Description information. For
example:
2001-12-10 Letter to Adjustor
2002-02-01 Demand Letter for $2000.00
2002-03-15 Settlement Statement
These documents will list in a Chronological order automatically. If we put the Descriptive Information first, these documents would list
as follows:
Demand Letter for $2000.00 2002-02-01
Letter to Adjustor 2001-12-10
Settlement Statement 2002-03-15
You can see that this list is not as easy to read and the documents are not in Chronological order. However, this type of naming may
serve your purposes.
WHERE IS THAT DOCUMENT THAT SALLY TYPED?
So you created a PARENT CASE Folder and you've set up a procedure that anyone opening a case must create a Case Folder. You've
even set up a procedure on how to name files, but still, from time to time, documents are hard to find. There can be many reasons. The
Network was down and Sally couldn't save the file to the network, so she saved it on her local hard drive. Sally finds it too difficult and
time consuming to Browse to the Case folder so she often does not (perhaps, from her computer, that folder is many many steps
away). Perhaps she was working fast and just hit FILE / SAVE AS and totally forgot to select the folder. Again, there can be many
reasons why this happens. The question is, how do you reduce these problems?
WordPerfect allows you to specify a DEFAULT DOCUMENT FOLDER, which you can set to be the CASES folder, even if it is on a
Network. In this case, using File OPEN or File SAVE AS will automatically DEFAULT to the CASES folder, making the Case Specific
folder just one folder away. Making this setting can help.
Later versions of Microsoft Word do have a similar setting. In later versions of MS Word, look under Tools / Options / File Locations -
you can make a similar setting there that will automatically direct you to the PARENT FOLDER when you start to save a document.
Document Management Programs, like MyCaseFiles, can be the largest help of all. There are a variety of them, but they all have one
central idea: Before you begin typing, you identify the CASE you are working on. From that point the Document Management system
takes over--it knows where the document should be stored. All it will ask for is the document name. The user CANNOT place the
document in the wrong location. Moreover, Document Management Systems make locating documents easier. Identify the Case and
the system lists all of its documents--you don't have to Browse through the network and a list of folders.
If you aren't using some form of document management, either software driven or by in-house procedure, you ARE making things
difficult. You loose time finding documents. You loose time retyping documents because you can't find the copy you typed the first time.
You leave yourself open for Ethical Compliance Complaints because you can't find documents. It is just a lot harder than it needs to
be. Purchase a system or create a procedure and use it and life will get a lot easier.
CREATING CAPTIONS
A Caption is a standardized organization of Case Specific information that is used at the top of many documents and forms filed with
the courts. Captions specify the State, County, Court Type, Plaintiff, Defendant, and the type of document or filing.
We type Captions all the time in the law office. As such, we often try to "boiler plate" them--we create them in one document, which we
open when we need a caption and then COPY / PASTE the boiler Caption and edit it to fit the specific need.
One of the difficulties with boiler plated captions is the alignment of the caption. Captions are divided down the middle with a column of
Right Parentheses ) and are de marked by lines--for which many people used Underlined spaces, underlined Tabs, as well as
underlined words. As we edit the boiler plated caption, the Parens shift and the lines break apart or shift the caption so we have to edit
the lines. This means spending some time adding or taking away spaces or tabs in order to get the Parens to line up and the divider
lines to work. But there is a better way...
Some people will use COLUMNS to create Captions--columns like might be used in a Newspaper. 3 columns, one for the Plaintiff /
Defendant information, the middle for the Caption Parens ), and the right column for the Court and Document Type information.
Columns will work, but they have two short commings. While the center divider Parens will hold in place, there is little or no control over
the vertical movement of information. This often means inserting additional blank lines or removing blank lines in order to get the Right
Side of the Caption (the Court and Document Type information) to line up properly with the Plaintiff vs Defendant information. Also, any
horizontal lines we have created will often break apart, shift, or mess up the Caption, meaning we have to edit the horizontal lines as
well. There is still a better way...
Both WordPerfect and Microsoft Word have the capacity to create TABLES in documents. Tables provide CELLS where typed
information can be entered. The SIZE of the cells can be controlled. By controlling the Cell Size, you can fix the Center Divider Parens )
so they will not shift as you type in information (much like using Columns). Moreover, the Cells create automatic Vertical Alignment. If
the Plaintiff Cell grows (perhaps there are several Plaintiff's, causing the Plaintiff information to span several vertical lines) ALL
information in the caption gets shifted downward proportionally--the Defendant information as well as the Document Type information
to the right of the Parens. The only adjustment that might be required would be to add additional Parens in the area where a cell grew
vertically (in this example, to the right of the Plaintiff information). Also, any horizontal lines created in the Table will STICK to their
assigned location and will RETAIN their length. As in this example, an expanding Plaintiff cell WILL NOT affect any horizontal lines in
the caption--all horizontal lines will remain where they are suppose to remain in relation to the expanded Plaintiff information. The
horizontal line lengths will also remain constant. In short, lines will not need to be edited at all.
Tables help to keep the Caption uniform. They can be created leaving information blank while still providing space for that information.
Additionally, they can very easily create and control the Lines often used in Captions. Use a Table to create a boiler plate Caption and
store it in a common place. The next time you need to create a Caption, rather than spending several minutes building one from
scratch, open the boiler plate table caption, fill in the blanks, and there you have it. Captions made easy.
Creating Captions
Unlocking Table Cells in WordPerfect
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
Law firm's live and die on documents. Documents are the basis for supporting a case. In today's world we produce and store
documents on computers. Often those computers are on Networks. They are efficient. They are fast. Computers make producing
documents quick and easy (at least easier and faster than banging each document out on a typewriter--remember those days?).
But Computers and Networks bring with them their own set of new troubles.
Where should I save it?
What do I name this document?
Where is the document that Sally typed?
Document Management is every bit as important on computers and networks as it is in your paper folders and file cabinets. Here are
some things to try and consider.
WHERE TO SAVE FILES
Whether you are using a single computer or a network, one smart approach is to create a FOLDER for each case. A good procedure is
to require who ever OPENS a case to create a CASE FOLDER. Case Folders should be stored in a single location. If you are working
on a stand-alone computer (no network), create a PARENT FOLDER called CASES (ie. C:\CASES). If you are working on a network,
create a PARENT FOLDER on the Network, (ie. F:\CASES). In the CASES folder, create a Folder for each case opened. What should
you name the case folders?
File Numbers:
Some law firms use the Case File Number. That's pretty good, but it is not as efficient as it could be. Suppose you need to find
documents form a Client that has several cases with your firm. You would need to locate each of their File Numbers first and then
jump around to those various folders. If their File Numbers are wildly different this may mean a LOT of jumping around--and as you are
relying on a list of File Numbers that you must first generate and the reference, a case or two may get skipped over.
Client Names:
Some law firms use Client Names. This isn't that bad either, but it also is not as efficient as it could be and occasionally creates
problems of its own. What if two clients have the same name (John Smith)? Or, what do you do about one client that has several cases
with you? We need another approach.
Name and File Number:
A good approach is to use a combination of the Client's Name and the Case File Number. We have found that using the client's LAST
NAME and the FILE NUMBER works very well. 1. There is no problem with duplications (as with clients having the same name)--the
File Number solves that problem. 2. Locating documents from several cases for the same client becomes easier and more efficient--a
listing of the folders will automatically GROUP all of the client's folders together (as they all have the same last name). This is the
method we suggest. Many Case Management Systems, such as MyCaseFiles, use an approach like this.
WHAT SHOULD I NAME THIS DOCUMENT?
Most computers these days allow LONG FILE NAMES, so descriptive names are best. But what is a good descriptive name for a
document?
If we've created a system and a procedure for storing our documents, such as a CASES Parent folder with Case Specific Folders using
the Client Name and File Number, we do not need to include any Client or Case information in the name of the document. We already
know the client and the case based on the folder the document is stored in. So, a good descriptive name would be something that
references the content of the document, ex: Letter to Adjustor, or Interrogatories, or Subpoena, or Complaint. Such a description is a
good start for a document name, but we can do a little more. Often documents are re-typed, re-used, or must be traced in terms of
when they were produced or delivered. ADD THE DATE. While you cannot use conventional Date notation (04/01/02) in a File Name
(the slashes / are not valid File Name characters) you can use a Date notation of 04-01-02. So we might name a document something
like: Letter to Adjustor 04-01-02. Pretty descriptive. We know the document is to the Adjustor and it was written or mailed on April first of
2002, which identifies it from other letters we might have written to the Adjustor.
We can take this one step further. It may be beneficial in your firm to have documents automatically listed CHRONOLOGICALLY. There
are a couple of key ideas and considerations here. First, to ensure a Chronological listing you must be very specific with DATES.
Computers sort files ALPHABETICALLY. Alphabetical sorting DOES NOT WORK with DATE ABBREVIATIONS. 10-1-2001 comes
Alphabetically BEFORE 1-10-2001. The HYPHEN (-) comes Alphabetically AFTER a 0 (zero). So, 10- is listed ABOVE 1-. The key to
getting DATE NOTATED File Names to list CHRONOLOGICALLY is this: Use 2 digits for the Month, 2 digits for the Day, 4 digits for the
Year, and (MOST IMPORTANT) list the YEAR FIRST! You must also list the Date PRIOR TO the File Description information. For
example:
2001-12-10 Letter to Adjustor
2002-02-01 Demand Letter for $2000.00
2002-03-15 Settlement Statement
These documents will list in a Chronological order automatically. If we put the Descriptive Information first, these documents would list
as follows:
Demand Letter for $2000.00 2002-02-01
Letter to Adjustor 2001-12-10
Settlement Statement 2002-03-15
You can see that this list is not as easy to read and the documents are not in Chronological order. However, this type of naming may
serve your purposes.
WHERE IS THAT DOCUMENT THAT SALLY TYPED?
So you created a PARENT CASE Folder and you've set up a procedure that anyone opening a case must create a Case Folder. You've
even set up a procedure on how to name files, but still, from time to time, documents are hard to find. There can be many reasons. The
Network was down and Sally couldn't save the file to the network, so she saved it on her local hard drive. Sally finds it too difficult and
time consuming to Browse to the Case folder so she often does not (perhaps, from her computer, that folder is many many steps
away). Perhaps she was working fast and just hit FILE / SAVE AS and totally forgot to select the folder. Again, there can be many
reasons why this happens. The question is, how do you reduce these problems?
WordPerfect allows you to specify a DEFAULT DOCUMENT FOLDER, which you can set to be the CASES folder, even if it is on a
Network. In this case, using File OPEN or File SAVE AS will automatically DEFAULT to the CASES folder, making the Case Specific
folder just one folder away. Making this setting can help.
Later versions of Microsoft Word do have a similar setting. In later versions of MS Word, look under Tools / Options / File Locations -
you can make a similar setting there that will automatically direct you to the PARENT FOLDER when you start to save a document.
Document Management Programs, like MyCaseFiles, can be the largest help of all. There are a variety of them, but they all have one
central idea: Before you begin typing, you identify the CASE you are working on. From that point the Document Management system
takes over--it knows where the document should be stored. All it will ask for is the document name. The user CANNOT place the
document in the wrong location. Moreover, Document Management Systems make locating documents easier. Identify the Case and
the system lists all of its documents--you don't have to Browse through the network and a list of folders.
If you aren't using some form of document management, either software driven or by in-house procedure, you ARE making things
difficult. You loose time finding documents. You loose time retyping documents because you can't find the copy you typed the first time.
You leave yourself open for Ethical Compliance Complaints because you can't find documents. It is just a lot harder than it needs to
be. Purchase a system or create a procedure and use it and life will get a lot easier.
CREATING CAPTIONS
A Caption is a standardized organization of Case Specific information that is used at the top of many documents and forms filed with
the courts. Captions specify the State, County, Court Type, Plaintiff, Defendant, and the type of document or filing.
We type Captions all the time in the law office. As such, we often try to "boiler plate" them--we create them in one document, which we
open when we need a caption and then COPY / PASTE the boiler Caption and edit it to fit the specific need.
One of the difficulties with boiler plated captions is the alignment of the caption. Captions are divided down the middle with a column of
Right Parentheses ) and are de marked by lines--for which many people used Underlined spaces, underlined Tabs, as well as
underlined words. As we edit the boiler plated caption, the Parens shift and the lines break apart or shift the caption so we have to edit
the lines. This means spending some time adding or taking away spaces or tabs in order to get the Parens to line up and the divider
lines to work. But there is a better way...
Some people will use COLUMNS to create Captions--columns like might be used in a Newspaper. 3 columns, one for the Plaintiff /
Defendant information, the middle for the Caption Parens ), and the right column for the Court and Document Type information.
Columns will work, but they have two short commings. While the center divider Parens will hold in place, there is little or no control over
the vertical movement of information. This often means inserting additional blank lines or removing blank lines in order to get the Right
Side of the Caption (the Court and Document Type information) to line up properly with the Plaintiff vs Defendant information. Also, any
horizontal lines we have created will often break apart, shift, or mess up the Caption, meaning we have to edit the horizontal lines as
well. There is still a better way...
Both WordPerfect and Microsoft Word have the capacity to create TABLES in documents. Tables provide CELLS where typed
information can be entered. The SIZE of the cells can be controlled. By controlling the Cell Size, you can fix the Center Divider Parens )
so they will not shift as you type in information (much like using Columns). Moreover, the Cells create automatic Vertical Alignment. If
the Plaintiff Cell grows (perhaps there are several Plaintiff's, causing the Plaintiff information to span several vertical lines) ALL
information in the caption gets shifted downward proportionally--the Defendant information as well as the Document Type information
to the right of the Parens. The only adjustment that might be required would be to add additional Parens in the area where a cell grew
vertically (in this example, to the right of the Plaintiff information). Also, any horizontal lines created in the Table will STICK to their
assigned location and will RETAIN their length. As in this example, an expanding Plaintiff cell WILL NOT affect any horizontal lines in
the caption--all horizontal lines will remain where they are suppose to remain in relation to the expanded Plaintiff information. The
horizontal line lengths will also remain constant. In short, lines will not need to be edited at all.
Tables help to keep the Caption uniform. They can be created leaving information blank while still providing space for that information.
Additionally, they can very easily create and control the Lines often used in Captions. Use a Table to create a boiler plate Caption and
store it in a common place. The next time you need to create a Caption, rather than spending several minutes building one from
scratch, open the boiler plate table caption, fill in the blanks, and there you have it. Captions made easy.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |