Integrating document assembly software into your practice is the single
most cost effective way to dramatically boost your efficiency and productivity.
The reason is because document assembly software eliminates the inefficient
and error-prone manual method of cut-and-paste, search-and-replace method traditionally used by attorneys.
Efficiency continues to become more and more urgent as competition
and client expectations place increasing demands on law firms, particularly
smaller firms with limited budgets.
A document assembly software system consists of three elements:
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A database that stores data that is unique for each
client and case. |
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Templates that consist of boilerplate and merge
codes that tell the assembly engine where to cut and paste
the paragraphs and insert data.
More sophisticated systems, such
as ProDoc, include logic operators which allow the templates to
deduce answers, perform logic checks, delete irrelevant questions,
and more, and |
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The assembly engine that cuts and pastes the
document and merges the data into the document. |
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Your Three
Basic Document Assembly Options
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Purchase an automation system
and program your own forms. |
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Requires time and effort to learn to program. |
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Requires even more time to perform the programming. |
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Requires time and effort to update the forms as laws change. |
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Requires time and effort to train new programmers
if you delegate the responsibility. |
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Forms may not be as sophisticated as a professional program. |
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2. |
Purchase a low-tech system,
which is a combination of the document assembly engine and pre-programmed
forms templates. |
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Forms come ready to use – no programming needed by you. |
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Forms should be updated by the vendor – not you. |
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Depending on the software, forms can be quite sophisticated. |
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Much more cost-efficient in the long-run. |
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3. |
Obtain an "expert system" document
assembly system, such as ProDoc. |
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All of the advantages of option 2, above. |
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Complex logic programmed into the forms to eliminate unnecessary
questions. |
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"Error trapping" built in to further reduce
errors. |
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Additional time-saving features programmed into the software. |
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Provide the greatest efficiency document assembly. |
Expect the price to increase as you go from Level 1 to Level 3. The degree of efficiency will increase
exponentially for the average user as you make the progression.
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How You
Can Benefit from Document Assembly
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Increased productivity. |
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Better communication. |
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Better organization. |
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Better service for clients. |
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Increased revenues. |
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Decreased expenses. |
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And more. |
Attorneys often become so overwhelmed by their technology
options that they sometimes lose sight of the basics. Research has
recently shown that, on average:
42 percent
of a small firm attorney’s
time is spent doing paperwork,
and
67 percent of a small firm’s staff time is spent doing paperwork.
Therefore, the single, most effective technology to adopt
in a law firm is document assembly software. A quality document assembly
system, such as ProDoc, can reduce the time needed to draft legal documents
up to an astonishing 80 percent. There is no other single technology, except the computer
itself, that can so dramatically boost the efficiency and reduce expenses
in a busy law practice.
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Why ProDoc?
ProDoc was never intended to simply be a
document assembly software program. Alan
Schoolcraft, its creator,
a practicing attorney, understood the need for a system that did
far more than just help to fill in the blanks. Attorneys need a
system that is capable of processing complex logic that intelligently
helps to create and complete legal documents accurately and efficiently.
ProDoc's unique, patented process was created solely for that purpose. For example:
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ProDoc determines which questions need to be asked
and then builds a completed document in a fraction of the normal
time. Your documents flow logically; names, addresses,
and dates are uniform throughout, and the spelling is correct.
(There are no more of those embarrassing "search and replace" mistakes.) |
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ProDoc simplifies document assembly. With our smart forms,
you won't have to search for the right documents to use. Instead,
you and your staff will enjoy the ease of finding document listings
for each library volume. |
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ProDoc contains a Client/Case database that automatically inserts
information into subsequent documents without having to reenter
any data. In other words, every document that leaves your
office will reflect the perfectionist in you - no more worrying
about the details. |
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ProDoc allows you to set default answers to minimize data entry. |
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ProDoc allows you to create forms sets so you can draft multiple
documents simultaneously. |
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ProDoc allows you to customize the formatting of your final
documents. |
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ProDoc allows you to edit the master templates so you can make
permanent changes to suit your preferences. |
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ProDoc allows you to create a library of your favorite clauses
and easily insert them as needed. |
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ProDoc forms systems are finished systems covering multiple
areas of law. |
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ProDoc forms are created and updated by our in-house staff
of attorneys and automatically sent to users in regular updates. |
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ProDoc is easy to use - most users are able to draft documents
within 15 minutes of installing it. |
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ProDoc provides numerous, free training options for you and your staff. |
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ProDoc provides unlimited, toll-free telephone technical support
for subscribers. |
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Other Resources: What Document Assembly Can Do for You
Read what other respected sources say about document
assembly and its benefits to the law practice. You may need to read
into some of these documents in order to find the information they
contain about document assembly.
Document
Assembly >>
Top
Five Myths About Document Assembly Software >>
Disrupting Business Models with Document Assembly >>
Document Assembly - Changing Talk into Action >>
Disrupting Conventional Law Firm Business
Models using Document Assembly >>
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