Microsoft Office is one of the most popular software tools used in law firms today. Even experienced lawyers, however, may be missing out by not taking advantage of Microsoft Word’s full functionality. Word comes with plenty of tools to help personal injury attorneys be more efficient.
The less time you spend struggling with your documents, the more time you can spend practicing law. Here are several tips to help you get the most of Microsoft Word.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Let’s start with the basics. Many people know how to copy and paste, but that’s the extent of their keyboard shortcut knowledge. Here are some more shortcuts (including copy and paste) that can save busy lawyers and paralegals time. For Mac users, use the “Command” key instead of the “Ctrl” key.
- Ctrl + c – copy
- Ctrl + x – cut
- Ctrl + v – paste
- Ctrl + a – selects all text in the document
- Ctrl + s – save
- Ctrl + z – undo
- Ctrl + y – redo
These are just the beginning. Check out the Microsoft Office support site for a full list of frequently used shortcuts for Word.
Use Styles
Microsoft Word comes with special stylized font groups you can use in your documents. For example, stylized fonts could have certain indents or a certain amount of boldness. You can find them under the “home” tab under “styles.” Use these styles as shortcuts instead of editing the font yourself every time you want to edit a document. This is also an easy way to make sure everyone at your firm formats their letters in the same way.
Think twice about purchasing any fancy styles. They may look good on your computer, but if you send a Word document to someone that doesn’t have your style downloaded, they probably won’t be able to see them on their computer.
Use Quick Parts or AutoText
If you have a phrase, graphic, or other piece of text you use often in documents, you can use Quick Parts (PC) or AutoText (Mac) to quickly fill it in for you. Once you’ve saved your common content, it’s easy to inject it into files as you work.
Harness Editorial Tools
Everyone is familiar with spellcheck, but law firms should also harness Microsoft Word’s collaborative editing tools. You and your team can track changes and make comments for each other before finalizing a document.
There are also powerful editing plugins like PerfectIt, which help your law firm produce consistent professional documents. PerfectIt has a version made specifically for attorneys. It’s as easy as running spellcheck, but does much more to ensure everything from client letters to briefs are perfect.
Create Templates
Personal injury law firms send out a lot of the same letters, so it’s useful to have common templates saved. Letters of representation, welcome letters, and medical requests are some of the most commonly used templates.
Just highlight text that needs to be changed when each letter goes out – like client name or date of loss – and save the files to a place all of your staff can access them. Before you send each letter, simply replace the highlighted text and the letter is ready to go. Don’t forget to change him/her, she/he, and his/hers!
Microsoft Word also has merge tags capability, which some law firms may find useful. However, we recommend utilizing a case management solution to facilitate automated letter generation.
Use Case Management Software With Automated Document Generation
Using pre-made templates is a great way to save time when sending out letters, but there is an even more efficient way. Legal case management software with document generation can automatically populate fields from your software database into letters.
Document generation tools usually work with Microsoft Word so you can review and edit a document once it’s been generated by the case management software.
Run Your Word Updates
It’s easy to pass over software updates when you and your staff are busy, but it’s important to run updates as they come up. It’s also a good idea to review what version of Microsoft Word your firm is running. Outdated versions of Word can cause trouble when sharing files with other firms, or even among your team.
So, is your law firm making the most of Microsoft Word? Share our tips with your colleagues, so you can all work more efficiently. If your firm is using case management software and hasn’t explored its document generation features, it is important to evaluate them. The more time saved on administrative work, the more time you have to get back to what really matters.
CASEpeer is secure case management software designed for personal injury attorneys. Our robust features, including document generation and management, help law firms become more proactive and powerful. Our goal is to help your law firm grow. For more legal software tips, visit our blog.