Cross Examination: Documents in a Hurry

Cross Examination: Documents in a Hurry FastDraft offers a customizable library of documents. Oct/Nov '01 Issue
Reviewer 1: Milton Hooper is a litigation support specialist in Macon, Ga.	Reviewer 2: Grace Suarez is a sole practitioner in San Francisco.
If you are on the fast track, FastDraft might be the software you need to produce a library of documents you need to retrieve frequently within your own word processing software. Unless you have a quick grasp of how FastDraft works, it might be slow going to figure out how all of this works together. Installation is fast with clear instructions on how to set up FastDraft. Don’t forget to set up your word processing software in the preferences. When I initially set up WordPerfect 9 with FastDraft, I encountered an error in opening WordPerfect, which was resolved when I exited FastDraft and re-entered the application. Storing and Reusing Document Elements The ease of storing documents is a bit involved, and if you are accustomed to working with macros, it functions about the same way. If you aren’t inclined to create documents to store in FastDraft from scratch, you might want to get someone else to do it rather than waste time trying to figure it out for yourself. FastDraft works in conjunction with your word processing software. For instance, if you are familiar with creating documents in WordPerfect, you can set up FastDraft to work with WordPerfect. The appropriate macros FastDraft needs to work in WordPerfect are setup with your installation of the software. Once you begin creating a document in WordPerfect, a separate toolbar appears to guide you through the process of creating components such as selecting content, adding variable fill-ins and outputting the document. The form can be stored and modified with different variables. You can select particular components such as paragraphs to include in your document as well as variables that can prompt you for information, which needs to be keyed into the document. If you want variety in variables, FastDraft has it, including anything from automatically calculating fees to entering a person’s Social Security number in the correct format. There are several options and drop-down boxes that help you put these together. SmartModels If you are cooking something new, you usually want to use a recipe to make sure you are including the right ingredients. SmartModels do much of the same thing. If you are worried about each person in your firm typing the same document in different ways, SmartModels can be used to help enforce uniformity. By simply inputting a few variables, employees can create the documents correctly. FastDraft automatically will do the rest by putting in the right information based on the rules it has been assigned. If you are drafting a motion, based on the variables linked to cites pertaining to your issue, the necessary paragraphs to support your motion will be pulled in from the components you have put into your document. This means you don’t have to type one from scratch or track down a copy which must still be revised to address the particular issue at hand. AnswerSets and AnswerForms Remember when we had to feed a form into a typewriter and line up the typeset to fill-in the blanks? With FastDraft, there is no need for typewriters or aligning your printer to fill in the blanks on your forms. The AnswerSets and AnswerForms feature of FastDraft takes you into a new millennium without the fuss. You can input information such as your client’s name, address, city and state as well as transaction-oriented information including rates and fees. Then just let AnswerForms and AnswerSets do the rest of the work. The information is plugged into your forms to print out perfectly the first time with all the necessary wording. The completion of information can then be saved or merged into any document. Database Documents can be organized easily with a setup that is similar to using Windows Explorer. You also can store documents in several folders so they are grouped the way you need to work on them. When you use the folders, you are not really storing the document several times, you are only creating additional paths to its location. If you have created a document using FastDraft, you can search using two types of inquiries. The first is a search of the library content. For instance, if you want to search for components that relate to a particular topic, you can browse the library and key in your search criteria. The search will return all the components that meet your criteria. Second, you can search documents for content. You may specify criteria relating to document content or criteria about a document’s profile (who created it, when it was created, etc.). The profile features include user-definable fields that can be unique to the user’s application. All of the inquiry features can be accessed from the “Research” tab. Learning Curve Although I liked the FastDraft “TestDrive” tutorial, I am skeptical that any of my attorneys would use FastDraft. They already have a library of WordPerfect documents and macros available to them via our intranet or their own library. I don’t really see them breaking away from that method. However, if a firm or beginning practitioner is looking for a method of document assembly, I believe FastDraft would be an ideal software to use.	I am always on the lookout for the perfect document assembly program. Ideally, it would search the recesses of my mind as I sleep, extract the unconscious memory of all the brilliant arguments I have ever made or wanted to make, and arrange them beautifully on the page. As you can see, I am hard to please. However, FastDraft, Version 3.3 certainly comes close. FastDraft is a document assembly program that lets you create and re-use document elements and re-arrange them in new ways. It’s different from most document assembly products because it uses a database (Microsoft Access) to store the elements rather than relying on templates. The product comes on a CD-ROM, and installation is straightforward — just drop in the disk and follow the prompts. I did have a problem once the program installed: It asked for a password. There was no hint in the paper documentation as to what that might be. It would not even let me access the “Help” menu to figure out how to find the password. Finally, I had to open the tutorial, called “TestDrive,” using WordPerfect in order to find the password. The tutorial is in Word format, even though FastDraft supports both Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect. Once I started the program, it didn’t give me much of a hint as to how to proceed. I ended up printing out the “TestDrive” and working through it. It would be much better if a printed “TestDrive” booklet was provided. After the initial problems, the program ran well. Every once in a while, the macros that connect the program to WordPerfect would hang, and I would get error messages. But since I am running Windows ME and WordPerfect 2000, both of which are notoriously buggy, I could not tell whether the problem lay in FastDraft, WordPerfect or Windows ME. But I lost no data, and after re-booting, all was well. Storing and Reusing Document Elements Valeo touts the program’s ease in storing and re-using document elements or components, and the program stands up to the company’s claims. Once you create each element (an element might be any part of a document, from a signature block to a stock paragraph in a contract), you can re-use it in any future document you create. One advantage is that since the same element is being re-used, you can edit the element and the changes will show up in any new document you create using that element, whereas if you were creating templates, you would have to manually change each template. You also can place variables in the components. Different types of variables including “Text,” “Numeric,” “Multiple Choice,” “Date” and “Calculation” can be formatted during the assembly process. Using the “Date Math” style, for example, allows you to calculate the time elapsed between two dates with the result expressed in calendar time. You even can enter the gender of a party for either “Text” or “Multiple Choice” variables, and the pronouns will match on a document-by-document basis. SmartModels You also can create SmartModels, which are like recipes for documents that you use again and again. You select components from one or more libraries, assemble them in any order you want, and then save the resulting outline. The SmartModel feature is valuable. Many documents lawyers create share the same elements, such as address blocks, court titles and declarations. It was great to be able to assemble documents from these various pieces and then save the pieces as a reusable entity. AnswerSets and AnswerForms With this function, you record and update variable information specific to a client or transaction. You then can merge the information into a newly assembled document. You only need to enter variable information once. You easily can create an Answer-Form by picking from a list of the variables you defined earlier. The ability to enter case information only once and reuse it is important. It not only saves time, but reduces errors as well. Database Because the foundation of FastDraft is a database, the program can provide document tracking and search capabilities. You then search either the document components or the documents you have created from the components. Although I didn’t play with this feature much, I could see it’s useful when the libraries get large. Learning Curve FastDraft is powerful, and no powerful program is easy to learn. After working through the “TestDrive,” I was creating my own documents within a couple of hours. Learning all the little tricks, however, will take you a while. But since it’s easy to get started, you can learn the more complicated procedures, such as element linking, as you go along. Case management links definitely need to be added to the program.
FOR THE RECORD
FEATURES 1. Storing and Reusing Document Elements Good use of variables; knowledge of macros helpful. 2. SmartModels Valuable, easy-to-use feature. 3. AnswerSets and AnswerForms Great for working with and filling in forms. 4. Database Search function is indepth and useful. 5. Learning Curve Especially useful for beginning practitioners. JUDGMENT Pros A good way to keep your standard forms and documents uniform throughout the firm. Cons If you already have a workable system, you might not be inclined to switch. Verdict 3 out of 4�s A good system for those looking to start with a document assembly system.	FEATURES 1. Storing and Reusing Document Elements Easy to use and reuse documents. 2. SmartModels Makes creating documents simple. 3. AnswerSets and AnswerForms Saves time and reduces errors. 4. Database Useful when libraries get large. 5. Learning Curve TestDrive helps work through complex program. JUDGMENT Pros Powerful, relatively easy to learn; works with both Word and WordPerfect. Cons Relatively expensive; no ready-made links to Amicus Attorney or other case management programs. Verdict 3 out of 4�s A powerful document assembly program; easier to learn than HotDocs. It would be better if it had an easy link to a case manager.