How Document Automation Works 

Lawyers simply don't draft documents, such as contract, wills, court forms, and leases, from scratch. Instead, they call up the precedent and use laborious cut-and-paste techniques to update the document. Many also print the document, write notes in comments by hand, and hand it to their secretary to make the changes. The paper gets printed again, and then goes back to the attorney for proof-reading and further edits.

Document automation significantly reduces the time it takes to produce these documents while ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Simply put, your firm has a set of templates that contain static information, such as your firm's name, legal clauses, contact information, letterhead, etc. Each template also has variable information that changes from case to case, including names, dates, ages, optional clauses, etc. 

After selecting a document template, an attorney, paralegal or secretary works through a series of questions-and-answer dialog prompts, specifying details such as names, numbers and dates. Instead of typing or cutting and pasting information, the user picks options from a list. The system automatically assembles a draft document based on your response. As you answer questions, your document is created. 

For example, if you’re an estate attorney generating a will, you’d select your client’s gender, marital status, number of children, and dates of birth. In a few seconds, the testor’s name will be placed everywhere in the document it should appear, including the signature block, witness statement and notary block. No need to manually type the name in each time. Upon selecting your client’s gender, your document will automatically change “his” to “her” and “he” to “she” wherever necessary. Upon selecting marital status, the first line in the will changes to reflect that he or she is married or single. No need to manually search through each phrase and risk typos or inconsistencies.

Document Automation Software
When it comes to generating repetitive documents such as contracts, court forms, insurance forms, wills, and more, HotDocs is recognized as a market leader. As a Gold Partner for HotDocs, Accellis is uniquely equipped with the experience and training needed to implement HotDocs in your firm. From developing and coding templates, to integrating HotDocs with your practice management software, we're there for you every step of the way.