LAWconnect : User Tips
Forms ..... Software ..... Hardware ..... Feedback . FORMS Format: The forms are created in Rich Text Format (rtf) which can be read by most modern word processing programs. However, they contain Form Template formatting created on Microsoft Word and some other programs have difficulty dealing with that formatting. The forms have been tested in Microsoft Word on both Macintosh and Windows systems. More than 90% of people use one version or another of Microsoft Word.
Saving Format: Forms can be saved to your hard drive to be used later or incorporated into your own case management systems or word processor. They will automatically be saved as "rtf" files. When you come to retrieve them later they may not appear on your word processor's file requester. This is usually because your word processor is looking for "MSWord" files and not "rtf" files. If you select "all files" or "rtf" in the file requester, the "rtf" forms should appear and you can then open them. If you are using MSWord, you can choose to save the forms as "MSWord" files.
Data Fields: The forms contain data fields and have been "locked" so that information can only be typed into the data fields. Most forms have have fields which contain "DATA INSTRUCTIONS" written in upper case. These advise what sort of information should be entered into the field. These instructions should be read and then deleted before the required information is then typed into the field. Some data instructions give examples of what needs to be typed into the data field. Such examples are always in lower case. If the given example is applicable to your situation, you can simply delete the data instructions which appear in upper case, leave the lower case example in the field and make any modifications to it you require.
Some fields simply contain the most usual entry in lower case with no upper case data instruction. The most usual entry has been placed in a data field so that it can be changed on the rare occasions when it does not apply. For example, some forms of affidavit have a field already filled in to indicate that the affidavit was taken before a "Justice of the Peace". The words "Justice of the Peace" can be deleted and replaced by "Solicitor" or "Commissioner for Affidavits" if needs be.
Reasonable attempts have been made to build flexibility into each form so that data fields exist for each eventuality. For example, where there are multiple defendants, most forms contain a spare field of unlimited length so that any number of extra defendants or other parties can be typed into that field together with addresses and the like. Similarly, optional data fields exist so things like "Solicitor for the" can be placed before the title of a party. This way the field can be deleted if the party is signing the document himself instead of having his solicitor, barrister or agent signing it form him.
Data field entries can be modified and saved to your hard drive. You might like, for example, to enter recurring data such as your name and address or the particulars of a bulk client the appropriate fields and save it to your system. This way you wont have the manually type those details again and again each time you call up the form.
Information can be "cut" from almost any computer source using the edit controls on your software and then "pasted" into a data field on the forms. Thus, a suggested pleading for, say, a car accident claim, can be "cut" from the pleadings pages on the site and pasted into the appropriate data field on a form of statement of claim. It can than be modified to suit the circumstances of the case.This may not work if you are using old or incompatible software.
Modifying: If you find if necessary to make major changes to the body of a form you can "unlock" it and totally reconstruct it. Beware - unlocking a form, changing it and then locking it again will erase all information contained in the data fields.
To modify the body of a form in Microsoft Word 97 :-
1. Open the form and select "View" from the top menu bar on the Microsoft Word screen.
2. Select "Toolbars" from the "View" menu and then select "Forms" from the "Toolbars" menu.
3. The Forms toolbar will appear on your screen. Drag it to the top of your screen and it will automatically join the existing toolbars there.
4. To unlock the form on your screen, click once on the small padlock shaped icon on the right end of the forms toolbar. The form is unlocked and can now be manipulated any way you like.
5. The other icons on the forms toolbar allow you to add text fields, number fields, date fields, tables, frames and to draw. Experiment.
5. When you have finished changing the document, click once more on the padlock icon and the form is locked once more (but the information in the data fields will disappear).
6. To eliminate the Forms toolbar from your screen, select "Toolbars" from the "View" menu and click against "Form". The forms toolbar will disappear.
NOTE: Word for Windows 95 has a slightly different mechanism for manipulating forms. Check it out in your Help screen.
SOFTWARE The vast majority of computer users use Microsoft Word as a word processing package, either by itself or as part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs. So dominant is this program that its major competitor, Word Perfect, now includes some limited capacity to read and use MSWord documents. MSWord documents have certain levels of incompatibility between the various versions. Word for Windows 95 has difficulty reading documents created and saved as Word 97 documents. Some variation exists between each version with regard to the use of Form templates.
As far as web browser software is concerned, LAWconnect works well with either Netscape Navigator or MS Internet Explorer but the later has a better level of automatic integration with MS Word for obvious reasons. LAWconnect has been optimised for Microsoft Word 97 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.
HARDWARE LAWconnect understands that money doesn't grow on trees and so it was designed to be compatible with older computer systems. It will work equally well using appropriate software on any "IBM compatible" machine capable of running Windows 95 or higher and on any colour Macintosh machines running system 6 or higher. LAWconnect is best viewed with a screen resolution of 800 x 600 but, unlike some sites, is designed to remain perfectly usable in a screen resolution of just 640 x 480 without having pages or documents falling off the edge of the screen and having to be scrolled from side to side.
FEEDBACK User feedback is vitally important for the continued improvement of the site. LAWconnect needs to know your needs, concerns, problems, difficulties, compliments or complaints. Your input can determine the priority we will give to the construction of each new topic. Please use the "User Feedback Page" to contact us.
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