Most firms want to do a want to get the right documents to their clients on time and error free. In spite of wanting this to happen, however, many are still struggling in this area.

If you’re one of those firms, I have the next step for you to take!

I’ve already talked about some of the reasons you are struggling with delivery and errors. You learned about how you need to start understanding the reason why errors happen. This is done by collecting information about when errors happen.

The next step is to understand what your current process is. You may be thinking, “I don’t have a process,” or “I already know what my process is.”

In either of these cases you will be surprised at what you find out during this step. What we have found is that even though the firm thinks it knows what the process is, they don’t truly know what is really happening until they go through this exercise.

Go ahead and watch this video about some basics on how to map out your process:

Now that you’ve watched the video, take the next step by meeting with your team and mapping out the process!

I’d also like to invite you to attend our Document Systems webinar on February 25 at 3:00 EST, where we are going to teach you the steps you need to create your Document System. This will lead to delivering on time and error free documents.

What is HotDocs?

A document assembly product developed to help attorneys, banks, and corporations create automated document systems. Automated document systems are used to simplify the repetitive aspect of preparing legal documents and forms

Versions Available:

• HotDocs User
• HotDocs Developer LE
• HotDocs Developer

Introduction to Document Assembly

There are three kinds of HotDocs templates: document templates, form templates, and interview templates. Document templates create word processor document files (like wills or trusts). Assembled document templates are sent in your word processor. You can edit any section of the text. Form templates are created from static text and filled in using HotDocs Automator. Users cannot modify the underlying text, but can fill in and modify answers. Interview templates gather common information and save the answers for use in other documents but do not assemble a document themselves.

In your library, the template is type is represented by the icon next to the template name. The document template has a “piece of paper” icon with blue lines; the form template has a “piece of paper” icon with yellow rectangles; the third type of template, the Interview Template, uses an icon that looks like a card, with a blue line across the top.

How Templates Are Created

Document Template – A Word or WordPerfect file, which is turned into a template, and then automated to with HotDocs variables and Script to allow customized user entry. (The extensions will be .rtf, .wpt, or .dot.)

Form Template – A Word, WordPerfect, PDF, or other file format, that can be automated in HotDocs Automator. Non-pdf forms must first be printed with the HotDocs driver to create Envoy-based static content before they can be automated. (The extensions will be .hft, hpt.)

Interview Template – A component file designed to gather common and store the answers for future document assembly. Special instructions are given to control the order that questions are asked. There is no resulting document – they can only generate an answer file. (The extension is .cmp.)

Variable Types

There are 7 main types of variables:

• Text
• Number
• Date
• True/False
• Multiple-choice
• Computation
• Dialog

Text Variable – You can enter any text string in this type of variable, including letters, numbers and symbols. Text variables include items such as names and address. Telephone numbers, SSNs, or other “numbers” which should not be used to add, subtract, multiply, etc. are created as text variables

Number Variable – Numbers can be formatted to restrict maximum or a minimum values, as currencies, or set to show a certain number of decimal places. Typically numbers are used to represent text that will be used in a calculation. Because social security and telephone numbers are never used in calculations and typically require a specific format, they are considered Text variables not numbers.

Date Variable – You can use the popup calendar to enter a date, or enter in as 14 Nov 2003, 11 14 2003, or November 14, 2003. Unless you change your options, it will require a 4-digit year.

True/False Variable – You can select from either check boxes or radio buttons. They can be grouped together, so they resemble a multiple choice, or can require a “Yes” or “No” answer.

Multiple Choice Variable – This type of variable allows you to select from a list of options, and often included an “Other” choice where you can enter in additional information. Depending on the variable, you can choose one, or multiple selections. This type of variable can appear as a drop down list [CLIENT STATE] or as a list, with [SALUTATION] or without [MARITAL STATUS] columns.

HINT: Single selection multiple-choice variables are radio (circle) buttons and multiple choice variables have square buttons.

Computation – You can use a Computation variable to calculate number, date, true/false, and text values based on answers a user enters. The computed value can then be merged into the assembled document. Computation variables can also be used to group several instructions or expressions for insertion into a template, which results in quicker assembly.

Dialog – By default, when HotDocs displays variables in a HotDocs interview, each variable is shown in a dialog by itself. While this approach may be sufficient for some, you may want to group related variables and present them in a custom dialog.

In February, HotDocs introduced a new product called HotDocs Document Services. This new service is a Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) offering. One of its advantages is that it allows you to send your clients an interview via email and then allows your clients to enter their information. After your clients have completed the interview, you can then review their information and generate your clients’ documents quicker, thereby reducing the time you spend entering client information. By utilizing HotDocs Document Services, you can generate documents and organize your templates anytime and anywhere as the templates are hosted online.

How will HotDocs Document Services help me? — Answer: This product will save you time.

As a HotDocs consulting company, we have been asked a number of times, over the years, if there is a way to allow clients to fill out some of the information needed for an estate plan in an online questionnaire. With HotDocs Document Services, you now have the option to have your clients fill out an online questionnaire that is customized to your firm’s needs.

Our approach to creating an online questionnaire

We have talked to hundreds of estate planning attorneys over the years, and as we discuss their practices, there is one question we like to ask: do you send out a questionnaire to your clients prior to your meeting? We have discovered that attorneys fall into two categories:

1. they do not send out questionnaires to their clients, because their clients will not fill out the questionnaire; or
2. they do send out questionnaires to their clients, but their clients do not fully complete the questionnaire.

The question then becomes, how will an online questionnaire help attorneys in either of these categories? Actually, an online questionnaire can help both types of attorneys, because the advantage to an online questionnaire is that you can direct your clients through the interview process using help text and dynamic links. By using these tools, your clients will only need to answer the questions that pertain to their situation, creating a better experience for them. You also have the option to add links to help videos (describing a particular term or nuance that they should be aware of) in the interview. One strategy that you might choose to adopt is to offer a discount to your clients who fill out the online questionnaire, thus saving you time.

I’m sold on the online questionnaire, so where do I go from here?

REAL has created an online demonstration of an estate planning questionnaire. To contact us, you can email us or call us at 801-766-3183. We will then provide you with the link to our questionnaire and walk you through the process of creating your online questionnaire.