Customer Reviews

Word 97 for Law Firms

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The book promises "everything you need to know". I wanted to know how to add line numbers to legal pleadings, to avoid the unusual MS Wizard which cannot print double spaced numbers at the left, and instead prints linenumbers corresponding to the text (e.g., single spaced numbers when text or even caption is single spaced). This book devotes 1.5 pages to telling us to use the wizard, cautions that it cannot print the industry standardized double spaced numbers, offers the absurd suggestion to double space all text to produce double spaced numbers, then suggests "many law firms use a text box" to avoid WORD's line numbering feature, refers the reader to Chapter 9, which informs the purchaser "pleading templates require complex formatting for...line numbering" and suggests borrowing a template from a lawfirm already using Word 97! Gee, that's why I spent $30.00 for the book. Other illustrations are similarly empty of real instructional content. I see the book as a rehash of a standard MS handbook that simply substitutes "legal" for "word processing" or "typing" in the content.

Having converted from WordPerfect, I was very frustrated with some of the automatic formatting features of Word 97. Other Word 97 books I have read were not helpful in solving these problems or in making preparation of legal documents easier. That has all changed with this book. Within an hour of browsing through Word 97 for Law Firms, I found a number of very helpful suggestions in the tables, templates, and forms chapters. Even the lessons on the basics had new and helpful hints such as the pleading toolbar, auto text entries, and spiking text. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and I still have more to read and learn! I highly recommend it.

The subject matter isn't exactly riveting, yet this book led me to the excitement of discovering, for example, exactly how easy it was to set up an AutoFormat table for an exhibit list.

The explanation of mail merge, legal templates, and legal forms is a valuable resource for sole practitioners.

After two years of browsing the bookshelves in every bookstore in my area for something to help me produce legal documents in Word, Payne Consulting has come to my aid. Starting with basics (for those who are just converting from another word processor) to the full fledged Word legal features, Payne has given me the resources to not only produce, but support our legal staff. We've even decided to purchase a copy for each secretary and paralegal to help them become more self sufficient. Thank you Payne Consulting!

As a software instructor, I found this to be as clear as 1-2-3 with enough details to satisfy any level user. However, to be a complete learning tool a diskette with sample files to play with is needful.

This book is a definite must for every law firm using Word. Our law firm looked for just this type of book when we switched from WordPerfect to Word last year. This book covers everything a Word user in a legal environment needs to know - from Word basics to the more advanced features such as Legal Templates and Forms, Styles, Fields, and Conversion Issues, just to name a few. The best part is that Word 97 for Law Firms is thorough. It is easy to find information and well written so that the information, once found, is easy to understand and apply. Law firms planning to switch to Word will find the answers they need on how to customize Word so that their users will be both productive and efficient. Law firms that have already switched to Word will find the book to be an excellent resource. Special elements such as "Tips", "Notes" and "Cautions" listed throughout the book provide information that would be beneficial for even the most proficient user. I, personally, found the sections entitled "Working with Long Documents," "Sharing Legal Documents" and "Conversion Issues" to be outstanding. This book is a "must" for anyone using Word 97 in a legal environment!