How to Use Legal Business Document Preparation Software
Software is available to help you prepare a wide variety of documents, which range from a simple will, health care directive or power of pttorney, to a bill of sale and a promissory note; some programs also have a limited number of legal business documents. There are also more specialized preparation programs, which are primarily for legal professionals--legal secretaries, paralegals and lawyers. The following instructions will apply to off-the-shelf software, such as Quicken's "WillMaker Plus," which is available online.
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Things You'll Need
- Make a list of all the information appropriate to complete an interview within the type of document you will prepare. Some of these, to form a will, for instance, include:
- Names of beneficiaries, heirs and recipients
- Names of banks, financial institutions
- Names, addresses and phone numbers of all witnesses to the document
- Names, addresses and phone numbers of two executors/executrixes, or trustee(s)
- List of recipient charities and their addresses
- List of all property, both real and personal, and how you wish to divide it
Instructions
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How to Use Legal Document Preparation Software
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Check for updates before you begin to prepare your document. Laws and protocols change, and the software publisher will update, free of charge, any changes in the program documents.
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Select the category of document you want to create from a drop-down list. A checklist for the document you selected will appear, along with a definition for each part in the checklist.
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Click "Next" to select the state where you wish to execute the document, or the state where you wish to validate the document. (This is not necessarily the state where you use the software.) Click "Next" after you choose the appropriate state.
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Answer specific interview questions the program will ask in each of the succeeding sections; your answers will feed into the document. When you have completed the entire set of questions, a finished document will appear on the screen.
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Read the finished document thoroughly to make certain it contains all of the correct information. Verify, in particular, that addresses, persons' names and financial figures are accurate.
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Print the document, and the execution-instructions page that accompanies it, after you have verified that the document reads exactly the way you want. Execute all instructions precisely, as they are outlined (i.e., signatures, dates, witnesses, notarization, filing procedures, etc.) on the instruction sheet.
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Tips & Warnings
Make corrections and additions to your interview questions by going back to the interview section. Most, if not all, legal document preparation programs prohibit corrections directly to the final document. There are two reasons for that: 1) Re-interviewing is a safeguard built into the program to preserve the legal integrity of the final document, and 2) Should you change an answer to one or more of your interview questions, it may have a profound effect on other parts of the document.
Most legal document preparation software is "boilerplate." That is, the software publisher researched the material as to legal requirements by state and type of document. Each document in the program will fit the average person's standard circumstances. If, however, your requirements are highly complex, usually only an attorney will be able to provide such a document.
Off-the-shelf legal prep software is also "pro se," meaning you, or your immediate family, may prepare documents for personal execution only. You may not prepare documents for anyone else, whether or not you charge a fee, without being licensed to practice law.
Finally, it is generally a good idea to upgrade your software at least annually. Documents you have executed properly are legal and stand on their own merits, but because laws and regulations are always changing, you may want to change your documents accordingly.
