CONFESSIONS OF A LAWYER ON DOCUMENT AUTOMATION

Cassandra Townsend, Manager, Precedent Lawyer

When I was practising in law firms, having access to a precedent, rather than drafting a document from scratch, made life much easier.

There were a number of precedent systems I used such as: 

• merging a master file of client details in Word Perfect with precedents for commonly used letters and Court forms in our existing precedent bank;
• copying a document used in a prior matter, manually changing the details where relevant;
• typing out a precedent found in a trusty text in the Law Library; or even
• creating a precedent myself, maybe saving it in my own drive on the firm’s computer system where no other lawyers in the firm could access it (or even know I had it).

When I started working at Cleardocs, I learnt about online document generation – single use, pay per use document creation. In my experience, lawyers are used to storing precedents for multiple use – where use of a precedent to create a document tailored to specific circumstances of a client or matter has varying degrees of manual elements.

I can now appreciate the benefits and efficiencies that online legal document generation brings to the working day of professionals. The table below sets out some benefits, using our ClearWill withTestamentary Trusts document package as an example:

Benefit	ClearWill with Testamentary Trusts
An online service avoids the time, cost and complexity of installing software.	Cleardocs is easy to implement – visit our website and sign up to Cleardocs for free. You can then immediately start creating your documents.
An online service is available 24/7.	Through Cleardocs, you can create your documents anywhere and anytime, at your convenience.
There is no need to retype the same details – the automation provides a solution to the cumbersome manual form filling.	A complex will can be 50 pages or more. Rather than typing say, the willmaker’s name on each page required, you type it once into our online question interface and the Cleardocs system populates it all required parts of the document.
If your firm does not have a precedent, using an online document provider allows the firm to efficiently operate in new areas.	You can easily create a complex will for a client even if estate planning is not generally an area you practise in.
Using online legal document providers avoids the need for you to spend time updating your existing precedents to reflect changes to the law, allowing you to spend more time with your clients.	ClearWill with Testamentary Trusts, as with all our documents, is consistently and comprehensively maintained by our lawyers at Maddocks to comply with all laws.
Credible online legal providers work with law firms so that you can be confident you are delivering quality documents to your clients.	Cleardocs partners with Maddocks lawyers, a top 20 Australian law firm. Maddocks signs off all master documents, question interfaces and legal information on our website.

You can read our earlier blog about problems with using precedents to create legal documents.

For more information about ClearWill with Testamentary Trusts, or any of our other document packages, please call us on 1300 307 343.

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Welcoming Business Name Registration to the Cleardocs line-up

Cassandra Townsend, Manager, Precedent Lawyer

We’ve received a fantastic response to our first new document package for the year – Business Name Registration.

Customers tell us they are delighted to be able to stay on our website and take advantage of this additional step in the business set up process.

Also, as a Cleardocs first, the product incorporates the time-saving feature of pre-population of company name holder details from previous Cleardocs orders – making the document creation process faster and easier.

The following resources are now available on our site to assist you in the exciting step of starting a business:

1.     A real-time check against ASIC’s database of business name availability when you enter your proposed business name in the online question interface.

2.     If you’re stuck for business name, you may like to read our case study on the Cleardocs business name. It outlines the process that Cleardocs founder, Christopher Balmford, went through to choose a business name and relevant considerations.

3.     We’ve prepared a checklist of information you will require to complete your business name registration through Cleardocs.

4.     As you will need to specify the ABN of the business name holder in your order, we’ve provided an ABN & TFN checklist showing the questions you will be asked when applying for your ABN.

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Shaping the Cleardocs customer experience

Cassandra Townsend, Lawyer

The first quarter of 2014 has passed quickly. I have been busy focusing on new product development, working on enhancing our existing products and attending legal events, some sponsored by Cleardocs.

In coming weeks, we'll be releasing a new SMSF product and several product enhancements across our offering.

In my product development role, I am often asked the question "How do you decide what products to develop?" The answer is simple: we are driven by our customers.

Improving the customer experience is an important focus at Cleardocs – not only from a product development perspective, but also in terms of customer service, our website and Cleardocs technology. Many of you may have already provided feedback through our ongoing customer satisfaction survey.

In coming weeks, we will be contacting some of you to gain further insight into:

• your daily working activities;
• your needs, frustrations and challenges;
• how we can improve your Cleardocs experience; and
• how we can further help meet your and your clients' legal document needs.

We encourage you to speak honestly. We are keen to incorporate your feedback into plans for development of new products and to improve our processes and service to meet your needs.



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Reasons to keep your Cleardocs user profile up to date

By Mahjabeen Khan, Customer Service

At Cleardocs, we believe in keeping in touch with our customers whether it’s through the helpdesk, our blog, ClearNews, industry events or product announcement emails.

Cleardocs may use your contact details to initiate communication via phone or email regarding your product orders. This could be due to a failed order delivery or a registration rejection from ASIC. We rely on information provided under your account to get in touch with you. So, to receive timely communication and important information, keeping your profile up to date is highly recommended.

Also, your profile details appear in the fulfillment section of your legal documents, which is usually on the bottom left of the cover page, alongside Maddocks' details.

Updating your Cleardocs profile is easy. Simply login to your Cleardocs account with your username and password and click ‘My Profile’, in the blue bar, appearing just below the product category tabs. There are a myriad of features you can access on this page.

1. You can update your personal, contact and address details.
2. You can change your password.
3. If you do not want to receive subscription emails (ClearLaw bulletins, ClearNews or product announcements), you can choose to opt out here.
4. You can select ‘Additional Contacts’ to receive communications from Cleardocs. For example, you can specify additional email addresses that you wish Cleardocs to send order invoices, legal documents and/or subscription-based newsletters.
5. You can choose to receive documents in either PDF or RTF format by changing your document format preference (available for professional users only).

      

The ‘Lost Password’ facility on our website enables you to retrieve your account details if you’ve forgotten your username or password. The ‘Lost Password’ link is available on the top right corner of the website under the username and password fields. You can enter your email address here. The system will then validate it to make sure it exists on our system and sends an email with account retrieval information – including your user name.  

The Cleardocs support team will be more than happy to help if you have trouble accessing your account or updating your profile.  Just give us a call on 1300 307 343 or send us an email at support@cleardocs.com.   

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Should I use a template to create a legal document?

Should I use a template to create a legal document?

By Denice Fraser, Senior Marketing Executive

Everyone’s document requirements differ and there may be particular times when you, or someone you know considers using a template to create a legal document.

   

In essence, a template is a generic example - a DIY process, which relies heavily on the level of expertise and knowledge of the person using it.
 

You can obtain free legal document templates online for a number of document types. The problem with free legal document templates is that:

• they may not be regularly updated for compliance, with current Commonwealth, state or territory legislation;
• they may not be comprehensive;
• they may not cover every circumstance or situation – meaning you have an incomplete document (resulting in the need to draft sections yourself);
• they can leave you ill at ease (not knowing if your document is compliant);
• you can experience some pain populating the template ‘blanks’ without guidance; and
• the chances of receiving support to complete the template are slim.

What happens if you need assistance or advice? You may need to start again after gathering new information, lose a valued client, or be faced with a non-compliance penalty far exceeding the cost of the document you initially tried to avoid.

Through Cleardocs, you receive more than a template.  Cleardocs is an automated system that guides you through an interface and enters your answers into a master document, expertly drafted and maintained by top 20 law firm, Maddocks.

Cleardocs easy to use question interface guides you step by step, with help text, free helpdesk support and access to Maddocks. 

You can sample some of our documents here. You will need to register as a Cleardocs user in order to view these documents.  Registration to Cleardocs is free. These sample documents are produced from our master documents — which are like legal document templates. 

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Set up an SMSF and register the SMSF corporate trustee in one simple step

Belinda Thalakada, Customer Support

Set up an SMSF and register the SMSF corporate trustee in one simple step

In December 2013 , Cleardocs released its first combination package - SMSF setup + register Corporate Trustee. This new product comprises all the documents you would otherwise receive by separately completing a company registration and then, SMSF setup through Cleardocs.

What are the benefits of the Cleardocs bundled package?

As a result of us combining the company registration and SMSF setup products, you save time by now completing one online form instead of two.   This means you don’t need to enter the same information twice (i.e. member/director details, trustee information etc.).  It also means you only need to make one payment for the Cleardocs fee for both your company and SMSF set up, and you can purchase printing for both packages in one order (for a cost of $76).

What documents are included in the package?

Your document package includes a full set of documents for your SMSF set up and Company Registration:

Superannuation Trust (SMSF)

• the SMSF Trust Deed - the Deed is customised to reflect the SMSF has a corporate trustee;
• a Product Disclosure Statement summarising the features of the SMSF;
• Consents for the directors of the trustees;
• Minutes to set up the SMSF and set its investment strategy;
• applications, beneficiary notices and TFN notices for the SMSF members;
• ATO trustee declaration form; and
• an Establishment Kit explaining what to do next.    

Company Registration

• Certificate of Registration - which shows the ACN (Australian Company Number), the date of registration, and the registered company name; the company's Constitution - the Constitution is customised to reflect that the company is the trustee of a superannuation fund;
• Consent to act as Director;
• Consent to act as Secretary;
• Application for shares;
• Minutes of a meeting of directors;
• Share Certificates;
• Consent to act as Public Officer;
• Notice of appointment of Public Officer; and
• an Establishment Kit explaining what to do next.

All master documents are written in plain language and are signed-off by our lawyers at Maddocks.

10% off introductory offer extended to Friday, 28 February 2014.

Cleardocs are celebrating the release of this product by automatically providing a 10% discount off the Cleardocs fee of all SMSF setup + register Corporate Trustee orders paid on or before Friday 28 February, 2014. This discount means the total cost of the package is $691.50 instead of the usual cost of $719.00. 

Login to your Cleardocs account now to start saving.

Cleardocs tool helps workflow in Checkpoint

 Denice Fraser, Senior Marketing Executive

As one of the newest members of the Cleardocs-Thomson Reuters team, this is my first Cleardocs Blog entry. I started with the team in November 2012 and have immersed myself in product and platform development projects from day one.  Almost six months in and I can say it’s been quite the exciting ride!

First a little about me:  With over 15 years marketing, product development and project planning experience in finance and super, I'd like to ensure we're creating positive outcomes for customers.  If the Cleardocs team are able to remain valuable and relevant to customers, together with making a deeper ‘connect’, then I’m happy.

In order to make the customer experience as good as it can be, I’m interested in current trends and hearing about issues faced by our customers.  Quite simply, I’m passionate about leveraging information with content and process, which leads me to my initial work here at Cleardocs...

The integration of Cleardocs as a live workflow tool in Thomson Reuters’ newest platform, Checkpoint, has been a focus of mine so far. Checkpoint transforms traditional online research methods into a workflow and tools information solution. Not just a platform that delivers trusted Thomson Reuters content, Checkpoint shows customers how to best leverage research results by providing the steps to get work done efficiently.

And this is where Cleardocs comes in.  Our plain language, online legal document assembly tool, combined with integrated workflow means Cleardocs now offers Thomson Reuters’ clients access to our product range and process.   This means that customers get to realise the benefits in accessing informative workflow features such as decision trees, tools and calculators which have been developed as part of Checkpoint.
 

Another interesting 2013 enhancement for Cleardocs is the expansion plans of our SMSF product suite. The new products in this suite are positioned to leverage on our existing document packages and are set to make a difference by providing a broader offering for fund activities and by better streamlining workflow.

I look forward a future of innovation and developments, together with working alongside a great bunch of professionals – all here to make your job easier.

Stay tuned for a future blog where I talk about mobile platform and social media developments at Cleardocs.

Search your clients legal documents in seconds, not hours!

Thomas Lam, IT Manager


Have you ever tried to look for an DIY fund deed documents, etc you prepared many years ago for your clients and all you know is just the first name of one of the trustees?

The old way – ouch!

You probably have done this many times before – browsing through piles of client legal documents, sometimes with hints of when the documents were created (By the way these hints could be wrong too!). How frustrating and unproductive! And you probably cannot charge your client the time you spent on looking for these documents too.

The new way – search

Apart from best companies, trusts, SMSFs and HR legal documents, Cleardocs provides document management services to our users as part of the “Cleardocs Experience”.
As you may already know, most of our document management services are provided through “My documents” page. Recently our IT team added search box (circled in green in the diagram below) that allows our users to search answers of each document created with Cleardocs.



You could combine the search with any dropdown on the above toolbar. For example, you could do a search like “Completed” “HR Policies and Procedures Manual” created “Any time” with the word “Matt” in the answers. Click the “GO” button and our system will shows you all relevant documents in a second or two!

We hope this new search box will saves you times for more productive work.