What is Free Legal Document Drafting Software?
For individuals and small businesses, legal document drafting has often been an expensive process. The cost of hiring an attorney to draft basic documents such as wills and contracts can be prohibitive. Traditionally, do-it-yourself legal document drafting was rarely usable for the average lay person given the sheer cost of printers, paper, and scanners. Moreover, novices who attempt to do-it-themselves often miss out on essential documents or otherwise compromise the legal effect of their intended wishes. In light of these concerns, the growing availability of free and easy to use internet-based legal document drafting software represents a boon for the general public . Several free and low-cost legal document drafting software programs are now available on the cloud and allow even the most inexperienced users to draft complete and legally binding documents in mere minutes.
Traditionally, those needing customized legal documents had few options when it came to choosing the right drafting software. Prior to the explosion of cloud computing, word processing options were limited to expensive programs available through costly software packages or through tedious online "software suites." Most of these limitations have been alleviated through the development of free or near free legal document drafting software. Similarly, technological improvements have assured that documents created through cloud-based solutions can be saved and printed from virtually any computer, iPad, or smartphone.
Key Features for Free Legal Drafting Programs
When selecting a free legal document drafting software, users should consider several essential features. First and foremost, the software should provide a comprehensive library of templates that cover a wide range of legal areas including contracts, wills, and other essential documents. A diverse selection saves users time by eliminating the need to create documents from scratch.
Another critical feature is user-friendliness. The best software is easy to navigate and allows users to find the document they need quickly. This might include advanced search functions or clear categories for organizing documents.
Customization options are also key when it comes to tailoring legal documents. The ability to edit and manipulate text and sections of a document makes it easier to adjust the content to fit specific needs. Users look for software that allows for easy modifications and additions to existing templates.
Finally, integration capabilities are increasingly important for efficiency. The software should seamlessly integrate with other tools, such as cloud storage services or accounting software, to streamline the workflow and centralize all necessary resources in one place.
Most Popular Free Legal Document Drafting Software
Overleaf: Formerly known as WriteLatex, Overleaf is an incredibly powerful tool for drafting and publishing documents. Though there is a paid version for complex documents that may require more collaboration, the free plan is completely adequate for most users. It provides all of the functionality you would expect from a word processor, while also generating a beautifully typeset document. It also uses LaTeX, which claims to be the language of the internet. Using it introduces a slight learning curve, but it also unlocks a lot of power. Best of all, it’s free.
Doc Assemble: If you create a lot of online questionnaires and documents (think; Rule 26 initial disclosures), then look no further than Doc Assemble. A completely open-source platform, offering real-time feedback to users. The easy-to-use template editor, like the one just mentioned, times how long it takes users to fill out. It also provides general help to new users, such as alerting them when they haven’t filled out required fields, or providing explanations on certain questions. It even comes with a built-in database, to store information from Doc Assembled questionnaires.
DocHub: An excellent resource for legally binding documents — finally! This is an excellent resource for businesses and individuals that want the ability to sign and review documents on the go and wants a large library of documents to automatically populate both signatures and entities. Why try and draft your own document, when DocHub provides hundreds for you to simply fill in, rather than paying thousands of dollars to a lawyer to review? This is a must-use program for any business that does drafting their own document. In one sentence? This is the go-to program for many small and medium-sized business owners. There’s very few must-use programs, but this is one of them.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Free Versus Paid Legal Drafting Software
When discussing types of software, paid or free, the basic elements of consideration are cost, features, support, and limitations to the software itself. Weighing the pros and cons of each is a key component to choosing the right legal document drafting software for your office.
Cost
Free software sounds like it would always be preferable to paid software. However, there could be an underlying theme that you may not be aware of. You have heard the phrase, "there’s no such thing as a free lunch."
The makers of free software typically ask for your email address, so they can email you tips to use their software, or maybe even additional downloads that they charge for.
Also, checks do not have a warranty. So, if the bank bounces a check, you’re out all the money. The same for free software – there’s no warranty if the software doesn’t run, or worse, crashes your system.
Paid software enables you to register the software to be found in the marketplace, which gives you the protection of knowing where to go if something goes wrong , and some resolving rights (usually).
Features
Free software does not mean inferior. There are free products out there that are superior or equal to their paid counterparts. The difference is usually the number of features. Paid software often includes several functions, while free software has some but not all of those functions.
Some free software can do what paid software can, but paid software can do it faster, easier, or more accurately. If you have a high volume of documents that you do on a regular basis, you may not want to spend your time figuring out how to save a couple bucks by regurgitating what you already have. Your time is money, like your checks.
Support
Most free software offers free technical support via forums or knowledge base. At some point you have to pay to get actual help. Paid software provides both free and paid support.
Limitation
The limitation of paid software is found typically during the free trial period. Many paid versions are identical in every way to the free versions, with the exception of the number of documents you can create.
Free vs paid is up to you. Now you know the facts.
User Tips for Document Drafting
- Review and edit the templates: – Even with reputable free legal drafting software, it’s always best practice to review everything you put your name to. In fact, with legal documents, this is a requirement. Look to see if any contractual terms or clauses used in the templates are missing or out of date and switch them out.
- Research the templates’ industry: – A good free legal drafting program for one industry may not be appropriate in another. This doesn’t mean some templates cannot be adapted for use in limited ways in other industries, but it’s wise to research that what you’re drafting is appropriate.
- Customize every aspect of your templates: – For those who offer drafting as part of their services, all templates must be customized to the client they are being drafted for. For example, in transactional drafting, the seller and buyer must be referred to using their names, company names, and specific details about the transaction. Make sure the templates used address the parties and transaction appropriately.
- Use the in-program instructions: – Some of the free legal drafting programs on the market today do have a few instructions right in their programs. These instructions offer guidance and are a good way to ensure the end legal document is properly drafted. While they are of course not legally binding, the program writers do employ some helpful tricks.
Final Thoughts
As we have explored in this article, the realm of free legal document drafting software is both expansive and highly diversified. From the sophisticated capabilities of LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer for small and large initiatives respectively, to the specialized practice offerings of MyCase and Clio for the business-minded law professional, there is no shortage of options to choose from. For those just starting out or only needing the most basic of templates to get them through a specific issue, services such as LegalTemplates.net , LawBase.net, and RocketLawyer26 may be all they need to cross this off their list. Wherever you are in the realm of legal needs these days, chances are there is a free or freemium option for the drafting of the documents you will require for your goals, and the options are only going to expand over time. Remember, from drafting the annual agreement for a sole proprietorship to negotiating with your landlord, there will always be a need for the legal forms – let the technology work for you today.