Legal documents are often tedious and difficult to write. Lawyers can spend hours crafting a single sentence and still not present their ideas in the best way.
Legal writers need all the help they can get, which is why we think Google Docs is such an invaluable resource for lawyers (and anyone who writes legal-style prose). It’s easy to use, free, and has tons of features that will make your life easier if you know how to use them correctly!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Utilize Google Docs’ collaborative features to enhance team-based legal writing. |
| Leverage Google Docs for version control and seamless document sharing during review processes. |
| Incorporate accessible formatting in your legal documents using Google Docs’ tools. |
| Explore templates and examples available to expedite the creation of legal documents. |
| Ensure document security and privacy settings are appropriately configured for confidential legal writing. |
Use The Research Tool
Google Docs’ research tool is an invaluable resource for legal writers.
You can use the research tool to find relevant information, including laws, cases and court decisions; people, places, and things; statistics; articles, and images. The best part? It’s all possible without leaving your document’s editing window!
To get started with this feature:
- Select Resources from the left-hand sidebar menu of your document where you want to find information.
- Click on “Search.”
- Select a category (such as Law) or enter keywords that describe what you’re looking for in the search box at the top of the page (e.g., “case law”).
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Get More Words With Wordcounter
There are many ways to use WordCounter, but the most common is to count words. It helps write legal documents because it prevents you from going over the word limit or giving your client extra pages of unnecessary text.
WordCounter can help you write more by giving a quick snapshot of your current word count, which gives an idea of how much further you have left to go to hit a certain page number (or article length). This can be useful when working with clients who want their lawyers’ work done in a specific amount of time.
Use Google Translate
Google translate is a web app that you can use to translate your document into another language. If you’ve been working on something in English, but it needs to be translated into Spanish or French, this tool will help make that happen quickly and easily.
To use Google Translate:
- Click the Translate icon at the top of your document window (it looks like an arrow).
- Select a language from the drop-down menu that appears; then click “Translate.” You’ll see this screen:
- Enter what you want to be translated into the box labeled “From,” and type or paste text in that language into the box labeled “To.” Then click “Translate” to get an instant translation!
Clip And Cite With The Scholarcy Chrome Extension
You can also use the Scholarly Chrome extension to automatically insert citations into your documents. This is a great time saver, especially if you have a lot of citations to add because it will save you from having to open up the browser and find each citation individually.
To use this extension, first download and install it from the Chrome Web Store. Then select “Clip text” from any Google search page (e.g. This will copy any text matching your search term at the end of each document that appears on your screen with a red border around it indicating that you’ve selected it for clipping purposes or “scraping,” as we call in SEO!
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Use Extensions To Check Your Writing And Grammar
Use extensions to check your writing and grammar.
If you’re a lawyer, chances are you write a lot and it’s important that those words are spelled correctly, use proper grammar and punctuation, and don’t include any of those pesky grammatical errors that can trip up readers or appear sloppy. There are tons of extension options for Google Docs that will help keep your writing in check:
Grammarly (a paid service) is one of the most popular ways to make sure your work is free from typos and grammatical errors before publishing. You can install it on Microsoft Office, Chrome, Gmail, Twitter, and other sites where people might read what you’ve written.
The free version gives spellcheck plus contextual spelling suggestions based on word usage statistics; the paid version also checks for grammar mistakes (like “its” vs “it’s”).
Grammarly for Google Docs checks spelling within documents created through this tool (and not just in Gmail).
It also offers tips on improving style through personalized recommendations based on past edits made by human editors as well as machine learning algorithms trained on billions of real-world sentences from professionals like lawyers or journalists around the world.
So if someone else has already made similar changes before publishing their work online then this tool will suggest similar edits when editing yours too!
The benefit here is twofold: firstly because these suggestions come from experts rather than just software alone; secondly, because this allows everyone to use this particular platform together which means no one person needs
Add Templates To Your Google Docs Library
Once you have created a template for legal documents, you need to add them to your Google Docs library. You can do this by clicking the + button in the top-left corner of your screen and selecting Add templates from my library.
This will bring up a list of all the templates in your Google Drive account that are stored under Library > Templates. Clicking on any one of these will open it so you can edit or make new versions of it using tools like tables and conditional formatting (which highlights text based on criteria like data values).
When creating templates for use with other files or programs outside of Google Docs (such as Word), be sure to title them so they’re easily identifiable as legal documents rather than just generic files that way when someone else is using them they’ll know what type they are working on without having access to any proprietary knowledge about how to accomplish this task!
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Install The Legal Templates For Google Docs Add-On
This is an add-on that can be installed in your browser, and it allows you to create legal templates for Google Docs. The best part about the Legal Templates for Google Docs is that it saves time. If you are a lawyer who frequently writes legal documents, this tool will help you create more content in less time.
Another benefit of using this add-on is that it allows users to save their templates as well as use other people’s templates if they choose to. This can be useful if there are certain documents or forms that lawyers want to use regularly but don’t want to have them write over and over again each time they need them.
Create Better Legal Agreements With Docracy
Docracy is a legal document repository. It’s an alternative to the Bluebook, which is a guide for citation when quoting another person’s work. Docracy has templates for many different types of legal documents, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), contracts, and consents.
If you’re looking to create an NDA or a contract with your client but don’t want to waste time searching the internet for one that fits their needs (or even worse: drafting one yourself), Docracy might be the solution you need!
Use Voice Typing In Google Docs To Save Time On Transcriptions
If you’re like me, you’ve got a lot of interview recordings that need to be transcribed. You can do this by hand, or use voice typing in Google Docs.
While it may not seem like much of a time saver (after all, how much time does it take to type “Ask the witness to describe what happened in his own words?”), its benefits are immediate and long-lasting.
It will save you from having to revisit old files later on and retype them yourself a process that could take hours if done manually and will ensure that your documents aren’t full of spelling errors or formatting quirks while also saving money on transcription services (which are usually expensive).
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Outline Your Content In A Mind Map Using Mindmeister
Mind mapping is a great way to organize your thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and outline content. If you’re not familiar with the concept of mind maps, check out this article from Wikipedia on how they work. Once you’ve gotten the hang of creating basic mind maps, it’s time to apply them to legal writing! Here’s how:
Create an account on MindMeister (or use Google Docs if you prefer). MindMeister can be accessed either by downloading their app or signing into the website through a web browser. To get started creating your first document click here.*
When prompted for where you want to save this file click “Save As Folder” and then give it an appropriate name (like “Legal Writing”).* Under “Document Properties” select whether or not we want our mind map saved in PDF format when we’re done.
For our mind map documents to be compatible with Google Docs make sure that “Save as HTML” is selected under “File Format Options.”
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Conclusion
Google Docs is a powerful tool that can be used for many things, but few people know that it can be used by lawyers to create better legal writing. With the right tools and right approach, you can use Google Docs to create legal documents that are more concise and easier to read than ever before.
Further Reading
Creating Complex Legal Documents with Google Services Short Description: Explore how Google Services can assist in crafting intricate legal documents for improved efficiency.
How to Create a Legal Document in Google Docs Short Description: Learn the steps to create legal documents efficiently using Google Docs, accompanied by a template example.
Accessible Basic Google Docs Short Description: Discover resources to make your Google Docs accessible, ensuring inclusivity and compliance with accessibility standards.
FAQs
How can Google Services help in creating complex legal documents?
Google Services offer collaborative tools that simplify the creation of intricate legal documents, enhancing efficiency and cooperation among teams.
What are the advantages of using Google Docs for legal document creation?
Google Docs provides real-time collaboration, version history tracking, and easy sharing, streamlining the process of creating, editing, and reviewing legal documents.
Are there templates available for legal documents in Google Docs?
Yes, you can find various templates tailored for legal documents in Google Docs, which can save you time and provide a structured starting point.
How can I ensure the accessibility of legal documents in Google Docs?
To ensure accessibility, follow guidelines such as proper heading structure, alt text for images, and logical document organization. The provided link offers resources for creating accessible Google Docs.
What considerations should I keep in mind when creating legal documents with Google Docs?
When using Google Docs for legal documents, it’s important to maintain privacy and security, especially when collaborating with multiple parties. Utilize appropriate sharing settings and permissions to protect sensitive information.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
