Reheating YourHotDocs Skills

Capstone Practice SystemsAlan SoudakoffMarc Lauritsen

May 17, 2006

The session A review of HotDocs for people who want to develop

templates intended for online use by self-helpers, clients, or staff.

Our emphasis today will be on basic concepts and procedures.

Our agenda today1st half hour

Introduction – history, concepts

Example of template on the national server

More review of fundamentals

Our agenda todayNext 40 minutes

Show & tell: creating and testing a template that will run on the national server

Mechanics of loading and linking to such a template

Our agenda todayLast 20 minutes

Suggestions and resources for effective template developers

Questions and comments

Survey and requests

Introduction

Basic concepts

The national server

Applications (users/uses)

Example

Quick review: Document Assembly

Sometimes called ... “Document automation” “Computer-aided drafting”

Think TurboTax

Typically found in ... Word processing applications Case management systems Fillable forms

Basic Concepts

Templates – model documents Variables – what’s different?

Facts, choices Calculations - numbers, dates,

texts “Logic” – what goes where?

Conditional/optional pieces Repeated sections

Interface - questions and guidance

Template + Answers = Document

Important differences

Templates | Answers | Documents

Interview | Assembly

RTF templates | PDF templates

Desktop HotDocs | Online HotDocs

“National Public ADO”

(Automated Documents Online)

The national ADO service

Templateproviders

AdvisorygroupOSLSA

LSC Lexis

Self-helpusers

Advocateusers

Statewide websitesI-CAN!

Clients

Uses

Document focus Word processable documents Graphical forms, PDFs Personalized instructions

Interview focus Dynamic questionnaires Intelligent checklists Analytical advisors Eligibility assessment Hotline scripts for call center

staff

Users

Self-helpers (unrepresented) Clients (partially or fully

represented) Legal services staff advocates Hotline staff Volunteers, pro bono counsel Law school clinics Other nonprofits

Alternate front ends

Native HotDocs – “out of the box”

I-CAN!

A2J

Online Example

HotDocs versions

Standard vs. Pro Player PDF Advantage option HotDocs 2005

Three service packs HotDocs 2006

Key concepts

Template Variable Component Expression Instruction Library

Variation Computation Conditionality Repetition

Prompts Validation Additional Text Resources

Kinds of variables Text Date Number True False Multiple Choice Computation

Show & tell

Browser 

BrowserHotDocs Pro

[Statewide Web Sites]Middleware Web Services

HotDocs Web ServicesHotDocs Online

DatabaseOperating System

Uploading a Template

Template Author

Authoring Environment

Production Server

HotDocs Pro

HotDocs Online

Browser 

BrowserHotDocs Pro

[Statewide Web Sites]Middleware Web Services

HotDocs Web ServicesHotDocs Online

DatabaseOperating Systemhttps://digitalid.verisign.com/client/help/id_intro.htm#what_is_id

Activating and Linking

Authoring Environmen

t

User and Management Environment

Template Author

Production Server Statewide

Web Server

Probono.net, Kaivo OST

Browser 

BrowserHotDocs Pro

[Statewide Web Sites]Middleware Web Services

HotDocs Web ServicesHotDocs Online

DatabaseOperating System

Using a Template

Registered User

Anonymous User

User and Management Environment

Production Server

Statewide Web Server

Probono.net, Kaivo OST

Middleware Services,

HD Web Services, HD Online

Continuing Your Education

HotDocs general Evaluation

Guide and Tutorials

Program Help in PDF format

Technotes HotDocs

listserv User groups

Legal Services LStech

workgroup Who's Who and

What's What Standards and

Practices LS HDO listserv Multistate

developers WebEx sessions

Details in “HotDocs Developer Resources”

What’s stopping you?

Managing yourself Don’t put it off Start small Keep at it Schedule time to do this Arrange for quick feedback

Links & contact info

http://npado.org/faq http://www.ejustice.org/hotdocs http://www.lstech.org/workgroups/hotdocs http://lists.lstech.org/index.html/info/hotdocs http://www.hotdocs.com {alan|bart|marc}@capstonepractice.com For donated copy of HotDocs Pro (2 per state),

check with your statewide website committee (and if they don’t know, rstaudt@kentlaw.edu)

Questions?