About Illinois Legal Aid Online’s Automated Documents Project

Goals Create a core library of automated

documents for legal aid and pro bono attorneys

Provide pro se litigants and others with means to create correct, complete, and neat forms and letters appropriate to address their legal needs

What are Automated Documents?

For our purposes – online programs that allow individuals to quickly and accurately create completed legal forms and documents

How Can Automated Documents Help Legal Aid

Attorneys? Speed, speed, speed…

Cut your form preparation time in half? Depending on the form set, that is very possible

“Intelligent Interviewing” – online programs are “smart”, asking questions depending on the answers you have already given and eliminating questions

Of course, that means… More advocacy, more capacity, and less time spent creating forms

Allowing attorneys to concentrate on the things that brought them to legal aid…

Why are Automated Documents Important to Legal Aid Attorneys (Cont.) Accessibility

Have all your forms, for every scenario, in one place

Quality Assurance Correct, complete and standardized “Capture” the knowledge of your most

experienced advocates Substantial Benefits for Newly Hired

Attorneys and New Volunteers Many such programs provide help screens and

explanatory text

What Programs Do We Use?

Two tools that are used nationally in legal aid LexisNexis’ HotDocs A2J Author

HotDocs Great for high-use processes Generally, the preferred program for

advocate-focused document assembly

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A2J Author Simple user interface Better for pro se forms and processes and

volunteer-focused projects

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How Does It Work?

1. Fill out a HotDocs interview from www.illinoislegaladvocate.org

2. After completing the interview, an answer file is sent to the server

3. The server takesthe answer file apart and populates the document

4. The files are then downloaded to your machine - where you cansave and print them

More About the Server Formally named “National Public

Automated Documents Online” Server, or “NPADO”

Legal Services Corporation-funded resource

Used by legal aid organizations across the country

Contains all of the “back end” document assembly templates

What Types of Files are Generated?

Two different types, depending on the particular program .rtf files (Rich Text Format)

Similar to a MS Word file, can be opened in MS Word, WordPerfect, or OpenOffice

.pdf files (Portable Document Format) Can be opened by Adobe Acrobat Reader

(available for free)

What Do I Need to Access These Tools?

Computer Connection to the internet and

Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher Programs to open the completed

documents Microsoft Word and/or an Open Source

equivalent Adobe Acrobat Reader

Where are the Automated Documents? Automated documents for use by

attorneys representing clients are available through both www.illinoislegaladvocate.org and www.illinoisprobono.org.

Users must register for an ILAO account in order to access the automated documents

Users must register separately on NPADO in order to save answer files for re-use.

Automated documents for use by the public are on www.illinoislegalaid.org

The Automated Documents Menu

Find Automated Documents by Searching

Finding Automated Documents on the Public Website

Automated documents are not searchable on the public website

We have created a “form library” screen where Self-Help Center navigators and others assisting pro se litigants can find all public automated documents

Form Library

Within Topical “Guide Me”

An Example: Divorce

An Example: Divorce (Cont.)Select the Documents You Need

An Example: Divorce (Cont.)

An Example: Divorce (Cont.)The Completed

Document…

What Programs Does ILAO Have Online for Advocates?

Forms, Letters and Pleadings for: Divorce Adoption Lockout Case Letters and Pleadings Motion to Stay Eviction Durable Powers of Attorney Civil Procedure Pleadings and Forms Simple Will Discovery Packet Vehicle Deficiency Suit Defense Hospital Bill Defense

A2J Example

What Programs Does ILAO Have for Pro Se Litigants?

Forms, Letters and Pleadings for: Fee Waiver/ 298 Petition Divorce Name Change Order of Protection (for use outside of Cook County) Power of Attorney for Health Care and Property Security Deposit Complaint and Demand Letters Judgment Collection Forms Letters Credit Card Cos., Banks, Insurance Cos., Credit

Reporting Agencies to Report Identity Theft

…and many more on www.IllinoisLegalAid.org

How Can Your Program Participate in this Project?

Automated Documents Advisory Group Assist in selecting and prioritizing documents

to automate Substantive Expertise

Assist in developing appropriate interviews and process flow

Testing Help test automated documents prior to

publication Pilot Users

Help evaluate use of automated documents in daily practice

Thank You!

For further information, contact:Mary K. Neal

Automated Documents Project Manager

312-977-9047 x18mneal@illinoislegalaid.org