Advanced precedent building: Calculated fields, repeating sections etc

I would really like some information on this, please.

I want to develop a template letter that sources the details of multiple clients/beneficiaries/addresses that are saved to the Matter, but offers the flexibility to designate the specific client/beneficiary/address to whom the letter is directed.

Let me know if the above isn't clear.

Thanks!

Hi there,

Are you able to direct me to somewhere on YouTube that can teach me how I can create a particular Template (e.g. an Employment Agreement), send to my Client a list of questions pertaining to the Variables (i.e. name of Employer; name of Employee; Salary/wage; duties etc) and once I receive their answers, to merge them into the Template. I am not sure, however I think that this might have something to do with the "filin" Application that Leap provides.

With thanks,

Bradley Watson

Hi Bradley,

this is not something I've done before, so we're learning together. Fill-in is a MS Word feature, LEAP have just included a button for it via the LEAP Word add in.

This video gives you a run through of the basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZBUN9oH7Tg

The difference between what it demonstrates and what you described is that in the video the data is entered into the top of the document and it populates the bottom of the document, whereas you want it to populate one document from another.

According to ChatGPT this may be possible: "Yes, you can use the "Fill-In" feature in Microsoft Word to input data into one document and update another document. The "Fill-In" feature is typically associated with form fields and can be used to create forms where users can enter information. Here's a general guide on how you might use this feature:

1. Create the Source Document:

• Open a new Word document that will serve as the source document where you want to input data.
  • Identify the areas where you want users to input data.

1. Insert Form Fields:

• Go to the "Developer" tab. If you don't see the "Developer" tab, you may need to enable it in Word's options.
  • Click on "Design Mode" to enable form field editing.
  • Use the "Legacy Tools" or "Controls" group to insert different types of form fields, such as text fields, checkboxes, etc., where users will input data.

1. Set Properties for Form Fields:

• Right-click on each form field and choose "Properties."
  • Set properties like name, placeholder text, and other options as needed.

1. Protect the Document:

• After inserting form fields, you can protect the document to allow only form field editing.
  • Go to the "Developer" tab and click on "Protect Document."
  • Choose "Filling in forms" as the editing restriction.

1. Create the Target Document:

• Open a new Word document that will serve as the target document where you want the data to be updated.

1. Use REF Fields or Mail Merge:

• In the target document, you can use fields like 'REF' to refer to the form fields in the source document. This involves creating a REF field that pulls the value from a corresponding form field in the source document.
  • Alternatively, you can use Mail Merge to link the two documents. Set up the data source with the source document, and insert merge fields in the target document to pull data from the source.

1. Update the Target Document:

• When the user fills in the form fields in the source document, you can update the target document by updating fields or performing a mail merge.

Remember to save both documents, and ensure that the paths to the source document are maintained if you move or share the files. Keep in mind that the specific steps might vary slightly depending on the version of Microsoft Word you're using."

In saying that, you'd have to update the REF fields every time you received a new document, or save the new document in the same place with the same name (overwriting the previous document).

Creating an online form might be a better option in the long run. ChatGPT suggests MS Forms might provide a method for achieving this,, although I haven't tested it myself:

"As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, Microsoft Forms does not have a direct built-in feature to automatically populate a Word document with the responses. However, you can achieve this integration through other Microsoft services like Microsoft Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow). Power Automate allows you to create automated workflows between different Microsoft services, including Forms and Word.

Here is a general guide on how you might set up this integration:

1. Create a Microsoft Form:

• Create a Microsoft Form where users can input data.

1. Create a Word Document:

• Create a Word document that will serve as the template where you want the form responses to be populated.

1. Use Microsoft Power Automate:

• Open Microsoft Power Automate (https://flow.microsoft.com/).
  • Create a new flow.
  • Set up a trigger based on the form response. There should be a template available for Microsoft Forms in Power Automate.
  • Add actions to the flow to update the Word document. You can use the "Get response details" action to retrieve form responses and then use the "Update file" or "Create file" action to update the Word document.

1. Map Form Responses to Word Document:

• In the flow, map the form responses to the corresponding fields in your Word document. This may involve using dynamic content from the form response to populate specific locations in the Word document.

1. Test and Deploy:

• Test the flow to ensure that it works as expected.
  • Deploy the flow so that it runs automatically when new form responses are submitted.

Please note that the steps and the features available in Microsoft Forms and Power Automate might have been updated or changed after my last training cut-off in January 2022. Always check the most recent documentation for the specific features and capabilities available in the current versions of these Microsoft services."

For a more up-to-date AI response you could also try asking Bing.