How do I use the Texas Bar Books toolbar?

Texas Bar Books Staff

What is the Texas Bar Books Toolbar for Word?  The Texas Bar Books toolbar is a macro file that you can add to Word.  It will help you more easily manipulate the forms provided with the online subscription and digital download practice manuals, as well as with the digital downloads of Guardianship Alternatives and Law Office Road Map.  The toolbar may be used to—  view or hide the instructions embedded in the forms;  find and highlight the next variable, instruction, or optional text;  browse, select, and copy clause text from forms that are collections of clauses;  retain the embedded instructions for viewing while you work on your hard drive but prevent them from printing on your hard copies; and  delete the embedded instructions entirely on forms you plan to email or file electronically.  Note: The Texas Bar Books Toolbar is compatible with Word on Windows systems only. If you have a different operating system or word processor, learn how to manipulate forms content without the toolbar here. How to Download and Install the Texas Bar Books Toolbar for Word  Your Texas Bar Books digital practice manual download includes the toolbar.  You can find it in the Forms folder included with your downloaded materials.  …

What devices are Texas Bar Practice products compatible with?

Texas Bar Books Staff

Online manual You may use the Online manuals with any device that has Internet access and browser software or a browser app, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. The layout of the site will respond to whatever device you are using for an optimal user experience. Digital download Software for viewing PDF files is required to view the digital download’s main PDF file. Although any PDF file software or app will be able to display that file’s content, to use the bookmarks, links, and other advanced features, we recommend the free Adobe Reader software (available at http://get.adobe.com/reader/) installed on a desktop or laptop. Downloaded forms To download forms in MS Word, Excel, or PDF from the online subscription or with the digital download, the device must be one that can download and save files, and to manipulate the forms, the device must be able to use those types of files. Texas Bar Books toolbar The Texas Bar Books toolbar is compatible with Word on Windows only and must have been installed locally to function. Although the toolbar can be extremely beneficial when manipulating the Word forms, it is not required. Learn how to install the toolbar here, or watch …

Is my work in an online manual saved when I log out?

Texas Bar Books Staff

Yes. Customer feedback convinced us that storing your work in previous sessions for reference at any time on any device would provide vital information in many situations, such as in court, in meetings with judges or opposing counsel, or when working from home.

How secure is the information I enter when using an online manual?

Texas Bar Books Staff

When you download a Word version of a form and enter client information, the editable form exists on your device. As long as you save the completed form on your device, it will be as secure as any other information you have stored. When you use the bookmarking, highlighting, or note-taking features of the Online manual, that information is stored on servers. Although your saved bookmarks, highlights, and notes will be accessible to only someone accessing the Online manual through your account, you are strongly advised against using these features to add information that might be considered confidential client information. The State Bar of Texas makes no representations concerning whether entering confidential client information would or would not constitute a breach of confidentiality.

What formats are offered and what are the differences between them?

Texas Bar Books Staff

The Texas Bar Practice Bookshop offers great content created by committees of Texas’ finest lawyers over four decades in the following formats: online subscriptions digital downloads hardbound and softbound books DVDs The online subscription and digital download versions include: the text of the entire publication editable forms in MS Word and, in some cases, Excel Texas and federal case and statutory citations are linked to the Casemaker database forms available from state or federal agencies as PDF files A significant advantage the online subscription has over the digital download is that it’s accessible without downloading any files to your computer, so it’s easy to access from your PC, your tablet, your smart phone, and even others’ computers. All you need to do is log in to your Texas Bar Practice account and start using the product.

How do I modify my downloaded forms?

Texas Bar Books Staff

You can modify your downloaded Word forms the same way you would any other document, or for greater efficiency, use the Texas Bar Books toolbar. “Edit Document” mode In Word, toggle between Read mode and Edit Document mode using the View tab. Read-only, compatibility mode Your downloaded Word forms are set as read-only so that after you make changes to one and try to save it, you’ll be prompted to Save As instead. That way, you’ll end up with both your modified version named whatever you want and saved wherever you want as well as the original downloaded form ready for use again with a different client. Hidden text Many forms include instructions as red-colored hidden text to help you prepare the form. These instructions should be deleted before printing a finished form or sharing it electronically. In Word, toggle between showing and hiding the instructions—or permanently delete the instructions—by clicking the appropriate button on the Texas Bar Books toolbar. If you don’t have the toolbar installed, to show or hide the instructions, use Word’s File tab. Select File > Options > Display and check or uncheck the “Hidden text” box. Choosing/replacing form variables Use the Texas Bar Books toolbar …

How do I manipulate forms content without the toolbar?

Texas Bar Books Staff

Although Word forms downloaded from the online subscription products and included with most digital downloads are designed to use the Texas Bar Books toolbar, they can be manipulated without the toolbar. Note that the toolbar is compatible with Word on Windows only. Hidden text Many Texas Bar Practice forms include instructions as red-colored hidden text to help you prepare the form. These instructions should not be printed with the finished form and should be deleted before sharing a finished form electronically. For Word on Windows, to show or hide the instructions without using the toolbar, use Word’s File tab. Select File > Options > Display and check or uncheck the “Hidden text” box. For Word for Macintosh, to show or hide the instructions, select Preferences > View > Nonprinting Characters and check or uncheck the “Hidden text” box. For WordPerfect, to show or hide the instructions, select Tools > Settings > Display and check or uncheck the “Hidden text” box. Deleting hidden text For Word on Windows, to permanently remove hidden text from a form without using the toolbar, you can use Word’s Inspect Document tool, accessible through Word’s File tab. Select File > Info > Check for Issues > …