Document generation software firm, HotDocs, has worked with Australian law firm Minter Ellison to provide innovative software solutions that fully integrate with their practice management, document management and CRM systems. 

Minter Ellison Adelaide is South Australia's largest commercial law firm and is part of an integrated network of offices that spans Australia, Hong Kong, China, New Zealand and the UK. HotDocs plays an integral part within the firm's IT strategy and is used across a number of initiatives to streamline the production of business-critical documents.

Minter Ellison utilises HotDocs Server to link up to several other software systems that require the output of error-free documents. HotDocs Server receives data from the firm's Thomson Reuters Elite 3e practice management system, HP Autonomy WorkSite document management system and LexisNexis InterAction CRM system and generates a wide range of documents including letters, file notes and memos, as well as substantive precedent content covering specific areas such as trademarks, business name management, Telco site licensing, commercial leasing, estate planning and administration.

As Minter Ellison's practice management and document management systems are very matter-centric in how they store information, HotDocs Server has been set up to work in the same way, with answer data saving automatically to the matter that a document is generated from. HotDocs is also used to create automated matter set-up materials, such as matter labels and file checklists, which contain information from the practice management system.

With a strong policy of offering all clients clear and concise advice, Minter Ellison also uses HotDocs interviews to assist lawyers in providing their clients with communications that are presented in a well-structured and summarised style. The intelligent HotDocs interview process guides the user through a series of questions, some of which are dependent on previous answers. The end result is an automatically generated document that is uniformly formatted and only contains clear and concise information to be communicated to the client.

The ultimate aim of Minter Ellison's Adelaide office is to have all precedent content within the firm generated via HotDocs. Currently, a roll out into the banking division is being trialled, with a view to utilising HotDocs to generate documents pertaining to specialist lending advice.

Ian Thomson, Business Analysis Manager at Minter Ellison, said: "Take the quality, control and efficiency of HotDocs automated document generation as read. What we are really impressed with is Workspace - the software's customisable front end - and the development support that we've had for it. HotDocs Workspace proved to be an excellent base for the development of specific document automation solutions and the support for it has been outstanding - prompt and knowledgeable when our queries were technical, experienced and perceptive when our queries were conceptual."

Gary Eunson, Commercial Director at HotDocs, concluded: "This is another great example of HotDocs performing as the lynchpin that brings a range of legal software systems together. Document generation is an integral part of the work of any law firm and those, like Minter Ellison, that have the foresight to think innovatively about solutions that will cut out risk and improve efficiency in a rapidly changing market will continue to stay ahead of the competition."