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GAZETTE
APRIL 1981
Speed
If you have not actually used a word processing machine,
the technical specifications for printers are at once un-
believable and unreal. Our printer is a standard Qume
printer. The following is a rough idea of the time it takes
to produce certain documents. These times are only an
approximation, because they allow for telephone
interruptions, the fact that some of the secretaries are not
as familiar as others with using the machine and the fact
that we are not as organised as we ought to be to get the
full benefit from our equipment:
Leases
Our first recording of a precedent long Lease contained
approximately 150 typing errors. Once it was corrected
and redrafted, it was possible quite quickly to make up
other basic standard drafts. With a standard draft in front
of him and assuming he has taken proper and complete
instructions, a solicitor ought to be able to dictate in
about fifteen minutes all the instructions needed by a
secretary to produce a lease. His secretary then ought to
be able to produce on the screen (before she prints it out)
a newly drafted lease in approximately forty-five minutes,
which time allows for some interruptions for telephone
calls. The draft Lease (about 28 pages of double-spacing
on A4 paper) can be printed out on A4 continuous draft
paper in approximately eighteen minutes. While it is being
printed out it can be ignored and the screen used for
something else, if necessary. For a long time we were not
doing our engrossments in the easiest way and they took
from one hour to an hour and a half, depending on a
number of interruptions and the number of mistakes
made; it was easy to repeat a page by accident or give an
incorrect print instruction to the machine, as a result of
which the page might need to be redone. However, done
efficiently, such a long Lease can be engrossed in
approximately forty-five minutes, with very few errors.
Wills
We have a number of standard Wills and, unless there are
a lot of changes, we produce them straight away as
engrossments. Our standard short Will is equivalent to
approximately four pages of double spaced A4. To copy
the precedent, type in the non-standard names and
addresses and then produce the engrossment with a
carbon takes, from start to finish, approximately ten or
fifteen minutes. Giving our standard Discretionary Trust
Wills (approximately 10 pages only) the same treatment,
it takes from start to finish approximately twenty minutes.
Deeds and Memorials
Deeds, when drafted and approved, can be engrossed as
quickly as it takes to print them out. The Memorial is
prepared by making the standard alterations and a few
additions here and there and by deleting everything else.
The Memorial is then printed out on Memorial paper.
Affidavits, Contracts, Endorsements of Claim
These can all be drafted on the Word Processing machine
and, when checked and found satisfactory, can be printed
out very quickly. If you have a specially drafted
document for a particular case, which document may be
required several times in that case (for example a standard
letter, or a specially drafted service contract for the staff
of a particular client) the basic document would need to
be done only once. It would then be copied the
appropriate number of times and the variables would be
added in.
Conclusion
This article has dealt with some of the problems which
you can have when you buy a Word Processing Machine.
It is not intended to be pessimistic or off-putting. On the
contrary, its purpose is to suggest to you that not only is a
Word Processor of great advantage to a solicitor's office,
but it is well worth taking the considerable amount of time
and trouble and hard work necessary to get full value
from your Word Processor.D
DEFENSIVE
about buying a
WORD
PROCESSING
SYSTEM?
Our
EXIDY
computer/word
processing
system saves time on correspondence, allows
creation of custom form letters, text updating
without re typing, mailing lists with ease, and
much, more more.
JUDGE
for yourself
The word processing system is one of the
finest on the market.
The
EXIDY
system can also do payroll,
accounting, client billing and time recording.
It's like getting a FREE COMPUTER with
every word processor.
WESTON
MICROTECHNOLOGY
LTD.
WESTON HOUSE
12 ALMS ROAD
MONKSTOWN
CO. DUBLIN
Phone (01)803429
99