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21 Fam. Advoc. 17 (1998-1999)
The Latest Bells and Whistles

handle is hein.journals/famadv21 and id is 75 raw text is: The Latest Be and' Whistle BY STEPHEN J. HARHAI ! Trial preparation is difficult, pain- staking work. In fact, if the prepa- ration is done properly, the trial itself is easy by comparison: hard preparation, easy trials. Much of the stress of trial preparation results from the myriad details to be managed. There is a constant risk that the pull of the detail work will distract attention from the strategic issues or that a missed detail will undo an otherwise brilliant strategy. Technology can help manage details and make the big picture issues clearer. Practice tools Part of preparation is having the right set of skills for trial work. The traditional methods for skill devel- opment have been observing trials, mock trial educational programs, and hands-on experience. Now computer technology can add a valuable new tool: training CD- ROMs. A set of training programs from Practising Law Institute called The Interactive Courtroom is an example of how useful this approach can be. At the beginning of the program, you see a window with the clerk of the court who instructs you on using the program. Once a wit- ness examination begins, you can press a button to make an objection and choose the exact objection from a drop- down list. The live videos of lawyers and witnesses give realism to the training. The video judge then rules on your objection and addi- tional commentary is available in text and from the expert commenta- tor. Although not divorce specific, the scenarios are well thought out; the comments specific and instruc- tive; and the overall effect interest- ing, thought provoking, and educa- tional. In fact, I have rarely attended a live CLE program that was as use- ful and entertaining. Time is always short as trial loonis, and anything that conserves precious minutes will reduce stress and improve the outcome. Technology tools can provide speed with accuracy HotDocs is a docu- ment assembly program that is use- ful in all aspects of a family law practice. By preserving good draft- ing ideas and combining them with saved data about the case, HotDocs's increases quality while decreasing costs. These features are never more valuable than on the eve of trial. Final briefs, motions, and trial data certificates are prime candi- dates for HotDocs's powerfiil features. Once you have a good template, you can pro- J duce the document quickly with fewer errors and get a checklist of issues not to forget. Time ad billing When attorney's fees are at issue, you need an accurate and timely statement. Most time-and-billing packages can produce an interim bill to present to the court. But what happens when you need to modify portions of the bills to redact privi- leged materials or to remove items that are not chargeable for your pur- pose? Most programs provide a means to make modifications, but often they are limited. To completely customize a statement, export it to a spreadsheet. Then edit, delete, or modify the bill, and the spreadsheet will update the math, keeping the total accurate. Preparation of the statement for trial will be even easier if all time- keepers enter their time on the computer rather than on paper. That way the bills will always be up to date and you won't lose valuable staff time entering data at the last minute. This system also provides a cur- rent total of fees whenever needed for settlement, to request additional retainers, or to assist the client in making a judgment about strategy. As a bonus, we have found that we lose less unrecorded time using this system, and our bills are more accu- rate because of fewer opportunities for error. Having the most accurate and up-to-date information is a huge & A , U' 17

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