Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page Puritas Springs Software Law Office Computing

VOLUME 2010, NO. 1 PURITAS SPRINGS SOFTWARE Lesson 5. Email How It Works to send the message to the INSIDE THIS ISSUE: local mail transfer agent. The Email (sometimes hyphenated transfer agent gets the desti- as e-mail) stands for electronic nation from the message by Lesson 5. Email 1 mail. Although it began as a using the part of the address Top 5 Free Utilities 1 hodge-podge of incompatible after the “@.” Once the loca- protocols, the introduction of Digital Inklings 6 tion of the destination system the Internet to the general Child Support 8 is returned from the Internet’s populace effected a necessary directory computers, the mes- Spousal Support 10 standardization that ultimately sage is forwarded to the re- Family Law Documents 13 made it what it is today. The (Continued on page 2) Probate Forms 14 standard in widespread use Ohio Estate Tax 16 today was first published in 1982 as the simple mail trans- U.S. Estate Tax 17 fer protocol (SMTP). U.S. Income Tax (1041) 18 Ohio Fiduciary Tax 19 It basically works this way. The sender’s email software for- Ohio Adoption Forms 20 mats the mail and uses SMTP OH Guardianship Forms 21 OH Wrongful Death 22 Loan Amortizer 23 Ohio Workers Comp 24 Top 5 Free Utilities Deeds & Documents 25 Bankruptcy Forms 26 It’s not a demo, it doesn’t ex- Office Management 28 pire, and there’s no strings attached. Enough trumpet OH Business Forms 30 blowing. What exactly does it OH Business Dissolution 31 1. LogMeIn. In our opinion, the do? It lets you remote control Living Trust/Estate Plan 32 undisputed leader of free utili- your Internet-connected com- HUD Settlement Forms 33 ties is a company called Log- puter remotely. That means MeIn. Guess what product you can access your office Web Sites & News 34 they make? Yeah, that’s computer from home (and vice In Good Humor 36 right—LogMeIn. Not only do versa) just as if you were right Technical Support 38 they make a phenomenal there in the office. How won- The ? Pages 42 product that you can buy, they derful. As if you don’t work Inbox 44 make a phenomenal product enough already, right? At any Product Upgrade Info 46 that you can download for free! (Continued on page 5) Page 2 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2

Outlook’s Secrets Lesson 5. Email—Con’t. Writing Tools. A dictionary tains transmission details and and thesaurus can be handy (Continued from page 1) when you’re writing an email. typically includes at least four It was swell of Microsoft to fields: ceiving agent computer. Finally, include these tools in Outlook, From—the email address (and the recipient “gets” their mail but they’re not easy to find. sometimes the name) of the from that computer using what’s First of all, they’re not accessi- sender. ble from the main window, known as the post office protocol only from the Message win- (POP3). To—the email address (and again sometimes the name) of dow where you create emails In actual practice, not all email the recipient. (guess that makes sense). works this way. Instead, email is You’ll find them on the Mes- transmitted like web pages using Subject—analogous to the RE: sage tab. Look on the far right the hypertext transfer protocol section of a business letter. and you’ll see the Proofing (HTTP). The difference to users group which includes both is significant. First, HTTP email Date—the local time and date tools. doesn’t require specialized soft- the message was sent. Backing Up. When we could- ware to convert your email into There can be any number of n’t find a section in the Out- SMTP and POP3. All you need other fields in the header such look Quick Steps book de- is a browser like Internet Ex- as carbon copy (cc), blind car- scribing how to backup Out- plorer or Firefox and you’re good bon copy (bcc) and other tech- look we soon realized why — to go. Hotmail is a good exam- nical information. Software like there’s no quick or easy way ple. Some advantages are that Microsoft’s Outlook allows you to to do it. For starters, you must you can send or get your email show or hide some of these download a Personal Folders using any computer by simply fields. Other header fields can Backup Tool from Microsoft visiting the site. With SMTP/ be viewed, but you need to dig online. The object is to save POP3 you can still use any com- to find them. In Microsoft Out- your pst file that contains all of puter, but it must have an appro- look, for instance, you can right your Outlook folders including priately configure email software click on an email in your Inbox the Inbox, Calendar, and package, i.e., Microsoft Outlook, and select Message Options. In Contacts. Typically everything to access your account. It’s not the Message Options dialog, in Outlook is contained in a too hard (usually) to configure there’ll be a section labeled single pst file which can ex- the software, but certainly it’s not Internet Header. There you’ll ceed 100 MB in size. Archived as easy as just logging on with see it all—more than you proba- data is contained in a separate your browser. bly wanted to know. Example fields are the “real” sender, and pst file. The backup tool is The Header designed to backup your pst every server the email travelled files. If you’ve ever lost all your Now that you’ve got a basic idea through en route. We’ve also contacts, or your email ad- of how email works, you might seen headers that included fields be wondering what email actu- dress book, or your stored log (Continued on page 3) of received emails, you’ll know ally is. In many ways it’s like a how important it is to back up word processing document. One this information. At the same distinction is that email has two time you’ll wonder why Micro- basic parts: the header and the soft chose to make it so hard body (as it turns out, word proc- to do. Our recommendation is essing documents usually have to go to Outlook help and type a secret header as well, so it’s backup. There you should find not as much of a distinction as a somewhat lengthy descrip- we’re making out). The body is tion of the entire process. the actual content of the email— the message. The header con- Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 3 Improving Lesson 5. Email—Con’t. Your Outlook There’s a number of ways that you can configure Microsoft (Continued from page 2) Security Outlook to help keep yourself related to spam score. How your organized and working more email software uses this informa- As we mentioned earlier, with efficiently. Here’s a few tips that tion is not clear, but it would the added pizzazz of HTML will help you do just that. seem that your privacy/security came security issues. While Folders settings establish a spam thresh- plain old text messages are rela- old. Emails that score higher tively impervious to scurrilous Outlook comes with a bunch of than the threshold value are intent, HTML messages are not. pre-defined folders, i.e., Input, HTML messages are diverted to the Junk Deleted, Sent Items, Outbox, E-mail folder in- capable of perform- Junk E-mail, etc. However, stead of the In- ing some ugly don’t overlook the fact that you tricks. Be- box. More on can create your own folders as that later. cause most part of the Personal Folders modern email group. Here’s an example. As a The Body software software publisher we consumer What can we comes de- office supplies at a feverish rate. faulted to the say about the Considering that most of our body? It’s just a HTML format, ordering (as well as confirma- bunch of text, it’s required that tions and tracking) is done you have some right? Well, yes and online, and that Staples provides no. Early email messages were security in place before rewards based on the amount, exactly that — just a bunch of you receive your first email. Most type and frequency of ordering, text. But, like the Virginia Slims anti-virus programs now come it’s helpful to store all Staples- commercials said, it’s come a with a component that specifi- related email in one spot. Ergo, cally scans incoming emails. Our long way, baby. Today, email we create a Staples folder. How that looks like old TTY text is in free AVG anti-virus software, for easy was it? About as easy as it the minority. There’s only two example, “stamps” each incom- is for Paris Hilton to make a bad ing email: “No virus found in this reasons it’s still around: (1) it’s movie. In Windows Explorer, universally compatible with all incoming message.”In addition, right-click the Personal Folders email software; and (2) plain text email software such as Microsoft item and select New Folder. is secure whereas HTML email Outlook, although it defaults to You’ll be asked to name the new HTML format, also deliberately can have hidden surprises. folder and it’s ready for use. fails to recognize certain aspects Regardless of the security risk, of HTML (i.e., hidden links) Flags today’s email traffic is predomi- unless you affirmatively acknowl- Here’s one that’s easily over- nantly in the HTML format edge the sender as a “safe” looked. Let’s say you receive an (which stands for hypertext source. email that you want to follow up markup language). HTML is the on next week. You can right click old standard language upon Junk Mail on the email in your Inbox and which web pages are built. Thus, As vexing but not as destructive select Follow Up. From the old fashioned typewriter text as virus threats are unsolicited resulting menu select Next emails became colorful and (junk) emails. Due to the high Week and a red flag will appear flashy. Don’t think that HTML is cost of postal mailing versus the next to the email. In addition to all Madison Avenue stuff, it’s essentially free process of pull- begin flagged, that item will ap- also responsible for smarter- ing the trigger on a zillion emails, pear in the To Do list for next looking business correspon- junk emails are more popular week. You can also select Re- dence such as italics and bold than ever. Before the introduc- minder from the available items face type—fonts in general. (Continued on page 4) and set an alarm. Page 4 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Curing PW Forgetfulness Lesson 5. Email—Con’t. Here’s a free utility that you duce the amount of spam that won’t need often, but when you (Continued from page 3) do, it’ll save aggravation. It’s was getting through our first line called Asterisk Key by SoftPedia of defense—the ISP’s filter. (www.softpedia.com/get/ tion of spam filters, we were While a handful of junk still gets getting over 300 junk emails through, legitimate emails that Security/Decrypting-Decoding/ daily. The number only in- get filtered as junk is miniscule. Asterisk-Key.shtml). creases with time and clicking on Cool Stuff Asterisk Key reveals pass- them to unsubscribe is a Bozo words that are hidden under No-No. Obviously, without regu- There’s a lot more interesting asterisks. Unlike many others, lation it develops to where it information about email, but not this program works both with takes too long to sift through the much room to include it all here. password dialog boxes and chaff looking for the wheat. We’d like to finish off with a few web page login forms. Many become frustrated and tips that will hopefully enhance throw out all their incoming mail the use of email in your law of- Asterisk Key shows your effectively losing the benefit of fice. passwords hidden under as- having email in the first place. Signatures. You’ve got to admit, terisks. Asterisk Key is easy to the pseudo handwritten signa- use, just press a button, while What can you do about it? First tures you see on some email the dialog or web page is step is to contact your Internet looks a lot more professional open and it will detect and service provider (ISP) and see if than a simple printed name. reveal all masked passwords. they have any industrial strength filters they can place on your Here’s how to do it. We recently created a log of our account at their end to reduce Go to Tools|Options. In the many passwords, and found spam traffic. When we contacted Options dialog, select the Mail some had been misplaced. Be- our service provider we were Format tab and click the Signa- cause they were masked when taken through some steps that tures ... button. we used the apps, we were un- allowed us to set or adjust the When the Email Signature dia- able to figure out the real pass- “strength” of that filter. The goal words. Asterisk Key would have log appears, click the New but- is to catch as much spam as ton, then give the signature a helped had we known of it at the possible without trapping legiti- time. name, i.e., “Handwritten Signa- mate email. Your ture.” next step is to examine your In the Edit Signature box at the email software for bottom of the dialog, enter your a similar setting. name. Then select the name and With Microsoft change the font to one of the Outlook for exam- scripted fonts. We found one ple, we were able called “Signature” and bumped it to go to Tools| up to 18 points. We think it looks Options. In the pretty darn good. Click on Ok to Options dialog close the dialog and you’ve got a click the Junk e- signature you can place at the mail button and bottom of outgoing emails: you’ll see the Ward F. Stone dialog shown on Attorney at Law this page. By setting the protec- Disclaimers — Sure, it probably tion level to high doesn’t have any legal effect, we were able to and it certainly doesn’t have any significantly re- (Continued on page 5) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 5 File Lesson 5. Email—Con’t. Shredder If it’s useful to law offices and it’s tions Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec- free, we’re going to find it and let (Continued from page 4) tions 2510-2521. you know about it. One of our If you are not the intended re- practical effect (let’s face it, by cipient, do not read, distribute, latest discoveries is called File the time the reader gets to the or reproduce this transmission. Shredder and it’s currently pub- disclaimer at the end, they’ve If you have received this e-mail lished in Version 2 by Syste- already read the allegedly confi- transmission in error, please nance Software. dential email and know all the notify us immediately of the error by return email and please Here’s what they say about family secrets), but it looks scary delete the message from your themselves: and it’s probably better than system. nothing. Here’s one of the more That’s it for the subject of email. File Shredder enables you to officious ones we’ve come If you have any comments or delete files beyond recovery, across. questions on this subject, you using multiple passes, DoD Information contained in this e- can send them to us at 5220-22.M or the Gutmann mail transmission may be privi- method. The program can leged, confidential and covered [email protected]. by the Electronic Communica- wipe individual files or entire folders (with optional subfold- ers), and also integrates with the right-click menu for con- venient access from within Top 5 Free Utilities—Con’t. Windows Explorer. File Shred- der can also wipe the free disk space on selected drives, (Continued from page 1) software that is not malicious in allowing you to erase traces of a viral sense, but instead secrets files that have been deleted rate, if we had a nickel for every itself on your computer and re- previously by using standard step it saved walking from com- ports back (to whomever) about deletion methods puter to computer or up and your Internet browsing habits or . down stairs, we’d be writing this purchasing habits (whatever). Because confidential information article from the Bahamas. Not good. is their stock in trade, it goes 2. AVG. Another product named 4. ZoneAlarm. In case you without saying that this software after the company that makes it haven’t noticed, this top 5 list is is of potential interest to law (or the other way around). AVG being dominated by security offices. Perhaps you aren’t may stand for anti-virus-gratis. software. ZoneAlarm is firewall aware that “deleting” doesn’t You absolutely must have anti- software. It stops unintended really delete a file at all. It merely virus software, and sure, it’s real and undesired traffic between moves it to the Recycle Bin, and nice that McAfee and Norton your computer and the Internet. you needn’t be a computer gen- give their products away with Sadly, like the other security ius to recover a file from there. new computers—for 30 days software described above, it’s a You also may not know that specialists can recover files that that is—but no thanks. We’ll take necessity. have truly been deleted—that is AVG. 5. CaseMaker. Arguably this is deleted from the Recycle Bin. 3. Adware. We’d be surprised if not free because you must be a File Shredder is meant to foil the it wasn’t made by a company member of the Ohio Bar Asso- most sophisticated recovery called Adware, Inc. You’ll never ciation, however, this publication tricks by making sure the hard find out by visiting their web site, is directed at law offices and disk areas that stored the de- but you will be able to download most everyone’s a member any- leted file are truly wiped. Just this decent anti-spyware/anti- way, no? Essentially this is what remember, when it comes to File malware software. If you’re not we paid Lexus-Nexus big money Shredder there’s no oops! familiar, spyware/malware is for in the ‘80’s. Page 6 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Build Your Own Digital Sure, it’s more than a little ambi- tious to attempt to describe the cost to consumers is unrelated steps involved in building a com- Consumer Gripes to the cost of manufacture? And puter in one of these gray bar why is it that printer manufac- articles. Heck, it would probably Have you ever wondered why turer’s like HP do everything be ambitious to do it 10 of these they don’t simply give away ink they can to prevent a printer gray bars. But we don’t need to jet printers? After all, considering from working if you attempt to do it here because we can direct what the printer companies are use third-party ink or cartridges? you to a short magazine article charging for ink dwarfs the origi-

(it’s only 16 pages long) that will nal cost of the printer by com- parison. If you don’t believe this instruct you how to build your Speaking of Ink (Mostly Red In own computer! is true, here’s some statistics This Case) Blockbuster May compiled by the American Con- Be Going Bust. If you’re thinking that 16 pages sumer Institute. of small print can be daunting, Blockbuster may be paying a so you’ll be happy to discover The amount that consumers steep price for incurring con- that this article is almost all cap- spend in ink every year: sumer wrath. About two years tioned pictures. And if you think $6,000,000,000.00 ago, in an apparent attempt to that building a computer from derail competitor Netflix, Block- scratch is beyond your meager Note that the above number is in buster tendered a pretty good technical abilities, you’ll again be billions, not millions. rental arrangement to pleasantly surprised. “Building Percentage of Hew- the public. For from scratch” may give you the lett-Packard’s about $15 per wrong idea, computers are actu- total operat- month you could ally assembled, and it’s largely a ing profit de- rent by mail three matter of plugging components rived from its movies with an together. It’s not nearly as hard ink sales as of unlimited number as you might first think. 2007: of exchanges. Within 18 months or so, they had In fact, the hard part is figuring 42% increased the price of the same out which components are com- package to something like $43 patible. The article, Computer That’s a pretty hefty percentage per month. One wonders what Shopper, April 2009, we are when you think that it includes factors could justify a nearly referring you to has done all that desktop computer sales, note- 200% increase in price in such a hard engineering stuff already— book computer sales, monitors, short period of time. It would parts list, price list, and detailed, cameras, calculators, all forms of seem that customers did more illustrated instructions. We might computer accessories and more. than just wonder, they left Block- try it with the new release of In other words, ink sales nearly buster in droves. Consumer Windows coming up. We’ll let total all other sales combined! Reports confirmed this to a cer- Percentage of money parents tain extent when Blockbuster spend on ink during back-to- placed dead last in a reader- school shopping: ship survey that included almost 30% 7,000 respondents (March 2009). And hence recent head- Think of it this way. Ink costs lines are explained: “Blockbuster more per milliliter than luxury Says It May Not Be Able to Con- items such as champagne and tinue As A Going Concern.” perfume, and, of course, gaso- line. What’s all this got to do with law office computing? Well, it’s our Do you get the feeling that the (Continued on page 7) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 7

Worldwide Telescope Inklings Out Of Focus An issue or so ago we wrote DVD plan this costs $14 per about Google Earth. It provided (Continued from page 6) month and it beats the pants off the user with the means to navi- not-so-subtle segue into a sub- Blockbuster’s $43 plan. The gate satellite images of the ject that is more in keeping with Roku box was $100 but it’s good earth. It was not only fun, but it our area of expertise—the Inter- forever, so we see it paying for also had potential law office net. itself in very little time. Note the application in case you needed instant download feature is good to get a bird’s eye view of an In early Spring of 2009, we man- with all Netflix plans, so you accident or crime scene. aged to acquire a Roku movie could really get this going for download box and we’re giving Microsoft’s Worldwide Telescope as little as $4.99 per month. it a definite thumbs up. It’s pretty is similar to Google Earth. ex- cool and here’s how it works. It’s Paul McCartney On Line 1 cept you’re looking away from First, you must have a Netflix the earth instead of towards it. An average family monthly cell membership. Using your Netflix We realize this application hasn’t phone bill can easily be $120. If account you select movies that much relevance to law offices— you factor in custom ringers and are instantly downloadable and at least until interplanetary law text messaging, the bill can eas- place them in you instant queue. becomes a recognized field of ily be higher. In spite of that cost, Then, when you turn on your endeavor—but we thought it was we thought it was a pretty nifty television with the box con- interesting enough to call to your deal to buy a nected to the attention. 8GB mem- Internet, you see ory chip for In order to get the free World- a menu from our Verizon wide Telescope we first had to which you can phones. install the latest version of Micro- select any of the Mind you, the soft’s .NET framework (also queued movies phone itself free). We have a pretty speedy to watch immedi- (LG enV2) Roadrunner connection, so the ately. must have the download didn’t take too long. Netflix reports capability to Though installation proceeded that there are store and play somewhat tediously, we didn’t over 12,000 music in the encounter any problems. We videos from which form of MP3 can’t say exactly how long it took to choose. If you’re stuck on the files. The only drawback to this to install because we eventually latest Hollywood has to offer, feature was the factory installed got bored and took a walk you may be disappointed be- memory would only hold about around Hinckley lake. When we cause you won’t find the latest one CD. However, with the chip got back an hour later, the instal- releases in the available group. installed we were able to lation of .Net was successfully However, if you’re a video aficio- download the complete Beatles completed. Next to install was nado you’ll be in hog heaven. discography with plenty of room the telescope. All went well. The classics (i.e., Casablanca) to spare. Of course, users who Sadly, although the installation and all the rest of the genres are are not old fogies can substitute went well, we couldn’t get World- very well represented. We had their own favorite artists. wide Telescope to work. It would no problem whatsoever finding Here’s the good part. The chip, start and then freeze although 50 movies to put on our initial software for transferring CD’s we were able to shut it down list. to MP3 and then to your without getting creative. It’s not How much does this cost? It’s phone, and ear buds, together hard to see the potential amuse- free with our Netflix membership with shipping and handling ment Worldwide Telescope and the number of movies you was about $30. And no monthly would be to those with interest in can download instantly is fees either. Not bad, your very astronomy, but Microsoft still has unlimited. In the unlimited two own poor man’s iPod for $30! work to do on this beta. Page 8 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2

 Free downloadable up- grades. Revised Ohio Child Support Guidelines  A familiar look and feel—no learning curve.  Total Vista compatibility tures that a family incurs with along and Vista compatible 200+ respect to children of all ages. help files. You can visit the web site below You're in good company when for more information about this  Abbreviated worksheets— you purchase Revised Ohio USDA publication: http:// everything on one page in- Child Support Guidelines www.cnpp.usda.gov/ cluding data entry—get your (WROCSG). Our customer Publications/CRC/crc2008.pdf. answers in seconds! scrolls boast more than 200 courts, government, educational The USDA estimates are ho-  Detailed error checking and and non-profit agencies— mogenized by the Ohio Depart- alerts. included are domestic relations ment of Job & Family Services into a table that permits the pre-  Shared Parenting Devia- courts, juvenile courts, probate parer to calculate a "cash medi- tion—supports every imagin- courts, child support enforce- cal support obligation;" that is, able adjustment algorithm. ment agencies, Department of Human Services, Department of an amount that takes the place  Three statutory table lookup Job & Family Services, prosecu- of the missing health insurance. methods. tor's offices, appellate courts, The worksheets do this by taking law libraries and universities the lesser of the cash medical  Extended, statutory or ab- throughout Ohio. support maximum and the USDA breviated worksheets. estimate and calls this amount Cash Medical Support  No annual subscription or the cash medical support obliga- update fees. 2008 saw significant changes in tion. the child support worksheets. In  Child care credit—complete To conclude the calculation, the three words, it was all about new worksheet branches into federal income tax calcula- "cash medical support." In tions included; include or ex- two paths—one for orders where point of fact, the new worksheets health insurance is provided clude Ohio credit; you control were a response to the fact that the low income limitation. (which is identical to the calcula- an increasing number of Ohio tion under prior law); and one for  Automatically calculates mini- families can’t afford to maintain orders where health insurance is mum orders for incomes over health insurance on their chil- not provided (this part’s all new). $150,000. dren. As a result, the new work- The difference being that when sheets reference the United health insurance is not provided,  Income Annualizer—from States Department of Health & the cash medical support obliga- paystub to annual income. Human Services Poverty Guide- tion is added to the “final child lines to establish a maximum  Local Income Tax Calcula- support figure.” level (called the "cash medical tor. support maximum"). This If you’re following all of this, you  Support Scheduler—track amount is used as a limit on the might think it a bit daunting to payments, arrearages, and cash medical support obligation consult these different sources interest. that is ultimately added to child and integrate that information support orders where the chil- into the worksheets. Don't worry  Performs Line 8 and the 5.6% dren are not covered by health about that, WROCSG will save self-employment adjust- insurance. you hours of research by do- ments automatically. ing all the collateral calcula- Along the way, reference is tions for you. The HHS Poverty  Sends forms to your word made to the United States De- processor for review, format- Guidelines, the USDA estimates, partment of Agriculture Expendi- and the ODJF&S tables are built ting, printing, emailing, faxing, tures on Children by Families. making PDFs, etc. The func- right in. You won't be called on This USDA study contains esti- to do one additional thing! tionality of your word proces- mates of health-related expendi- Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 9 Revised Ohio Child Support Guidelines—Con’t.

Sample Abbreviated/Short Form Child Support Worksheet

Here’s a nifty little feature of the child support program. Not only does the abbreviated short form worksheet have all the information contained on six or seven pages of statutory worksheets, in also permits you to make data entry directly on the page. That means that you can literally complete worksheets in seconds without tabbing repeatedly through pages of fields. Put in the names of the parties, the number of children, and the parties’ respective income and you’re done! For technical reasons, the reduction and subsequent expansion of the form caused a slight focus problem. Be assured that your forms will be crisp and clean. Page 10 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Ohio Spousal Support

Expenses form through a range By Any Other Name of 28 different spousal 4. Set Spousal Support support amounts! We call it the Think of it as “A Pretrial/Trial Lifestyle form because it pro- This form lets you deviate from Preparation Tool That Just Hap- vides an instructive comparison any formulas or computer algo- pens to Calculate Spousal Sup- of each party’s ability to meet rithms and set your own spousal port.” essential and/or nonessential support amount to be used in the tax calculations and expense Spousal Support/Alimony living expenses at each of the different levels of spousal comparisons. Just to see what ORC §3105.18(B) lists 11 support. You’ll find this form to happens! Insofar as this report factors to consider in determin- be one of the most telling re- is concerned, it’s you in con- ing spousal support. Following ports. You can find a sample of trol of the calculation and not these guidelines, Ohio Spousal this report on page 12 of this the other way around. Support Calculator provides a issue. Child Support & Taxes range of recommended spousal support figures that is 3. Report—Statutory Consid- Included in the Ohio Spousal not simply the result of a tax erations Support Calculator is a child analysis or income equaliza- In a style that is more like a trial support calculator that is similar tion formula. You can review brief than an accounting spread- the one in Revised Ohio Child the results and methodology by sheet, it finds the difference Support Guidelines and fully viewing the 40-odd reports that between the parties’ total integrated into the interface. And are available. Here are a few of incomes, then adjusts for while it’s calculating spousal the key ones. payment of federal, state and support and child support, it always considering the income 1. Income, Taxes, Support & local income taxes, and finally tax consequences of the ex- Expenses evaluates a range of spousal support awards in light of each change and automatically incor- A side-by-side summary of the party’s ability to meet their per- porating the results into the parties’ taxable and nontaxable sonal and living expenses (i.e., many available reports, i.e., the income along with personal and maintain their lifestyle). Lifestyle form. The Tax Issues living expenses (essential and section has a breakdown of tax nonessential). Both before-tax In cases where spendable information related to who and after-tax information is income doesn’t meet living should take the dependency provided relative to the currently- expenses, the analysis can be exemptions and how it affects set amount of spousal support. extended to distinguishing be- both parties. When it’s best to The key words here are tween essential and nonessen- split the dependency exemp- “currently set,” because in addi- tial expenses. Because the tions, you are notified and re- tion to producing support recom- broken family unit necessarily ferred to the Child Dependency mendations, the spousal support involves the financial hardship Exemptions vs. Taxes report. calculator lets you preset a sup- related to supporting two Ohio Spousal Support Calcu- port amount of your own choos- households on the income that lator also prints side-by-side tax ing in order to obtain a complete previously supported one, you form facsimiles for both parties tax analysis at your chosen level may find that categorizing so you can verify the tax ramifi- of support. There’s a sample expenses as essential or cations every step of the way. printout on the next page. nonessential assumes increased importance. A sample of this All forms and reports are ca- 2. Support v. Lifestyle report is available at our web site pable of being exported to This nifty report summarizes the as a downloadable pdf file. your word processor for quick information contained in the and easy inclusion in your Income, Taxes, Support & word processing documents. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 11 Ohio Spousal Support—Con’t.

Sample Income, Taxes, Support & Expense Form

All these figures are based on spousal support of $11,232 per year, however, you can force the calculation at any level of spousal support simply by changing the support amount. Instantly, you’ll be able to see the tax consequences to the obligor and recipient. In addition you’ll be able to see if the spousal support recipi- ent is able to meet necessary living expenses after receiving that amount of spousal support. Perhaps just as important, you can also see whether the payor/obligor of spousal support is able to meet their necessary living expenses after paying that amount of spousal support. Other handy information is the comparison of the relative ability of the parties to meet not only necessary expenses, but also nonessential expenses. Page 12 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Ohio Spousal Support—Con’t.

Sample Lifestyle Form

There’s a lot of interesting information on this form. It’s an abstract of spousal support at 28 different levels, to give you an idea of where income equalization occurs, when the recipient can and can’t cover expenses, and when the payor can and can’t cover expenses. All spousal support levels are set out with their before and after tax consequences. In part, the sample above shows that the parties’ point of income equalization (that is after payment of taxes as well as child support) occurs at a spousal support level of $11,232 per year. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 13 Document Index  Answer Family Law Practitioner’s Apprentice  Arrearages, Agreed Motion to Correct  Arrearages, Judgment Entry Mrs. Jones, you’ve got a dled the same way. Global vari- on Motion to Correct lovely son, - er, daughter ables are administered globally.  Bond, Judgment Entry - Or- If you’ve taken the first step to- In other words, once you enter der to Post wards automating your family the parties’ names and case  Child Support, Motion to law practice, you may have word number in the worksheet, the Modify processing documents that you information populates all the  Continuance, Judgment En- use as templates to generate forms and pleadings automati- try on Motion for Separation Agreements or Judg- cally. Formatting and typing ment Entries. That’s better than captions is a thing of the past.  Continuance, Motion for having no templates, but it has You enter repetitive information  Counterclaim several drawbacks. once! When it’s correct the  Dissolution of Marriage, first time, you save time. No Judgment Entry on Petition One drawback is that changes more brainless grammatical related to gender and number  Dissolution of Marriage, Peti- errors in an otherwise perfect can be difficult to track. For in- tion for document. stance, have you ever reviewed  Divorce, Complaint for a document at court and noticed Going Global  Divorce, Judgment Entry on an embarrassing, typographical Complaint for The faster you can generate error, like referring to the hus- perfect documents, the more you  General Information band as “she?” Or making a save in case preparation time  Health Insurance Investiga- reference to “children” when the and staff time. That’s why we tion Form parties have only one child? give you the added ability to (1) Over the years, proofreading  Motion for Specific Acts set global defaults via our DE- these familiar documents be-  Parental Rights and Respon- FAULT.FLP file and (2) modify comes increasingly difficult as sibilities, Motion to Modify the program templates to cus- constant, repeated exposure Allocation of tomize documents for your spe- makes errors harder to spot.  Pretrial Statement cific uses. So, if you have cer- Another drawback relates to tain, personalized, provisions in  Relocate, Notice of Intent to global variables—that is, infor- a particular document, you could  Residential Parent, Affidavit mation that remains constant alter the corresponding docu-  Restraining Order, Motion & from one document to the next in ment template to include your Affidavit for Temporary the same case (for example, the specific language—permanently.  Restraining Order, Tempo- case number, the parties’ names Better Documents Faster rary and addresses, and a host of  Separation Agreement other items). With FLPA, from The whole point of FLPA is to  Shared Parenting Agreement the initial complaint to the produce better documents final judgment entry, you’re faster. It’s especially user-  Show Cause, Motion to never required to re-enter in- friendly to law offices. Why law  Standard Visitation Guide- formation from one document offices? Because regardless of lines to the next. overall computer skills, they are  Support Pendente Lite, An- usually expert word processors! swer to Motion for FLPA handles these issues by And why not? Documents are a having you make one-time se-  Support Pendente Lite, Fi- law office’s stock-in-trade. lections as to the gender of the nancial Disclosure Affidavit parties and then FLPA consis- For a comprehensive feature list,  Support Pendente Lite, Mo- tently changes all the nouns, visit the FLPA product informa- tion for, with Notice pronouns, verbs and adjectives tion page at our web site. On  Temporary Custody, Motion to agree with your selections. any page, click on the Family  Withholding, Judgment Entry Other basic information is han- Law button. - Order to Terminate Page 14 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Who Cares? Basic Ohio No website has gotten more free publicity recently than Twitter. Our Basic Ohio Probate see the form as it would be Don’t be alarmed if you’ve never Forms program (WBOPF) is a printed. There’s no “preview” heard of it; we hadn’t heard of it stand-alone, standard Windows process required to see what either until one of our younger program that follows normal your form will look like on paper. Windows programming conven- associates called it to our atten- Quality Not Quantity. Instead of tions. It is not a simple template, tion. Twitter is a website that paying for hundreds of forms HotDocs or script, but instead is was created in 2006 but failed to that you don’t use or are incor- a true Windows program. What gain widespread recognition until rect, we give you the complete this means is that opening, 2008 when its users doubled. Its set of “Standard Probate saving and printing is done acceptance and popularity was Forms” as defined and prom- just like it is in your word no doubt enhanced when certain ulgated under Rules 51 and 52 processor. You won’t need to celebrities acknowledged using of the Supreme Court’s Rules for learn needlessly different or it. it more people are “tweeting.” the Superintendence of Com- complex new ways to do the mon Pleas Courts. Scads of little So what is Twitter and what same old thing. It makes sense -used forms that don’t complete does it do? What’s it do? Well, to that if you’re going to work effi- themselves are hardly more begin with Twitter operates on ciently, you want a program to useful than those you can get the premise that there are peo- have common, standard, and free at a Probate Court’s own ple out there who are interested immediately recognizable screen web site. in what are you doing. Assuming components and interface. Why there are, Twitter’s purpose is to struggle with a new interface, not WBOPF gives you the complete let those lucky individuals know enough to do? core set of forms that you need what’s going on in your life. to administer decedent’s estates. Main Window. WBOPF5 has a Think of it as blogging taken to That’s every “standard probate convenient main window that the next level. Instead of people form” as set forth by the Ohio combines the features of an on- visiting your site to find out what Supreme Court. And all screens line tutorial with the freedom of you’re up to, your subscribers and printouts are designed to the Windows menu system. You will be broadcast the exciting comply with the typographical won’t need expensive, special- blow-by-blow of your day, i.e., specifications set forth in Rules “Going for a drink at the Winking ized training or instructional vid- 51 and 52, supra. Lizard at 8pm tonight, would eos. Just start at the top and anyone care to join me?”. work to the bottom. If you need Features help, it’s right there. As we understand it, you create  The Next Generation pro- your profile at the Twitter site Next of Kin & Legatees. Over gram designed in Windows and that allows friends and fam- half the standard probate Vista, WBOPF runs in the fol- ily to “subscribe” to your Twitter forms involve the spouse, kin lowing Windows 32-bit environ- page. As subscribers they are and legatees, so you’ll want ments, XP/2000/ME & 98. sent notifications every time you your probate program to com- modify your page. Twitter has plete all the necessary no-  Handles calculations gotten so popular recently that tices, consents and waivers. automatically; most forms an iPhone application allows you WBOPF does just that! If you complete themselves! This to run Twitter on your phone. have 40 beneficiaries, WBOPF includes not just the mathemati- And, with text-messaging ser- completes all the notices, con- cally oriented forms like the in- vices you can sign up to have sents and waivers, etc. with a ventory and accounting forms, every update sent directly to mouse click. No retyping, copy- but also all consents, waivers and notices will contain the your telephone. ing or pasting. beneficiary name and address What You See Is What You information automatically. Get. When you display our In- (Continued on page 15) ventory or Accounting forms, you Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 15 Not Enough Probate Forms TV? We know what you’re thinking. 22,000 (almost 60%) practice in “As Americans we’re not getting (Continued from page 14) three counties—Cuyahoga, enough television. Sure, when I Franklin, and Hamilton. Based was a kid, three television sta-  Prepares the Standard on those statistics, we created tions were enough for me, but Probate Forms as set forth in special decedent’s probate mod- now I’m an adult. I’m mature and Rules 51 and 52 of the Rules for ules for those counties. my entertainment needs are Superintendence of Ohio Courts. greater than when I was a child. Good in all Probate Courts and Although each county-specific The 400 channels I currently print shop perfect. program works much like our have aren’t enough. Further- popular, standard Basic Ohio Exports probate files to the more, I need to be able to watch  Probate Forms, here are a few television programs that I missed Ohio Estate Tax program that things to note about the County can, in turn, export client data to and I need to be able to watch Versions: the U.S. Estate Tax program—a television at work (during lunch true single entry system. 1. Each of the county packages of course, so I don’t diminish my comes with the standard version work output).”  Capable of sending forms so that you can generate pro- Here’s some sites that bring the to your word processor for bate forms for all counties. final review, formatting and print- boob tube to your tube—free. 2. In addition to scads of county- ing, or spell-checking, gram- FreeTvOnline.com—Members specific forms, you’ll find other mar-checking, emailing, fax- only. After registering you get full forms that are not necessarily ing, making PDFs, etc. The access to all of their television probate forms, but are often functionality of your word proc- shows as well as hundreds of used in conjunction with probate essor is the only limitation. movies. High speed internet is forms, i.e., enclosure letters that mandatory as well an updated  Inventory and Accounting automatically address and popu- version of Flash or Windows form entries are automatically late to the varies kin and benefi- Media Player. sorted by category. ciaries, transfer documents such  Modifiable templates for as affidavit of domicile, stock Freetube.com—No membership case-specific customization. transfer power of attorney, sur- necessary. In minutes we were viving spouse affidavit, motor watching Spongebob  Multiple forms. If there are vehicle transfer forms, life insur- Squarepants reruns. Numerous 40 kin, in 40 different states, and ance surrender letters, and channels are available sepa- each needs a particular notice, more. If you’d like a complete list rated by genre. Quick and easy. you can prepare all 40 notices of the included forms, you can ChooseAndWatch.com—This in one step. visit our web site (www.puritas- website does not have as many springs.com), go to the Basic  Visit our web site and try our programs and movies as FTVO Ohio Probate Forms page free, fully functioning demo. and Freetube. However, one (product information buttons are The site also has screen illustra- plus is that the channels they do along the right side of the page), tions together with some sample have load quicker than any other and then the County page (you’ll forms. These documents are site. see the hyperlinks near the top). available in PDF format that you You’ll find a complete list of the Yidio-This is our personal favor- view, download and print. forms included in that package. ite site outside of champion County Specific Modules— HULU (See page 34 of this is- 3. Of course, each county pro- Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton sue). This site offers a conven- gram can export its information ient search bar, there’s no regis- At the time of this article was to our Ohio Estate Tax program tration required, and there’s being written there were close to to automatically complete the thousands of shows from pre- 38,000 active, practicing attor- estate tax return without needing sent and past. neys in Ohio. Of those, roughly to re-enter a thing! Page 16 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Foggy Windows Ohio Estate Tax There’s Windows Mail, then there’s Windows Live Mail Desk- Ohio Estate Tax for Windows pleting probate forms and tax top, also Windows Hotmail, and (WOET) is one of our best sell- returns quickly, efficiently, and finally Windows Live Hotmail. If ers. Together with Basic Ohio professionally. Once you use you’re like us, you might be curi- Probate Forms, they form an WOET, you’ll never do returns ous about what the difference is unbeatable combination for com- any other way. between these seemingly identi- cal email-related products. Here’s our best shot. Included Forms & Schedules Windows Mail Form 2 Ohio Estate Tax—Page 1 Form 3G Resident GST Tax Recapitulation—Page 2 Form 3N Nonresident Additional Tax This is simply a Information—Page 3 Form 4 Nonresident Estate Tax program that comes included Schedule A Real Property Form 5 Estate & Additional Tax … with Windows Vista as an alter- Schedule B Stocks and Bonds Form 12 Application for Consent nate to Microsoft Outlook Ex- Schedule C Mortgages, Notes and Cash Form 12-A Nonresident Appl for Consent press. While it is simplistic com- Schedule D Insurance Form 13 Appl for Consent to Transfer pared to Outlook, it has a certain Schedule E Part I—Joint & Survivorship Form 14 Tax Release resemblance to Outlook Ex- press. We wouldn’t call it an Part II—Joint & Survivorship Form 14-A Nonresident Tax Release Outlook replacement because it Schedule F Other Miscellaneous Property Form 17 Estate & Additional Tax … has no calendar function, no to Schedule G Transfers During Lifetime Form 18 Close Corporation Valuation do list, and the mail capabilities Schedule H Powers of Appointment Form 21 Application for Certificate … are a bit more limited than in Schedule I Annuities, Pensions, Retirement Form 22 Certificate of Estate Tax … Outlook. Our guess is that Micro- Schedule J Debts & Administrative Exps Form 24 Certificate of Subordination … soft packaged it with Vista so Schedule K Charitable Bequests Form 34 Qualified Farm Property those who didn’t use Office Schedule M Part I—Bequests to Spouse Form 35 Worksheet for Developing … would have something to handle Part II—Bequests to Spouse Form 36 Qualified Farm Property their email. Form 2X Amended Ohio Estate Tax Form 41 Application for Extension Bottom line—If you have Out- Form 3 Ohio Resident Additional Tax look, don’t even bother with it.

Windows Live The Solution—Version 7 Mail Desktop Windows Live  Print shop quality printed valuations (your own ISP is Mail is another forms. Approved by the Ohio required). mail program that is currently in Department of Taxation.  Imports Probate (WBOPF5) its beta stage. Basically it’s yet  MainWindow. Combines the file information. another replacement for Outlook, features of a tutorial with the  Auto-fit Text. WOET shrinks and essentially its Microsoft freedom of the Windows your answers to fit in the allot- taking Windows Mail and con- menu. ted space. verting to their “Live” initiative  Vista compatible. WOET7 (which we haven’t had the time  Compatible with W706. Easy runs in all versions of Win- transfer to U.S. Estate Tax. or inclination to understand yet). dows.  Sends forms to your word Bottom Line—If you’re asking  One-click access to on-line processor for further editing, yourself, what’s a beta? Well, for stock and mutual fund spell-checking or formatting. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 17 U.S. Estate Tax law offices it means you don’t With U.S. Estate Tax (W706), Introduction to Estate & Gift have time to be fooling around we followed the Puritas Springs Taxes. with this product. For insight on Software philosophy—create an another Microsoft beta SNAFU, easy-to-use, reasonably priced  Over 20 custom continua- see Worldwide Telescope on tion pages for better organi- program for small- and medium- page 7 of this issue. sized law offices. The rest will zation and better looking print- take care of itself. W706 is the outs. last part of our Probate Triple  Worksheets for entering bene- Pack. The Triple Pack is de- ficiaries, assets and debts. signed to let you take probate Each allows you to work with information, export it to Ohio centrally located information MSN Hotmail is the original Hot- Estate Tax, and finally to W706. that you can effortlessly mail email service that we all All from a single set of entries! If change, delete, insert, ap- have known for years. In the there was ever a probate time pend, etc. past you would access it by visit- saver, the triple pack is it. See ing www.hotmail.com. the products and prices listed on  Check Return function re- the inside back cover for the views nearly 100 rules and Bottom Line—This email ser- discounted Triple Pack price. reminders for testing a tax vice has been supplanted by return prior to printing. Windows Live Hotmail. See be-  Windows Vista low. compatible, but  Tutorial in- runs in all Win- cluded in the dows. printed manual for stepping beginners  Screens look like through the proc- Windows Live Hotmail is a free their IRS form ess of completing a web-based email service. It can counterparts. sample estate tax be accessed by any computer return. connected to the Internet. This  IRS-approved means that no email software is printed forms look print-shop  Upgrades available by required to access your email -perfect on any printer. download—you can stay up- account. You perform email  MainWindow. W706 has a to-date on late-breaking taskes by visiting the hotmail convenient window combining changes by downloading your web site. The service is free. the features of an on-line upgrade from our web site. And if 5 GB isn’t enough mem- tutorial with the freedom of the Any day of the week, any time ory, you can upgrade to a of the day or night. Windows menu system. ‘platinum’ membership for $15 a  Network Version Available. year. It includes a variety of ad-  All calculations are per- ditional options and more mem- formed dynamically and Makes network installation, maintenance and use easier ory. Access it by visiting http:// automatically. This is not a mail.live.com. word processor or spread- than ever before. Bottom Line—As Windows Live sheet template. W706 does  Auto fit – determines whether Mail is Windows Mail converted not requires additional soft- your entries fit in the required to the Microsoft “Live” initiative, ware or hardware to generate form space and shrinks them so too Windows Live Hotmail is printed returns. to fit the designated field if a conversion of MSN Hotmail. In your text is too long.  Context-sensitive. The Vista- fact, the old MSN Hotmail link compatible help files contain a  Visit www.puritas- takes you to the exact same site. copy of the Form 706 in- springs.com for a free Now all we need to do is figure structions, in addition to the downloadable demo. out what the “Live” initiative is! complete text of Pub 950 – Page 18 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Free Word Processor U.S. Income Tax for Estates & Trusts Now that Google is a household word, it’s not sitting back and How can we sell a Form 1041 of returns. For the other 99% of taking it easy. It’s especially not program for $49.99? commonly-filed returns, our U.S. waiting for challenges to its lon- Income Tax for Estates & Because we designed it specifi- gevity from Microsoft, i.e., Win- Trusts program fits the bill per- cally for small- to medium- sized dows Live. Instead, it’s taking fectly! law offices doing simple returns the initiative and creating office for small- to medium-sized es- The Tax Code requires a fiduci- productivity applications that tates and trusts. That means ary income tax return to be filed ostensibly compete with Micro- U.S. Income Tax for Estates & by nearly every estate or trust soft Office. Worse still, for Micro- Trusts (W1041) is meant to with a federal identification num- soft that is, Google’s making the handle the types of returns that ber. Specifically the regula- applications available for free. law offices typically prepare. tions provide: The main app is, of course, a W1041 gives you the ability to “The fiduciary (or one of the word processor. Like web email, prepare professional-looking, joint fiduciaries) must file one of the advantages of simple returns at a low cost, Form 1041 for a domestic es- Google’s word processor is that making it worth your while to do tate that has gross income for you can use it from any com- the easy returns yourself without the tax year of $600 or more.” puter because it’s not “installed” out-sourcing them to accounting software. We’ve always found firms. Even if you’re not handling mil- even law offices that are a bit lion dollar estates, the filing crite- The reality for most law offices is challenged when it comes to ria quoted above are not hard to that complicated returns are using computers, are typically meet. At a price of $49.99, typically referred to specialist/ experts when it comes to word W1041 pays for itself as soon preparers anyway, so why spend processing. as you prepare your first re- big bucks for a program that’s turn. This sophistication makes us designed to handle those types think that law offices will likely find little to like in Google’s word processor. Of course, it’s a beta and therefore not a fin- Included Forms & Schedules ished product, but still, law of- fices require a certain level of Forms & Schedules Worksheets functionality in a word processor Form 1041 U.S. Estate & Trust—Page 1 Form 1041-ES Estimated tax that seems lacking in Google’s. U.S. Estate & Trust—Page 2 Schedule D Unrecaptured Sec 1250 Gain On a continuum, it’s somewhere Schedule A Charitable Deduction Schedule D Tax Worksheet between WordPad and Word for Schedule B Income Distribution Deduction Schedule D Qualified 5-Year Gain Windows leaning towards the Schedule G Tax Computation Schedule D Capital Loss Carryover WordPad end of the scale. Schedule I Alternative Minimum Tax Schedule D 28% Rate Gain Not that it matters too much for Schedule J Accumulation Distribution ... typing business letters and court Schedule K-1 Beneficiary’s Share Continuation Schedules pleadings, but it only allows you Form 1041-A Informational Return Form 1041 Line 1 Interest Income to choose from about a dozen Form 1041-ES Estimated Tax Vouchers Form 1041 Line 2a Dividend Income fonts. What may be more of a Form 1041-QFT Qualified Funeral Trusts Form 1041 Line 15a Other Deductions handicap is that there are only Form 1041-T Allocation of Estimate Payments Form 1041 Line 15b Subject to 2% seven or so preset sizes for Schedule D Short-Term Capital Gains each font. That could certainly Schedule D Long Term Capital Gains limit a user in terms of fine tun- ing documents. Paragraph for- Miscellaneous Complete published IRS Instructions for Form 1041 & associated schedules. (Continued on page 19) Complete IRS Publication 950-Introduction to Estate & Gift Taxes Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 19 Google Ohio Fiduciary Tax Docs Con’t. (Continued from page 18)

Who Must File? You can perform an analysis as matting (something we do a lot to whether a tax return is re- of—and we’re sure you do too) All estates residing or earning quired or be safe and protect income in Ohio must file an your client by filing a return. was anemic. It reminded us of Ohio Fiduciary Income Tax What would you do? This avoids html web page designing soft- Return. determining whether an exemp- ware where you’re given a half- dozen or so preset configura- Trusts. All trusts meeting ANY tion is applicable and the conse- tions, i.e., normal paragraphs, ONE or more of the following quences of guessing wrong. headings 1 through 7, etc. As far requirements must file: Do A Return In Seconds as line spacing was concerned,  The trust resides in Ohio, or If you’ve got U.S. Income Tax again you were limited to presets for Estates & Trusts (W1041), like single-, 1.5-, double-spacing.  The trust earns or receives preparing a picture-perfect, pro- Missing were the fine-tuning income in Ohio, or fessional Ohio return literally controls that are often necessary  The trust earns/receives lot- takes only seconds because you to make a page come out look- tery winnings paid by the Lot- can import the tax information ing just right. For example, we tery Commission, or from the federal program weren’t able to set line spacing (W1041) directly into Ohio Fidu- to specific point sizes like we  The trust otherwise has a ciary Tax (WIT1041)! nexus with or in Ohio under could in Word. There’s no learning curve. Ohio the Constitution of the United Another thing to consider is that Fiduciary Tax (WIT1041) re- States. if you intend to use it from any sembles our ever-popular To narrow the rather wide scope United States Income Tax for computer it would require that of the foregoing filing require- Estates and Trusts. It's perfect you store your documents on the ments, there’s a number of ex- for completing the kinds of re- Internet and not on your com- emptions for grantor, charitable turns that law offices typically puter. From a confidentiality remainder, retirement, and a few handle. Budget-priced at $49.99, standpoint, this may pose a other trusts. Also exempt are it pays for itself with the first problem to most law offices. trusts that meet all four criteria return you prepare. It prints the There were means, however, for contained in the Ohio Depart- entire basic form set and per- converting files to Word, pdf and ment of Taxation IT1041 instruc- forms all calculations automati- a few other formats and also for tional materials. cally. saving documents to your com- puter (although a document saved to your computer would not be accessible from any com- puter—only one on which the In Good Humor document was saved). Two limi- tations are that files cannot ex- ceed 500 KB in size and while Feathers. -Oh, Monsieur Kornblow! Word doc files can be imported, -Call me Montgomery Do you suppose I could buy back this does not apply to Word 2007 docx files. -Is that your name? my introduction to you. Groucho -No, I’m just breaking it in for a Marx, Horse Feathers. Noting the average level of so- phistication of today’s users, it’s friend. Grouch Marx, A Night in -I’ve never been so insulted in Casablanca doubtful whether Google Docs my life. can attain the widespread ac- You’re a disgrace to our family -Well, it’s early yet. Groucho ceptance of Google Search. name of Wagstaff, if such a thing Marx, A Day at the Races. After all, even if it’s free, it still is possible. Grouch Marx, Horse has to be worth using. Page 20 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 OSBA’s Casemaker Ohio Adoption Forms Those of us who remember a single search as potentially cost- We are very excited to announce  Adult Adoption Forms In- ing hundreds of dollars (because the release of the first of our cluded – Forms 19.0, 19.01 each search modification added probate programs to excise the and 19.1 are included in addi- $$ to the bill), think of the Ohio Borland Database Engine tion to the standard probate State Bar Association’s Case- (BDE). Although the BDE is still adoption forms. See the com- maker as a godsend for law the foundation of many popular plete list of included forms in practices of all sizes. How do law office programs like Time- the table below. you get it? All you need is it to Slips, WordPerfect, we’ve no-  Completely new General be a member of the Ohio State ticed that the BDE has become Information Worksheet for Bar Association and it’s free more problematic with each assembling and automatically with your membership. The list successive release of Windows. completing the adoption of available libraries would take With the release of Windows 7, forms. too much space to detail here. we felt it was becoming increas- You can get the complete list at ingly important both to us and  Auto-Text-Fit. If you've got a the OSBA web site. our users to create programs bit more information than will that did not rely on the BDE. fit on a given line, WAdopt will We do want to let you know automatically shrink the font however, that Casemaker rose With this first phase complete, size until the text fits the des- to a new level by adding a num- we intend to direct our efforts to ignated field. ber of useful features. The new the remaining programs that use version (Version 2.1) allows the BDE. This new version of  Exports all forms (blank or users to search all 50 states WAdopt is not just about the completed) to your word simultaneously or pick any sub- BDE. Regardless of the BDE, processor for printing, faxing, set of states prior to performing we’ve done many other things emailing, spell-checking, a search. The Casemaker Medi- that make the new Version 3 grammar checking, or mak- cal Library is also new and is (WAdopt3) a good choice for ing PDFs (PDF-making func- the first of many expected addi- you: tionality dependent on owning tional libraries dedicated to spe- Adobe Acrobat). FEATURES cial areas of the law.  Download future upgrades  Developed in and optimized Here’s a short list of new fea- from WAdopt Help menu for Windows Vista (although tures: (Internet required; applies to WAdopt runs in all versions of Version 3 only).  Completely new look and feel Windows).

that enhances the user’s abil- ity to do legal research  Citation “find” enhancements that permits users to enter any case citation or name in a Included Forms & Schedules citation box. General Information Worksheet Form 18.9 Petitioner’s Account  Enhanced proximity searches Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor Form 18.9 Petitioner’s Account Con’t Pg (very useful and much re- Form 18.1 Judgment Entry Setting Hearing Form 19.0 Petition for Adoption of Adult quested). Form 18.2 Notice of Hearing Form 19.01 Judgment Entry ...  Ability to view more than 100 Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption Form 19.1 Final Order of Adult Adoption results at a time. Form 18.4 Judgment Entry Finding ... Petition of Foreign Adoption Form 18.5 Interlocutory Order of Adoption Consent to Name Change  Prints cases in pdf format Form 18.6 Final Decree of Adoption … Affidavit of Adopted Person  Saves last search strategy Form 18.7 Final Decree of Adoption … HEA 2757 Certificate of Adoption Form 18.8 Adoption Certificate for Parents Adoption Expense Worksheet Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 21 Lotus Ohio Guardianship Forms Symphony Remember Lotus? We don’t very well, but we remember the name 6 Years of Free Upgrades? FRIENDLY than ever before. even if we can’t recall what it was. Whether it never went Yes. That's what our old Ohio  Auto-Text-Fit. WOGF will away or whether it’s back, it’s Guardianship Forms (WOGF) automatically shrink text to fit now a free download. Of the users received when they pur- in the allotted space. three free office suites (by chased WOGF in 1998. Of Google’s, Open Office and Lotus course, we can't guarantee that  Exports all forms (blank or completed) to your word Symphony), this one appears to the Ohio Legislature won't com- be the best. Law offices will pletely revise the guardianship processor for printing, faxing, emailing, spell checking & probably like the fact that it’s not forms next week, next month or web based. That means that it’s next year; but, if actions speak grammar checking, or mak- ing PDFs (functionality de- a normal set of applications that louder than words, you'll get you download and install on your excellent mileage from WOGF— pendent on your word proces- sor). computer just like Microsoft Of- Version 3. During the six-year fice. It’s no small potatoes life cycle of Version 2, we were  Download future upgrades download either, tipping the happy to provide our customers from WOGF's Help menu scales at 409MB! with free upgrades. We believe (Internet required; applies to that’s a very consumer-friendly Version 3 only). In the suite you’ll find a word record. If you compared Micro- process, spreadsheet and pres- soft's Windows during the same Don’t Repeat This! entation software. What you may period, there have been releases Enter basic information once. like about this suite (as opposed of Windows 98, Windows ME, WOGF automatically completes to the Google suite described on Windows 2000 and Windows the forms based on your entries page 18 of this issue), is that it XP. You're lucky if you can last (i.e., guardian and ward’s name, behaves a bit like Microsoft Of- two years without the release of address, etc.). Enter assets and fice. One architectural difference a new version. expenses once. Send the is that the Lotus Suite starts all programs in the same tabbed Features entries to the appropriate forms by pointing and clicking. That window. So it’s interface is simi-  Developed in Windows Vista, means entering lengthy real lar to Internet Explorer’s tabbed WOGF runs in all versions of estate legal descriptions and like browser, and you’ll not have Windows. items only one time. separate buttons on the task bar for each application that you  Attorney Fees. WOGF keeps Virtually Unlimited Form Cop- start. In other words, your word track of your time and services ies and Continuation processing document and and can prepare an Applica- Schedules. WOGF permits you spreadsheet will be on separate tion for Attorney Fees with to complete, display and print tabs in the same Lotus Sym- supporting itemized statement nearly limitless multiples of most phony window. of time and services. waivers, notices, bank certificates, etc. The same goes If you’d like to check it out for  One click access to on-line for the continuation pages of the yourself. Go to http:// stock and mutual fund inventory and accounting forms. symphony.lotus.com/software/ valuations (your own Internet lotus/symphony/home.nsf/home service is required). We’ve made WOGF easier to and click on the Download but- use and learn than ever before.  Conservatorships – including ton. In fact, if you’ve used any of our Forms 20.0 through 20.2. probate programs, you know  Revised worksheets for han- how to use WOGF already! dling financial information; We’ve also included context- cleaner and more USER- sensitive help. Page 22 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Windows 7 Wrongful Death & Minor’s Claims There’s a convoluted history to the development of Windows 7. This is the second in our line of checking, printing, faxing, If you care to know about it, look probate programs to divest itself emailing, interlineating or up Windows 7 in Wikipedia and of the Borland Database En- making PDFs (PDF-making you’ll get more than you proba- gine (BDE). What that ultimately functionality dependent on bly want to know. What we’re means to users is a program that your word processor or own- going to do in this brief sidebar is is half the size and twice as fast ing Adobe Acrobat). to highlight some of the main as anything else out there.  Auto-Text-Fit. If you've got a Windows 7 features that may be FEATURES bit more information than will of interest to users in general fit in a form’s given space, and law offices in particular.  Developed in Windows Vista, WMinor will automatically runs in all Windows versions. First of all, don’t expect drastic shrink the font size until the changes in Windows 7. It’s re-  Automatic form completion text fits. tained the basic look and feel of – you complete our work-  Network Versions Available Vista. Microsoft claims that Win- sheets, and WMinor com- at big discounts. Everyone in dows 7 will start up and shut pletes the forms including both the office can share the same down faster than Vista, and text and math. set of files and backups can tests performed by independent be performed from one loca- third parties have established  Time & Services Worksheet tion. this to be true. Supposedly, the for the automatic computation of attorney fees including improvement isn’t drastic but it is  Download future upgrades preparation of the Application noticeable. One of the reasons free (Internet required; Ver- for Attorney Fees and Judg- Windows 7 has the look and feel sion 4 only). See web site for ment Entry. of Vista is that Microsoft concen- free upgrade eligibility details. trated on making the transition  Exports all forms to your No annual fees. Free techni- from pre-Vista Windows versions word processor for spell- cal support. (i.e., XP) easier instead of over- checking, grammar- hauling what they already con- sidered to be desirable architec- tural changes introduced in Vista. Included Forms & Schedules One unfortunate change is the removal of the Vista Sidebar. Wrongful Death Form 22.1 Waiver & Consent Go figure, we always that that Form 14.0 Application to Approve … Entry Approving Settlement was one of the Vista features Form 14.0 Kin Continuation Page Verification of Receipt … that users universally used and Form 14.0 Claimant Continuation Page Verification Continuation Page liked. Thankfully while the Side- Form 14.01 Entry Setting Hearing Report of Distribution bar’s gone, the Gadgets that Form 14.1 Waiver and Consent Miscellaneous populated it are still around. In Form 14.1 Continuation Page General Information Wrksht Windows 7 they can be placed anywhere on the desktop in- Form 14.2 Entry Approving Settlement Settlement Accounting Wrksht stead of only on the Sidebar. So Form 14.3 Report of Distribution Time & Services Worksheet maybe this is a change that Form 14.3 Net Proceeds Continuation List of Medical Expenses won’t upset Sidebar lovers too Form 14.4 Entry Approving Report … List of Suit Expenses much. Fiduciary List of Time & Services One thing we’re going to like (but Form 15.7 Application for Authority … Retainer Agreement not sure why) is the ability to Minor’s Claims Application for Attorney Fees Form 22.0 Application to Settle … Judgment Entry … (Continued on page 25) Form 22.01 Entry Setting Hearing Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 23 Loan Amortizer Free CLE We mentioned the Ohio State It’s got most everything you Bar Association’s Casemaker on could want or need in loan amor- Balloon Payments pages 2 and 20 of this issue, tizing software. Plus, it’s got a and wanted to add that you can few bells and whistles that most PSSLA handles balloon pay- take an on-line CLE seminar amortizers don’t sport. ments more adroitly than most (called CaseMaker) that gives programs. Instead of scanning you 1 credit hour. With legal Printing 10 pages of hard copy, PSSLA’s education credit hours costing as If you’re preparing real estate got the balloon amount right up much as $70 per hour, this semi- documents and need to amortize front. See the screen illustration nar is not only valuable from an a loan to obtain the monthly below to see what we mean. educational standpoint, but also payment amount, Puritas Consumer Friendliness from an economical standpoint Springs Software’s Loan Am- because it’s free. How’s that for ortizer (PSSLA) will take care of Here’s a neat feature. Click the a great fringe benefit? After all, your needs. You won’t just get Impact of making extra mort- you’ve got to get the credit hours the bottom line numbers like gage payments button and anyway. some calculators provide. you’ll see a dialog like the one Here’s how to find it. Log in to PSSLA gives you an itemized below. Enter the amount of extra the OSBA web site using your spreadsheet view of each and payment and PSSLA will tell you user name and password. Next, every payment in the entire how much you save over the life click on the CLE site and from schedule. It’s compatible with all of the loan. Nice to know and the submenu choose Online. It’s Windows printers. very cool! not that easy to Pasting find it. What we did was to click Not only can you print your am- on the link that ortization schedule if you wish, lets you see all but, in addition, you can also CLE items at one direct or copy the amortization time and then sort schedule to the Windows clip- by Price. Yes! board where you can paste the The free one schedule into your word proc- bubbled right to essing documents or spread- the top. sheet/database files. Page 24 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Ohio Workers Compensation

This second-generation release Think about how many times you later with the web forms and of the Ohio Workers Compen- must re-enter the same informa- you’ll be retyping the entire form sation Forms (WComp2), has tion over the history of a case or form set. With WComp2 benefitted greatly from the seven file. What about situations where there’s no re-typing, no white -year experience of its predeces- you discover an error after com- out, no recalculations, no slop. If sor and the feedback of our val- pletion. What do you do? Save you’re still doing forms on a ued customers. each form separately and end up typewriter, WComp2 will be like with 40 separate files as the dying and going to heaven. WComp2 saves time and money claim progresses? Yikes! by putting the full complement WComp2 doesn’t just complete of injured worker forms at Get ready to enjoy a higher de- and print forms, it can also send your fingertips without requiring gree of organization in your form completed forms to your word Internet connectivity. You’ll handling chores. All of a cli- processor where you can do never be forced to stop work- ent’s BWC forms are in a sin- interlineation and other extraor- ing on a case file because gle file allowing you to move dinary editing. In addition, once your connection is down. quickly from form to form for in your word processor, your reviewing or editing. Forms are completed forms can be easily One of the biggest timesavers, arranged numerically. All your spell-checked, grammar however, is that the forms clients are immediately and checked, emailed, faxed, complete themselves. What’s readily accessible. printed, made into pdfs, or what- better than that for office effi- ever other functionality your ciency and error-free forms. The WComp2 takes you one step word processor possesses. If General Information Work- closer to the ideal paperless you’re using Word for Windows, sheet accumulates almost 100 office. Less typing, less paper, many things are possible. pieces of repetitive information and easier access (can you keep and instantaneously transfers it years of hard copies from all Still not convinced? Try the free, to all the other injured worker your files with you at all times?). fully functioning demo avail- forms automatically. That means With a $10 USB RAM drive you able at our web site. You can you won’t need to enter the can. If you have remote capabili- create files, complete forms, name of the claimant, claim ties, you’re literally never without save files, print forms and do number and date of injury, etc. a file. Not just the file you’re everything else the normal pro- over and over again. working on, but every file gram does. The demo is new you’ve ever worked on. and contains additional features Just as significant is the fact that as requested by our users. you won’t worry about embar- If you have a client, assistant or rassing typos in your forms boss who never makes mis- We saved the best for last—you because if you get it right once takes, you can skip this next can purchase WComp2 for (on the General Information point. However, those of us in $99.99. That’s $200 off the Worksheet), that information will the real world who need to make Version 1 price. Don’t forget populate all the other forms with- corrections, changes or addi- that users of Version 1 went out potential retyping errors. tions to forms will love seven years with no annual WComp2’s ability to reload a fees, free technical support If you’re using BWC’s web form, make adjustments and hit and free upgrades. That’s less forms, you’re just not getting it. the print button. Try that a day than $15 per year! Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 25 Windows 7 Deed & Document Pro Continued (Continued from page 22) Until we did some research, we (for which we are sincerely had little idea that this program thankful) concerning the deeds arrange items on the task bar. was one of our best sellers. and documents that law offices It may be that one gets used to Here’s why. use most. It was this thoughtful items appearing in a certain user-feedback that identified the order, and when things are out Wizards — One click and Deed forms we added. As a result, of order it’s nice to be able to & Document Pro’s (WDeed) there are now almost 80 deeds arrange them the way you want. Document Wizard takes you and documents. Visit our web In fact, we were pleased (in a through your document step-by- site for a complete list. neurotic sort of way) to learn that step, asking simple questions we were not the only ones who and providing examples of the Saving Your Wizard Answers closed and then reopened pro- information requested. — WDeed gives you the option gram simply to get the task bar of saving your Wizard answers. Word Processor Compatibility icons to appear in a certain or- This is useful when you want to — Another click of the mouse der. Hercule Poirot and Monk redo a document without an- and you’re in your word proces- would certainly like this. swering the Wizard questions a sor looking at a completed docu- second time. Also useful when Windows 7 will introduce ment. Old English fonts, charac- you have similar but different “gestures” to the general popu- ter and paragraph formatting, documents. Using this feature, lace. Palm-size computer users spell-checking and grammar- you preload your prior answers are already familiar with the checking, anything is possible— and change only those that re- concept—that is using a shake the only limit is the capability of quire it. Think reciprocal wills of the mouse or a sweeping your word processor. with one mouse click. move of the cursor to initiate an Customizable Documents and action like minimizing or resizing Network Friendly — No, this is Defaults — Not only can you a window. As in the case of the not a network program, but it’s preset unchanging information mouse wheel (see page 32 of easy to set up for network cen- like the preparer’s name, ad- this issue), this is something that tralization of documents and dress, telephone number, etc., people will either adopt, or, like templates. The two advantages you can also edit the document the third mouse button, some- of this method are document templates themselves to add the thing that will ultimately reject. sharing and simplification of the customized language that your Time will tell. backup process. Please give us office uses. a call for multi-user/network Windows 7 also takes a step Global Defaults - We took the licensing. (even if it’s a small step) toward concept of the default answers making home network setup Quick-Create Buttons — A to the next level. With global easier. When you plug in your range of buttons for starting the defaults you can now set cer- wireless network device and a Document Wizard and creating tain defaults, i.e., county name, Add A Device Wizard should your documents with one click of year, preparer information, etc., either start automatically (or you the mouse. for all 80 documents at the can manually start it from Con- same time. Pop-Up Menus — Right-click trol Panel), that will step you your mouse button to access through setting up your home Twice the Documents — We pop-up menus for common func- wireless network. For more infor- didn't just add and update a few tions. mation about setting up net- documents; we doubled them. works (unrelated to Windows 7, We reformatted and re-edited all Documents—The list of docu- see page 26 of this issue). the existing ones. In order to add ments (there’s about 80) is too useful documents, we took a long to include in this newsletter. Those are a few of the Windows survey of our WDeed users and If you’d like to see a complete 7 highlights. If you’d like to learn received excellent suggestions list, visit our web site. more, there’s plenty out there. Just Google it “Windows 7.” Page 26 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Networking Computers Official Bank If you’ve got more than one com- puter in your home or office, with related claim informa- you’re missing out on quite a bit Just One Look tion (date of claim, amount if you don’t have them net- of claim, etc.). Forget about worked. While most savvy users The Main Window is your using different schedules can probably appreciate the MapQuest roadmap for process- and continuation pages. All benefit of networking, many ing a bankruptcy filing. From top your creditor/claim informa- users may not realize how easy to bottom, from beginning to tion is in one place—on the it is to set up. You can often do it end, the outline or tree view Creditor Worksheet. yourself. Here’s 5 steps outlining logically organizes the data en- 5. Statement of Affairs—this what’s involved. try. You can think of it as having the manual and tutorial built right is the third and last work- 1. Choosing Connection Hard- into the program. sheet where you enter an- ware. You probably already swers to the questions in have much of the connection Main Window Tour the Statement of Affairs. hardware required. Almost all Start by clicking on the [+] to the 6. Current Income— computers come with network left of the Start Here item to Schedule I—the schedule cards these days. They’re now begin. You'll see: appears on your screen and as common as modem cards. you enter your answers line Your main choice will be whether 1. General Information—this by line. you want to have a wired or is nothing more than a help wireless network. Wireless are screen, like the Getting 7. Current Expenses— gaining in popularity for obvious Started screen. It outlines Schedule J—same as reasons: first, you don’t need the data entry process and Schedule I, but for ex- someone to install wires in the provides information about penses this time. walls, and second, you’re not the importance of complet- Our hope is that you’ll have a tied down to a wired location, ing the Voluntary Petition i.e., with a notebook computer first. pretty good feel for using the you can connect from the couch program simply by looking at the 2. Voluntary Petition & Ex- steps outlined in the Main Win- or kitchen table. Once the issue hibits—this step involves dow. of wired vs. wireless is decided, completing the multi-page you’ll want (but not necessarily Voluntary Petition along with Bankruptcy Processing need) a router or switch in order any applicable Exhibits. Send to Word Processor to connect each computers’ network cards to each other and 3. Property & Exemptions— WBank’s ability to send your the Internet. this is where you list the bankruptcy petition, including debtor’s property. Regard- all forms and schedules, to 2. Making the Connection. less of whether the property your word processor as a sin- Once you’ve made the choice is real estate or personal gle, editable document opens required by step 1, it’s time to property, all property is a lot of doors. Reviewing, for- connect all the computers to- listed in one place—the matting, spell-checking, gram- gether. This involves plugging Property Worksheet. You mar checking, printing, emailing, each computer into the connec- will also select your exemp- faxing, making PDF files—it’s all tion hardware (usually that’s the tion information here. The possible from your word proces- router) using a cable (usually a statutory exemption infor- sor. You’re in control at this CAT-5 type). This is hardly any mation is modifiable. point. You can make decisions different or harder than plugging about where answers are placed a phone into the wall jack, in 4. Creditors & Debts—this is and how they are formatted. If fact, the wires look very similar. where you enter all your something needs to be changed, creditor information (name you don’t think about it, you sim- (Continued on page 27) and address, etc.) together (Continued on page 27) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 27 Networking ruptcy Forms Continued (Continued from page 26)

(Continued from page 26) Print-Shop-Perfect Forms 3. Activate File Sharing. The ply do it. This useful feature lets software required to implement you make changes that are not WBank's printed output is un- the network is already part of possible in WBank itself. Using paralleled thanks to new design Windows. All you need to do is Send to Word Processor, not and layout techniques for ren- activate it by: 1) going into Com- only can you modify and format dering the various forms and puter Name/Domain changes your answers, but once the de- schedules. WBank also uses a and giving your computer and sired form is in your word proc- “shrink to fit” feature so that if workgroup names (typically ac- essor, you can change the forms you type more than will fit in a complished by right-clicking the themselves! You can also use particular area of the form, Computer/My Computer icon exotic printing functions, like WBank will reduce the font size and selecting Properties); and printing nonsequential pages, of the text until it fits comfortably. 2) turning on file sharing (by duplex printing, etc. Chapters 7, 11, 12 & 13 clicking the Network item or icon and navigating to File sharing Means Test Forms All chapters use the same basic and printer sharing). Of course WBank includes the set of "Official Bankruptcy 4. Choose the Folders to means test calculation forms, but Forms" and WBank prepares Share. This step is may be the it also includes and integrates all them all. Some offices must buy easiest. Right-click on the folder the extraneous IRS and Census each bankruptcy chapter as a you wish to share and selecting Bureau data that is required to separate module! Share from the context menu. In complete the forms. Don’t for- Forms Included the dialog box select the person get that this information or persons that you wish to changes every six months and All of the "Official Bankruptcy share the folder with. Unless those upgrades are free until Forms" are included from Form 1 security is an issue we usually the release of a new major through Form 23. WBank also share the folder with the group version. There are no annual includes other various commonly called Everyone. At this point, or maintenance fees. used forms. See the product information page of our web at some future time, you may site for a complete list. A fully- want to consider the two types of functioning demo is also avail- sharing that Windows has— able there. simple and advanced. Curiously, we find we have less problems with the advanced method. Look to Windows help for guidance. At this point, if you double-click the Network Computers icon on your desktop, you’ll see all your connected computers. By double-clicking the computer icon you’ll see its shared re- sources. Happily, much of the connectivity occurs automati- cally. In other words, once ypu physically connect the com- puters, established a workgroup, name the computers, and create some “shares,” the rest happens without much coaxing. Page 28 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Management

Law Office Management as payment of the office rent or 5. Includes up to ten optional, Pack—Version 2+ (LOM2) is utilities, etc. Finally, BillB4 pre- user-defined fields; made up of three components: pares monthly/periodic billing. 6. Subtotals any “attached” 1. ClientBase4 (CBase4) Here’s a description of the steps itemized time/service state- 2. BookBase4 (BBase4) that BillB4 performs: ments; 3. BillBase4 (BillB4) 1. Prints personal letterhead at 7. Calculates a balance due;

the top of the page; no pre- Component Overview 8. Posts a new balance for- printed stationery required; ward for next month’s bill, CBase4 is a name and address 2. Balance forward is automati- and database that stores client cally transferred from prior names, addresses, telephone 9. Prints the entire bill and item- month’s bill; numbers and just about any ized time/service statements. other information you choose to 3. Prints client’s full name and If you’d like to see what a simple keep. BBase4 is an income and address positioned for stan- printed bill looks like, visit our expense database that manages dard window envelope; web site where we’ve included law office receipts and disburse- several downloadable PDF files ments (client-related payments 4. Lists client payments and expenses since last bill, i.e., containing screen views and and expenses), and also ex- penses unrelated to clients such filing fees, etc.; sample printed reports. ClientBase

CBase4 is the foundation of the Reciting the lengthy feature set clients in customizable ways. Law Office Management tril- here is impossible. Visit our web Sorting. Standard Windows ogy. There are many name and site for a complete listing of behavior allows you to alphabet- address programs. What sets program features. ize or reverse-alphabetize by CBase4 apart is its relation to List View/Table View. Use one clicking a column header. BBase4 and BillB4. or both windows for viewing Hiding Columns. Too much information? Any of the 16 fields can be hidden. Copy/Paste. A special copy/ paste function works with any other Windows program—except that CBase4 formats as a com- plete mailing address for inser- tion in a letter, etc. Auto-Phone Dialer. “Mr. Smith on line 1.” All you do is pick it up. Labels. Addresses in two stan- dard formats. Fast Find. Zero in on a record in just a few keystrokes. No compli- cated searches or filters. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 29 figuration. Customizable. BBase4 comes BookBase with income and expense cate- gories that are tailored to law offices. BBase4 logs all financial trans- are the gateway to BBase4’s actions regardless of whether extensive exporting capabilities, Fast Find. Zero in on a record in they are client-related. i.e., Excel. Samples at our web just a few keystrokes. site. No Timeslips Complexity. Two Visit the product information windows – the Income Window Check Printing. BBase4 can page of our web site for more for income and receipts; the print checks in a standard con- details about program features. Expense Window for expenses and disbursements. That’s it. Sorting. Both the Income and Expense Window allow you to arrange your transactions on any field by clicking the column title. Hiding Columns. Screen too busy? Hide a column by clicking. Intelliguessing. BBase4 has Quicken-style incremental searching that speeds up data entry considerably. Filters. One of the most power- ful tools. How much money did you make in calendar year 2010 in the area of family law? Filters BillBase

BillB4 is a billing module that file automatically. After that, integrates with CBase4 and you only add new bills to the These itemized statements BBase4 to form an automated monthly set. can be attached to a client’s billing utility. From now on, the monthly statement. Printing/Previewing. One at monthly billing will take only Calendar. BillB4 has a seconds. BillB4 also includes a time or in monthly/periodic sets. greatly enhanced calendar. an itemized statement function You can assign any calendar that lets you prepare and add item a client number so that itemized statements to your the itemized statement can monthly billing statements. It import the time and descrip- also has a Calendar and pro- tion. duces daily/ weekly/monthly printouts. Personalized Billing. Brief memos remind your client Client Histories. Change one about upcoming events or field in the billing record and payment reminders. you can print precise payment Itemized Statements. Not all histories. clients are charged flat fees. Interest. Charging interest on For hourly basis clients, overdue balances adds an Autopilot Billing. Once you there’s an itemized statement incentive to timely payment. set up your monthly billing, function. Items automatically You can do it in one mouse BillB4 creates next month’s arrange chronologically. click. Page 30 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Internet Sleuthing Ohio Business Forms Net Detective claims to access to public records relating to over Ohio Business Forms (OBF) 200 million persons. What kinds can be thought of as the Secre- Professional Corporation: of records? Net Detective says, tary of State’s business forms on criminal records, family histories, steroids. These powerful dupli- 532 Initial Articles of Incorpora- birth, death, social security, cates have two substantial ad- tion adoption, motor vehicle and vantages: 541 Certificate of Amendment more. Interestingly, if you search 1. They eliminate redundant by Shareholders Google, the first thing you’ll no- typing like retyping the name tice is advertisers seemingly 540 Certificate of Amendment of the corporation a dozen dissing Net Detective, i.e. “Net by Directors times per form; and Detective—Rip Off,” and “Net 521 Statutory Agent Update Detective - ‘Warning’ Do not pay for Net Detective …:” 2. They allow for easy changes 522 Continued Existence Cer- and corrections; then press tificate The advertisers profess to be the print button. There’s no consumer organizations, but the 560 Certificate of Dissolution messy whiteout or retyping. sites don’t seem that way. Sur- by Members prisingly, the sites speak favora- OBF includes the following 525 Application for Reinstate- bly of Net Detective. Without forms: ment more it would appear as if Net Detective operates these sites For Profit Corporation: Limited Liability Company: surreptitiously as eye-catchers. 532 Initial Articles of Incorpora- 533 Organization/ It’s doubtful whether a legiti- tion Reorganization mate, independent consumer group would create a title 521 Statutory Agent Update 543 Certificate of Amendment page that contradicted their 540 Certificate of Amendment 521 Statutory Agent Update own content. by Directors 525 Reinstatement We anteed up the $29 cost of a 541 Certificate of Amendment one-year subscription anyway. by Shareholders 562 Certificate of Dissolution Our goal being to determine Limited Liability Company: whether this site was worth any- 561 Certificate of Dissolution thing to law offices. 525 Application for Reinstate- 531 Application for Registra- tion We found that the site performed ment tolerably well at digging up infor- Not For Profit Corporation: 542 Certificate of Amendment mation about people. Names, 521 Statutory Agent Update addresses, names of spouses, 532 Initial Articles of Incorpora- annual income, a lot of stuff. All tion 525 Reinstatement good stuff for law offices inter- 521 Statutory Agent Update 563 Certificate of Cancellation ested in background checking clients, witnesses or opposing 541 Certificate of Amendment Partnerships Having Limited parties. The caveat here is that, by Shareholders Liability obviously, this information can 522 Continued Existence Cer- See our web site for listing of only be used as a starting point tificate included forms. for further investigation. Some of the reported information 560 Certificate of Dissolution Miscellaneous Name Registra- was just plain wrong. However, by Members tion/Trade Mark for $29 per year, it would be 525 Application for Reinstate- See our web site for listing of worth having with those limita- ment included forms. tions stated above. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 31 Ohio Business Dissolution Kit iGoogle? The pundits say that one of the The process of predicting or available on the Internet, but things that propelled Google’s evaluating business failures is remember, OBDK lets you save popularity as a search engine complicated by the myriad con- all these documents in one file was its simplicity. When you tributing factors to be consid- as a set. Furthermore, most of visited Google you were greeted ered. For example, the ratio of the forms complete themselves with an essentially empty web business successes to business significantly reducing your page containing the Google logo failures can vary widely depend- preparation time and eliminating and an empty search box. Not ing on the industry involved. errors. If you're currently using much has changed over the Regardless of the fact that there available Internet forms or your years. The Google home page is exist complex formulas for pre- own word processing templates, essentially the same. dicting the failure rate, years ago OBDK will be a tremendous time Then it happened. It happens to it was said that roughly 6 out of -saver. all mega-corporations. It hap- every 10 business failed in the Word Processor Compatibility pened to Google—the desire to first 5 years. Recent information — One click of the mouse and be all things to all people. Enter from the University of Michigan you're in your word processor iGoogle. iGoogle is the re- estimates that "more than 80 looking at a completed docu- branded personalized homepage percent of new firms in the ment. Not only can you edit your of Google. After signing in with a United States end up failing and answers, but the forms them- Google account, one can cus- about 10 percent of all American selves can be modified! Font, tomize the iGoogle page to show companies fold each year." The character and paragraph format- email, RSS feeds, and other University Record (3/10/08). ting—the only limit is your own tools. It makes a good home- When a business fails, certain word processor's fonts and fea- page and is very flexible. procedures must be followed just tures. IGoogle also gives you the op- like when a business starts. tion of what you would like on Customizable Documents and Small businesses, in particular, your homepage. Setting up an Defaults — Like all our other are notorious for ignoring the IGoogle home page takes less programs, there's a Default file dissolution/cancellation proce- than 30 seconds. Personalized through which you can preset dures and most law offices are weather, sports, music and unchanging information like the familiar with the way the Secre- news. A convenient feature of preparer's name, address, tele- tary of State and the Ohio De- the personalized home pages is phone number, etc. This feature partment of Taxations follows up that if you select music, you’ll get lets you avoid needing to type on businesses that stop filing reminders of all the concerts your office/preparer information their periodically required forms coming to your area as well as over and over again. and returns. tickets sale information. And Network Friendly — OBDK is while you can configure your Ohio Business Dissolution Kit easy to set up for network cen- home page to your liking, you (OBDK) is designed to organize tralization of documents and cannot get localized information, and streamline the process of templates. The two advantages i.e., sports and local news, al- dissolving an Ohio business. of this method are document though, of course, weather is The goal is to maximize your sharing and simplification of the local. In this regard, its not as efficiency by helping you to com- backup process. informative as myYahoo and plete and file the necessary myMSN. In most other regards, forms and notices in a minimum Context-Sensitive Help — these three personalized home amount of time. OBDK does this Press and instantly receive pages are all similar. With all the by assembling all the necessary the related help topic. new and existing Google forms and guiding you through Pop-Up Menus — Right-click to “products,” no one can accuse the dissolution process. access pop-up menus for com- Microsoft of being the only com- It's Not Just The Forms — mon functions, i.e., saving, pre- pany attempting to dominate the Sure, some of these forms are viewing and printing. desktop. Page 32 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Teach Your Parents Well Living Trust & Estate Planner Here’s a tip that slipped past us for years until some hot shot Word for Windows and Word- pensive and complicated pack- college students began working Perfect – Compatibility ages designed to plan the es- for us during the summer. It’s tates of multi-millionaires. If WTrust lets you do all your for- called the mouse wheel. In the you’re looking for trust software matting, previewing and printing beginning there was the mouse for your small- to medium-sized in your word processor. Charac- with a button. Sometime later, a law office that serves ordinary ter formatting (i.e., Old English second button was added so people, you’ll need to look long fonts), special paragraph format- that you had left and right but- and hard. You probably won’t ting, page breaks, and text edit- tons. The left button was for find much! ing in general, including spell most everything, and the right checking and grammar check- Living Trust and Estate Plan- button was for bringing up con- ing, is all a piece of cake when ner for Windows (WTrust) was text menus and other odds and you’re in your word processor’. created to fill the chasm between ends. After that came a third or these two extremes. We think it’s middle mouse button. We can’t Breaking the Code an extraordinary program de- remember what the third mouse signed for ordinary estates. button was for, but whatever it WTrust permits users to go into the program to customize docu- was, it evidently did not catch on Document Wizards because a quick inspection of ments. If, for example, you al- our present day mice discloses ways use special language in You won’t struggle with WTrust. your revocable living trusts, The Document Wizard takes none that have a third button. WTrust gives you access to the you through each document, and Soured and dulled by the largely program templates. By modifying provides examples of the infor- useless third mouse button, we these templates, you can insert mation required. It can also sug- didn’t get too excited or pay your handcrafted clauses into gest answers based on your much attention when the wheels WTrust itself. Thereafter, every worksheet entries. WTrust ana- began to appear on our mice. new document includes your lyzes hundreds of places in the One of the factors operating in language automatically. documents where there are favor of youth is that if you’re old nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc., and Setting the Defaults enough to remember when mice makes sure that every insertion had only one button, you’re Document templates are one is grammatically correct. One of probably old enough to be reti- thing, but there’s also the matter the most common problems with cent when it comes to change of “filling in the blanks.” Much lengthy documents like trusts is and innovation. Consequently, information does not change that law offices have worked with our oldsters needed some prod- from document to document. A them for so long and so often, ding to try and eventually grow typical example may be an attor- the documents are nearly im- fond of it. ney’s name, address and tele- mune to proofreading. Further- more, spelling checkers don’t As a result of this happy ending, phone number. To expedite this know when the word “of” is mis- we’re predicting that the mouse process, we designed WTrust to spelled as the word “or.” Conse- wheel will not go the way of the allow you to set certain default quently, it’s easy for grammatical third button. Once you get used information that is part of the errors to be overlooked when to it, that is recognizing when it document but not part of the preparing these documents. will save time, you won’t want to template. That way you needn’t WTrust solves that problem by use a mouse that doesn’t have a reenter unchanging information. giving you a complete document wheel. We find it most useful The Problem & Solution you can — well, trust. That when you’re in a window, i.e., a saves you from embarrassment long word processing document Living trust software falls into when a client actually reads the or Windows Explorer with more two categories: (1) bargain document at home and finds than a screen full of files, and basement stuff that’s largely useless, and (2) extremely ex- mistakes, however incongruous. (Continued on page 33) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 33 TYPW HUD Forms Continued (Continued from page 32) As you may already know, the  Unlimited tech support. U.S. Department of Housing  Fully interactive and auto- you want to scroll up or down. and Urban Development has It’s unexpectedly easier to sim- matic HUD Forms 1 & 1A. implemented new Settlement ply take your index finger and Statement forms in response to  New set of fields for “paid roll the wheel than it is to (1) roll widespread and well publicized outside closing” costs. the mouse to the side of the abuses in lending practices by window, then (2) position the banks and other financial institu-  Includes and automates IRS cursor over the scroll bar, then tions. The gist of the new forms Form 1099-S. (3) scroll/click your way to the is to add a page that relates to  Prints settlement check(s). desired location, and finally (4) describing differences between roll you mouse back to the start- the institution’s good faith esti-  Versatile printing capabilities ing point to pick up where you mates (GFE) of closing costs that automatically adjust to left off. Even if it saves only a versus the actual closing costs. legal or letter size. couple seconds (and sometimes In addition to underscoring these  Performs tax prorations it’s more than just a couple), we differences, the new GFE form automatically. find we perform this operation also contains a section that noti- many times a day, so it definitely fies the consumer about how the  Prints a tax proration sum- adds up. Heck we’re doing it monthly payment can change (if mary table. right now as we scroll through applicable), what the maximum this article.  Performs all calculations monthly payment may become automatically and instantane- (again, if applicable), and other information that purports to be ously. important to the consumer bor- Have It Your Way—In addition rower. The new forms became to simply printing its form set, effective January 16, 2009. If WHUD lets you send your forms you’d like to see the new forms, to your word processor where here’s the HUD site address: you can review, edit, spell- www.hud.gov/content/releases/ check, grammar-check, print, In Good hud-1.pdf. email, make PDFs, fax, etc. You don’t need any special pa- Program Features Humor per or other supplies to generate In the process of updating print-shop-perfect forms be- Two fathers were discussing WHUD, we developed new cause WHUD is designed to their teenage sons. One asked methods for achieving printed print forms using any printer and the other, “does your boy know output that's "print-shop-perfect" ordinary, blank letter or legal- what he wants to be?” The other and a program interface that's size paper. You can do more father replied, “I don’t think he’s intuitive and scaled for any com- than just modify the completed made up his mind yet, but I’d like puter screen. We've also added forms. You can also open the him to be a lawyer. He’s always a couple of key documents such modifiable form templates to stickin’ his nose in other people’s as IRS Form 1099-S and settle- make permanent program business, so he might as well ment checks in order to make form changes. In addition, get paid for it.” WHUD more productive at clos- WHUD lets you enter text where ings rather than simply filling out amounts are expected without the Settlement Statement. generating an annoying error message. This is handy when  Free, fully-functioning, you want to make notes or com- downloadable demo at ments on the form fields. www.puritas-springs.com. Page 34 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 HULU Web Sites & Related News They claim it’s not an acronym, (at least not one whose meaning would many people use iOf- is being made known to the pub- iOffer.com fer.com to obtain things that lic). What it is is a new online unavailable by any other means. television streaming website. iOffer.com is a recent addition to Here’s a typical example. People And having surveyed and audi- the class of website that give who are interested in particular tioned a handful of similar and members a forum for buying, television shows that are not competing sites we think it’s one selling and trading merchandise, available on DVD. One such of the best. See page 15 of this eBay probably being the most show is Boy Meets World. Many issue for our take on some of the well known. And much like eBay, hardcore fans were s devastated others. you can find most anything on when they heard that after re- iOffer.com. On significant differ- leasing the first thee seasons on If you have a habit of missing ence, however, is degree to DVD, there were no plans to your favorite TV show and want which the buyer must beware: release the remaining seven to catch up, Hulu is the answer. iOffer.com is lacking when it seasons. Enter iOffer.com with This is probably especially true comes to supervision of content vendors offering the entire series of serial programs like Desper- and guarantees of merchantabil- starting at about $25. Malcolm in ate Housewives and Lost. ity. This means illegal copies of the Middle is another popular DVDs and video games, to- With lightening fast loading example. Knowing that these gether with counterfeit designer times, only one commercial per offerings were not legitimate, break, and no subscription fees, items such as clothing, purses authorized, commercially- Hulu is positioned to become a available commodity with some staying releases, we power. were curious about the st Hulu went public on January 1 , quality. With 2009 showing the weeks televi- a minimum of sion highlights. Since that time it investigation we were able to has added full episodes of re- and handbags. track down a purchaser of the cently televised shows. The complete Boy Meets World se- website is easy to use and sepa- iOffer.com is associated with ries. It arrived on eight DVD-R’s rates the shows by genre. PayPal so one would tend to painted with the Boy Meets You may have seen Hulu’s pe- think that buyers would be af- World logo each appropriately culiar marketing campaign— forded the same safeguards they labeled and numbered. The (Seth McFarlane (creator of get when they make purchases quality was that of an old televi- Family Guy) & Alex Baldwin on eBay. Unfortunately, that is sion broadcast. Overall the acting as Aliens) stating that not so. iOffer.com/PayPal pur- buyer was pleased with his pur- Hulu is another way to rot your chases are not “insured” as they chase especially in light of the brain. are on eBay when you use Pay- fact that the cost of all seasons Pal. Neither will iOffer.com get was equal to or less than the st As of April 1 , 2009 Hulu has involved in disputes. So, if you cost of one season when pur- incorporated full length movies buy broken or misrepresented chased at Best Buy. to the website (adding one per merchandise you’re out of luck. week) , including such films as All sales are final. Caveat emp- Based on the lack of consumer Revenge of the Nerds and Stal- tor. safeguards and the questionable lone’s Cliffhanger. legality we can’t really recom- Visiting iOffer.com you will im- mend this site except as a last mediately see it’s appeal to resort to purchase items that are those interested in skirting legal not legitimately available through restrictions such as copyright standard commercial channels. protection. Consequently, it Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 35 Free Web-Based Email Comparison At A Glance

Features

Maximum outgoing 100 500 250 250 messages per day Automatic junk filter Yes Yes Yes Yes User managed junk Yes Yes No No mail list Saves draft emails Yes Yes No Yes Can add email Yes Yes Yes Yes account to Outlook Authorized for Yes No No Yes online gaming Online support Yes Yes Yes Yes Telephone support Yes Yes No No Email to phone w/o Yes No Yes Yes download Custom signature Yes No Yes Yes Time required to 3 mins 4 mins 8 mins 7 mins set up new account Size allowed 5 GB 3 GB 2.5 GB 1 GB Size upgrade avail- $19.99/yr for 30 GB No No $20/yr for 30 GB able Simple page, ease Customizable, good of use, largest Best Features memory size, addi- Ease of use memory size, cus- tion to junk tom signature Poor customer Very cluttered, low support, page is memory, gives to Worst Features cluttered, difficult to much useless infor- get used to page mation, few options setup in basic package

Page 36 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2

Not Guilty In Good A courtroom cough nearly sent an innocent man to prison in Here’s one that’s been circulat- But, if they subtracted that from Wales because the judge mis- ing on the Internet. It had a sig- everybody's share, then the fifth heard the verdict. nature of sorts when we came man and the sixth man would across it although we were un- each end up being paid to drink In 1999, Alan Rashid, 32, was able to verify the authenticity of his beer. being tried with making a deadly the source. We are publishing it threat. As the foreman of the jury So, the bar owner suggested for what we perceive as it’s hu- at Cardiff Crown Court rose to that it would be fair to reduce morous content and we do not deliver a “not guilty” verdict, a each man's bill by roughly the endorse it from political, legal or fellow juror cleared his throat. same amount, and he pro- tax standpoint. So lighten up! ceeded to work out the amounts Judge Michael Gibbon clearly The Tax System— each should pay. heard “guilty” but the “not” was Explained With Beer obscured by the cough, so he And so: sentenced Rashid to two years Suppose that every day, ten The fifth man, like the first four, in prison. As Rashid was es- men go out for beer and the bill now paid nothing (100% sav- corted to his cell to begin his for all ten comes to $100. If they ings). sentence, a confused juror paid their bill the way we pay our The sixth now paid $2 instead of asked the bailiff why the defen- taxes, it would go something like $3 (33% savings). dant had been jailed after being this: The seventh now paid $5 in- found not guilty. The first four men (the poorest) stead of $7 (28% savings). Until the juror spoke up, his col- would pay nothing. The eighth now paid $9 instead leagues had though Rashid was The fifth would pay $1. of $12 (25% savings). being sentenced for another The sixth would pay $3. The ninth now paid $14 instead crime. The attorneys and the The seventh would pay $7. of $18 (22% savings). judge then huddled with the The eighth would pay $12. The tenth now paid $49 instead court reporter to correct the in- The ninth would pay $18. of $59 (16% savings). justice. The tenth man (the richest) Each of the six was better off would pay $59. In a case believed to be the first than before And the first four of its kind in Britain, Rashid was The ten men drank in the bar continued to drink for free. But, led back to the dock and told by every day and seemed quite once outside the restaurant, the Judge Gibbon he was free to go. happy with the arrangement, men began to compare their until one day, the owner threw savings. —————————————— them a curve.'Since you are all 'I only got a dollar out of the In a 1985 criminal trial, Michael such good customers, he $20', declared the sixth man. He Blackwell, of Bridgeport, Con- said,'I'm going to reduce the cost pointed to the tenth man, 'but he necticut, represented himself. At of your daily beer by $20. Drinks got $10!' the end of the two-day trial, he for the ten now cost just $80. was found guilty of two counts of 'Yeah, that's right', exclaimed the The group still wanted to pay attempted robbery by a jury that fifth man.' I only saved a dollar, their bill the way we pay our took less than one hour to delib- too. It's unfair that he got ten taxes so the first four men were erate. times more than I!' unaffected. They would still drink As soon as the verdict was read, for free. But what about the other 'That's true!!' shouted the sev- Blackwell told the judge he six men - the paying customers? enth man.'Why should he get planned to appeal. When the How could they divide the $20 $10 back when I got only two? judge asked him on what windfall so that everyone would The wealthy get all the breaks!' grounds, Blackwell replied, “I get his 'fair share?' They realized 'Wait a minute,' yelled the first had an incompetent defense.” that $20 divided by six is $3.33. (Continued on page 37) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 37 A Tapestry Humor of Justice Circuit Judge Ralph Anderson, punishment for anyone. of South Carolina, showed his (Continued from page 36) F. Lee Bailey love for words was as great as four men in unison.' We didn't American Lawyer his love for the law. In a ruling get anything at all. The system that left lawyers scrambling for A woman has a much better exploits the poor!' their dictionaries, he wrote in chance than a man of acquittal part: The nine men surrounded the on a murder charge …. If she tenth and beat him up. happens to be a blonde, her “The evidentiary record consist- chances are about 45 percent. ing of a four (4) day trial is gar- The next night the tenth man John McGeorge gantuan, elephantine, and Brob- didn't show up for drinks, so the Australian Psychiatrist dingnagian …. It would be hebe- nine sat down and had beers tudinous and obtuse to fail to be without him. But when it came When you believe someone is cognizant of the adverse conse- time to pay the bill, they discov- truly innocent, then the job of quences of a ruling in this case. ered something important. They defending them becomes more However a decision by the court didn't have enough money be- difficult because you know that should not be infected with pusil- tween all of them for even half of you are the only thing between lanimity and timidity. The karma the bill! them and the jail house door. of this case must not be aleatory Rikki Klieman And that, boys and girls , journal- or adventitious, but a pellucid American Lawyer ists and college professors, is and transpicuous analysis of the how our tax system works. The As attorneys, we operate in a law and facts …. With certitude people who pay the highest legal system where our stated and intrepidity and hopefully, taxes get the most benefit from a purpose is to achieve justice for with some degree of sagacity, tax reduction. Tax them too our clients. My clients, however, sapience, and persipicacious- much, attack them for being prefer victories over justice. ness, this court disposes of the wealthy, and they just may not Danny Mauasa relevant and germane issues. show up anymore. In fact, they American Lawyer “Autochthonously, this court might start drinking overseas During a 1989 case in municipal bifurcates the issues for deci- where the atmosphere is some- court in Middletown, Ohio, a sional purposes. The primigenial what friendlier. lawyer asked the presiding judge issue is whether a new trial David R. Kamerschen, PhD to be excused from representing should be granted. The court Professor of Economics his client. The judge scanned the comes to this infrangible, ineluc- University of Georgia courtroom looking for a suitable table, and adamantine conclu- replacement, but before he could sion that defendant’s motion for They Really Said That About find one, the defendant stood up a new trial absolutely must be Clients? and said, “That’s all right, Judge, denied. The French phrase ‘pas There is never a deed so foul I won’t be needing another law- du tout’ is applied in rejecting the that something couldn’t be said yer. I’ve decided to tell the truth.” defendant’s argument …. I find for the guy; that’s why there are defendant’s degree of culpability While working as a court- lawyers. to be magnitudinous and appointed attorney in Fulton Marvin Belli megatherine.” County, Georgia, in 1991, Emory American Lawyer Potter was assigned a client who I get paid for seeing that my was accused of criminal tres- clients have every break the law pass. During the pre-trial confer- allow. I have knowingly de- ence, Potter asked him if he had fended a number of guilty men. any prior convictions. “Yes, sir,” But the guilty never escape un- the defendant admitted, lowering scathed. My fees are sufficient his eyes. “I’ve got quite a few.” Page 38 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 MSConfig On Steroids To: Technical Savvy users have long known that the msconfig.exe com- C:\Windows\Profiles\ …. In mand allowed them to peek at Location, Location, Location Windows 2000 and Windows XP the Windows configuration pa- it became C:\Documents and rameters for troubleshooting and Our office noticed that client files Settings\UserName\.... Aside problem solving. In April of 2009, are no longer stored in the Pro- from the fact that it’s different two Microsoft technicians, Mark gram Files folder any more. Is from Windows 98, using Russinovich and Bryce this a mistake? Why are the “Documents and Settings” in a Cogswell, published a free utility client files now stored in two path can only be considered a that takes configuration detec- different places? bone-headed that required using tion to a new level. In their own ANSWER: About 10 years ago, a path which now has over 20 words: it was not uncommon (indeed, it extra characters in it, and also with respect to applications that This utility, which has the most seemed natural) to store a pro- gram’s data with the program. had limitations on the length of comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft’s recommended place file names or file paths (as the auto-starting locations of any for program installation was the Borland Database Engine had). startup monitor, shows you Program Files folder. The sug- All hope for the LocalAppData- what programs are configured gested protocol was Program Folder was lost when Microsoft to run during system bootup or Files/Company Name/Program released Windows Vista. You login, and shows you the en- Name. As a result many soft- guessed it, they dumped Docu- tries in the order Windows ware companies, ours included, ments and Settings and opted processes them. These pro- stored their client files along with for C:\Users\UserName …. grams include ones in your the program in the Program While all this migration was go- startup folder, Run, Files folder. ing on at the data end, succes- RunOnce, and other Registry This was done in spite of the fact sive versions of Windows made keys. You can configure Auto- that Microsoft wanted you to split it increasingly hard to use the runs to show other locations, the data from the application. In Program Files folder for any- including Explorer shell exten- fact they created a separate thing but a program executable sions, toolbars, browser designated place for data—a and associated files—essentially helper objects, Winlogon noti- Windows environmental variable not permitting write operations. fications, auto-start services, (LocalAppDataFolder) was In that context, we came full and much more. Autoruns defined to refer to that location. goes way beyond the MSCon- circle and decided to go back to While Microsoft’s recommenda- the DOS days and create a fig utility bundled with Win- tion may have been sound in shareable Puritas folder on the dows Me and XP. theory, they foundered in a few C drive. So far the idea has been ways. First, with every succes- If you use the Hide Signed Mi- a success on two planes. First, sive version of Windows, they crosoft Entries option, you can we’re no longer using the Pro- put their recommended applica- easily zoom in on the third-party gram Files folder. Second, tion data folder by default in a we’ve got a consistent location startups that are often the different location. Worse still, the source of the problem you’re for application data (i.e., your default location could even differ client files) regardless of the trying to solve. After all, if it’s in the same version of Windows. signed by Microsoft, it should Windows version or user. Can Just to complicate matters fur- you beat that? We’re actually work properly, no? We hope ther, there were two types of that’s true most of the time any- handling client file storage the application data locations—one way we did in the 1980’s. The way. Autoruns also has a com- for each user and one for all only thing left to wonder is where mand line version that you can users. Microsoft will put the application run from the Windows C prompt. In Windows 98, for example, it data folder when Windows 7 is It’s called autorunsc. Pretty was something like released. darn good stuff for the price. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 39 Support Get Shorty When you’re working with pro- format that our Puritas Springs grams that use the Borland Da- Win2000 Access Violation Software programs use for cre- tabase Engine (BDE), remember ating screen displays and printed that the BDE is a legacy applica- I get an Access Violation when output. tion. That means that it has not I try to run one of your programs been updated as newer versions Like most software, Windows, as on my Windows 2000 computer. of Windows were released. So, if we all know, is updated periodi- It works on other computers in you’re using Timeslips, Corel cally in response to problems the office, but not on the Win- Office Suite, WordPerfect, or any and/or user requests. During the dows 2000 computer. What’s of our programs that still use the period of MSFTEDIT’s exis- wrong? BDE, you’ll want to keep a few tence, it too has undergone simple points in mind. ANSWER: It’s hard to believe some changes over the years. one of our favorite operating Here’s our personal and unoffi- First, keep your file names as systems is almost 10 years old. cial transcript of the revisions short as possible. When we’re Wow! Although this doesn’t dating back to 2002: doing remote assistance, we seem to occur on all Windows sometimes see file names like Version Date 2000 installations, we have “Washington, George, Estate heard of this problem before. 5.41.13.2200 10/1/2002 Tax Return of.ET6.” Ask whether When we think about it, you’d 5.41.15.1509 8/4/2004 the 44 character name is neces- have to dig pretty deep to come 5.41.15.1514 11/27/2006 sary. Wouldn’t “Washington, up with some computer problem 5.41.21.2507 9/4/2007 George.ET6” do just as well? we haven’t heard of before. 5.41.21.2508 1/19/2008 Since the file is a product of the estate tax program, it’s redun- The issue you are having is re- With this more-than-you-wanted lated to the fact that most of our dant to repeat “Estate Tax Re- to know preface, here’s what’s turn” in each name. More typing. programs use a Microsoft dy- happening with your Win2000 More potential for errors. More namic link library (DLL) module machine. We’ve encountered called MSFTEDIT.DLL. In fact, opportunity for problems. Law two variations of the theme. offices already deal with enough sometimes the access violation One, your system does not have problems, there’s little reason to error message you get will ex- the MSFTEDIT.DLL module at pressly refer to the MSFTEDIT add more to the mix. Remember, all (you could search your hard module. In some cases, the it’s easier and less stressful to drive to check); or, two, you work on other people’s problems access violation error will occur have an old module (we want than your own. only when you try to print, again you to have the 2006 version or referring to the MSFTEDIT.DLL later). You’ll usually find the file It’s our understanding that Bor- file. in the C:\WinNT\ System32 land stopped supporting the The module in question is a folder (at least that’s where it is BDE sometime around 2001. standard core Windows compo- on our Win2000 machine). When we looked at the informa- tion available at their web site, nent that is used to display files In either case, you may not have most all of the files carried crea- in a word processing context. been upgrading Win2000 along Wordpad, for example, uses the tion dates in the 1990s. the way and that’s why your module to display the contents of system is out of step. If you find All that being said, don’t push loaded files. In particular, the that you don’t have the file, the the panic button. The BDE didn’t MSFTEDIT.DLL module is used best way to get it is to find it on get to be the foundation of so to display rich text format (RTF) one of your other computers and much mainstream software by files. The RTF standard was copy it to the Win2000 machine, accident. It earned its place. introduced years ago by Micro- making sure to put in in the Sys- After all, Timeslips and Word- soft (probably in response to the tem32 folder. That should solve Perfect still use it. You simply widespread acceptance of your problem. need to be aware of it’s limita- Adobe’s PDF files) and it’s the tions. Page 40 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Database History From: Technical As the sun sets on the Borland Database Engine, here’s a rela- By the way if you don’t know tively complete list of the default The Virtual Store where to go to deal with hidden databases for programs as of folders, see the gray bar on We devoted a whole page to a page 43 of this issue. Spring 2009. Note that, due to phenomenon Windows Vista space constraints, we’re using calls virtualization. Law Office Here’s where BDE behavior can “C:\PF\P” as an abbreviated path Management, Volume 2009, No. get confusing. Depending on the list in place of “C:\Program 1, Page 30. We won’t repeat that user classification during instal- Files\Puritas.” same information here, but we lation (noting also that a user do want to clarify how virtualiza- may choose Run as adminis- Cuyahoga Co. Probate Forms tion impacts the Borland Data- trator when they install), the CUYASS base Engine (BDE). BDE will updates its database C:\PF\P\Cuyahoga\Files\Assets information in different configura- The problems with virtualization tion files. Not a good thing. CUYEXP start with the fact that the BDE C:\PF\P\Cuyahoga\Files\Expenses stores its configuration file in the We’ve found a decent way to CUYKIN Program Files folder by default. combat this situation. Whenever we do anything that involves C:\PF\P\Cuyahoga\Files\Kin That means Vista is going to redirect configuration file saves configuring the BDE, i.e., install- CUYTIME to the Virtual Store. Where’s the ing a new program or upgrade, C:\PF\P\Cuyahoga\Files\Time Virtual Store? Well, in that prior or manually modifying the con- issue we told you it was figuration file, we look at both Ohio Estate Tax Version 7+ [LocalDataAppsFolder]\Virtual configuration files (usually the ET7ASS Store. But where’s that? Unfor- one in Program Files … and the C:\PF\P\WOET7\Files\KAsstDebt tunately, that’s Microsoft’s way one in the Virtual Store) and ET7COT of saying that it could be in dif- compare the modification times C:\PF\P\WOET7\Files\Cotenant ferent places on different ma- and dates. Then, we take the chines, or in several places on most recent one (whichever one Franklin Co. Probate Forms the same machine used by dif- that is) and copy it to the other F06ASS ferent users. Here’s an example location so we’ve got the exact C:\PF\P\Frank06\Files\Assets for user “Ernie:” same file in both locations. This solves BDE problems most F06EXP C:\Users\Ernie\AppData\Local\ of the time, but not always. C:\PF\P\Frank06\Files\Expenses Virtual Store Programs that save client data F06KIN Once inside the Virtual Store, files in the Program Files folder C:\PF\P\Frank06\Files\Kin you can follow the path as you work best when we relocate the normally would on the C drive, client data (typically in a sub- F06TIME i.e., Virtual Store\Program C:\PF\P\Frank06\Files\Time folder of the program folder Files\Common Files\Borland called Files) to a new, common, Family Law Practitioners App Shared\BDE. shared location, i.e., C:\Puritas, FLPASS Not complicated enough yet? and repoint the BDE databases C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Assets Sadly, there’s more. Vista is to the new location. FLPDEB configure to hide certain folders If you’re unsure how to do this, and AppData is one of them. So C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Debts it’s well worth the nominal fee to unless you know how to go into have us do it for you in a remote FLPDEF the Folder Options dialog and assistance session. Call us if C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Defendant unhide hidden folders, you won’t you have any questions or wish be able to find the Virtual Store to make a remote assistance FLPEXP even if you know where it is. C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Expenses appointment. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 41 Support FLPINC Technical Support & Back PDF files as well as the web C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Income Issues pages themselves. For that rea- son we pretty much scuttled our FLPKIN We’re flattered by the telephone Technical Support web pages C:\PF\P\FLPA\Files\Kin calls we regularly receive re- in favor of being able to search questing back issues of our cata- Ohio Guardianship Forms—V. 3+ through the entire collection of log. Unfortunately, the situation back issues. It’s substantially GD3ASS with our catalogs is we have only more thorough than the old way 30,000 or so printed. Over a C:\PF\P\WOGF3\Files\Assets of doing things. If, for example, period of several months to a you received a 1313 or 1315 GD3EXP year, we distribute them to our error message from WBOPF45, C:\PF\P\WOGF3\Files\Expenses customers, include them with you could search 1313 and orders, and mail them to our non GD3TIME come up with an article about -customer attorney mailing list. C:\PF\P\WOGF3\Files\Time the problem and the fix. As a When they're gone, they’re rule however, don’t expect to U.S. Estate Tax—2008 gone. We sometimes run out of look up error numbers. Al- catalogs even before we’ve cy- W706_08AE though there’s a ton of technical cled through our complete list of C:\PF\P\W706_08\Files\AsstDebt support information out there, Ohio attorneys. little of it (excepting the W706_08BENE There’s not much we can do to 1313/1315 error in our example) C:\PF\P\W706_08\Files\Beneficiary avoid running out of catalogs, is referenced to error numbers. but there was something we U.S. Gift Tax—2008 I Can’t See My Answers could do to satisfy the requests W709_08AE for back issues. We took the We’ve had this question in two C:\PF\P\W709_08\Files\ printer images of every catalog flavors. The less common is the we could lay our hands on and user that customizes their win- Official Bankruptcy Forms—V6 made pdf files of them that we dow background color (to red or WB6_AFFR then posted on our web site. pink for example) and then com- C:\PF\P\WBank6\Files\Affairs plains that they can’t see certain Here’s how you can find them. text (usually overrides). Yeah, WB6_CRED Go to our web site you guessed it, red text on a red C:\PF\P\WBank6\Files\Creditor (www.puritas-springs.com) or pink background is tough, if and click on the Back Issues not impossible, to make out. If WB6_EXE button (a newly installed button/ there are things it’s wise not to C:\PF\P\WBank6\Files\Exemptions link at the top of every page of customize in Windows, back- our web site). Clicking the button WB6_PROP ground window colors are one of will take you to an index of all C:\PF\P\WBank6\Files\Creditor them. the available back issues. We’ve Basic Ohio Probate Forms—V5 got 13 of them dating back to More commonly, the “I can’t see 1998. Click on any of the issues my answers” complaint is heard WB5ASS and that should bring up a full- from a user in one of the data- C:\PF\P\WBOPF5\Files\Assets color PDF of that issue in your base worksheets. They enter WB5EXP browser or PDF reader. their information and when they tab off the field, the answer dis- C:\PF\P\WBOPF5\Files\Expenses One other thing to note about appears. When they tab back to the back issues is that we’ve WB5KIN that field, it reappears. The prob- installed a new search box at the C:\PF\P\WBOPF5\Files\Kin lem is that the field width has top left of every page. Unlike our been set too narrow. By going to WB5TIME previous search box, this one the column’s title bar and widen- C:\PF\P\WBOPF5\Files\Time searches the contents of the ing the field, all will be well. Page 42 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Windows Live? The ? Page Microsoft describes Windows Live as “a collection of programs Deleting your search query Internet Explorer: Click on the and services that work together history Tools menu and click on Delete so you can get beyond the com- Browsing History …. You can Is it possible to delete search- puter and focus on what’s impor- also go to the Delete Browsing engine queries (for example, tant: your life.” History dialog by clicking on the in Google, Ask.com, or Ask Tools menu, selecting Internet If you’re confused by what this Jeeves)? Options, and on the General really means, you’re not alone. ANSWER: The way you delete tab, click on the Delete button in We don’t understand it very well Search Engine inquiries, first of the Browsing History section. either. As lawyers, we’re trained all, depends on the type of Regardless of how you get to recognize what African hunt- browser you use. Although years there, once you’re in the Delete ers sometimes refer to as spoor. ago, the were a bunch of brows- Browsing History dialog click In fact, we’ve developed a sim- ers in use, nowadays, for the on the Delete Form button in the ple rule about these sorts of most part users have chosen Form data section. Note that things: if we give something our either Internet Explorer or Fire- there may also be a Tools but- full attention and after a reason- fox. The way to delete your ton that gives you access to the able time we don’t understand search queries depends on Internet Options dialog. what we’re reading or hearing, which of the two you use. it’s probably because (1) the As a final note, we noticed with explanation is unclear, or (2) the Firefox: Click on the Tools menu Internet Explorer (but were un- writer/speaker doesn’t know and select Options. In the Op- able to verify in Firefox) that the what they’re talking about. tions dialog, choose the Privacy technique described above did That’s approximately the situa- tion with Windows Live. And the definition “Windows Live helps people stay in touch and keep their online lives organized in one place” doesn’t help much. Because of the confusion, we rolled up our sleeves and de- cided to dig a bit to see if this much ballyhooed Windows Live has anything to offer law offices. We learned that Windows Live is a collection of web services related to email, contacts, mes- saging, photos, calendar, and more. Of course we can’t speak for everyone but as far as email, tab. Click on the Settings button not work for the Google search contacts, and calendar are con- under Private Data. Make sure box if you’re using the Google cerned, Outlook does pretty that the “Saved Form and tool bar. Isn’t everyone these much everything we need and Search History” parameter is days? If you are too, here’s what plenty more than that. checked, then click the Ok but- you can do. Right-click on the Microsoft’s perspective on all ton. Now you can clear your Google Search button and se- this is “I don’t know about you, search history by clicking on the lect Search Options. In the but I find it tough to stay up-to- Clear Now button under Private resulting Toolbar Options dia- Data. (Continued on page 46) (Continued on page 43) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 43 Look Thru The ? Page Any Window From a technical support stand- moved from your computer for point it seems the disadvantages (Continued from page 42) security reasons. of hiding files and folders out- log, make sure you’re on the weigh the advantages. Here’s Therefore, if you’re investigating Search page and uncheck the the steps for opening windows computer problems that you’re box labeled Store search his- (so to speak). having, or have a suspicion that tory on my computer. you’re infected with a virus, re- 1. Open Windows Explorer. Two Final Note. There’s a ton of moving ad2krepi.dll is probably quick ways of doing this are legitimate reasons for wanting to not the solution. right-clicking the Start button clear your search history, and and choosing Explore ..., or In spite of the foregoing, you’ll most have to do with privacy. going to Computer (aka My find a dozen or more software This is particularly true in law Computer) and double- products (and they’re not free) offices that are dealing with the clicking the C drive. offering to “clean” or “delete” it— private and confidential informa- in the name of security of 2. Play more hide and seek by tion of their clients. It doesn’t, as course. When you think about it, holding the key down so some think, mean a person has the very fact that the dll is au- you can make visible the hid- something to hide or has done thored by Adobe Systems, Inc. den tool bar. Then on the something improper. makes the dll less suspect. Re- Tools menu select Folder Fixes for problems that don’t member, this is the same Adobe Options. exist whose portable document format 3. Go to the View tab of the has become a standard for I recently had occasion to Folder Options dialog and in document transmission by the inquire about a process on my the Advanced Settings area, United States and most state computer called ad2krepi.dll. check and uncheck the follow- and local governments (we’re Is this a virus? What do I need ing checkboxes: still trying to find out if this a to do about this? cause for exculpation or accusa-  Check Show hidden files ANSWER: Probably nothing. If tion). and folders you search this dll on In conclusion, if you’re looking to www.processlibrary.com you’ll  Uncheck Hide extensions for solve some computer problem find that it is a file used by an known file types that you’re having, you probably Adobe plug-in. Although it is still need to look elsewhere. The flip  Uncheck Hide protected being researched—for about a side of the coin is that if you’re operating system files year now—nothing negative has having computer problems we’ve been discovered about it. We confess that we may have found that the best policy is to overdone our advice a bit here. It Your question is bringing to light begin reducing the number of may suffice to simply Show a questionable cottage industry applications and processes that hidden files and folders, but that has sprung up on the Inter- are continually running in the we tweak all three of these pa- net. It preys on a user’s lack of background. It’s similar to the old rameters on every machine knowledge about the dozens of motto related to machinery that we’ve got. Extension hiding, in processes that run in Windows. those with the least moving parts particular, seems pointless from A first step in your investigation have the least problems. So, just the standpoint that if you need to may be visiting Process Library to confuse you, it may be best to delete a file, for example, and to see what’s known about the get rid of it not because it’s a there’s several files with the process. In the case of ad2k- security threat or virus, but be- same name and different exten- repi.dll, you’d learn that the au- cause you’re trying to reduce the sions (a not uncommon occur- thor is Adobe Systems, Inc. and number of “moving parts” in an rence), then you’ll know which that there is no recommendation effort to make your computer run one to delete. Or, stated another from that web site that it be re- quicker, leaner and trouble free. way, you won’t accidentally de- lete the wrong file. Page 44 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Regarding Upgrades Inbox Gentlemen: I have been a cus- tomer for years and have been now you can use “v” or “vs” be- very satisfied with your bank- A Simpler Way tween the names. WROCSG6 ruptcy program. I received your parses the names on page 1 and letter and an enclosing a photo- First let me say that I love the places each name in the appro- copy for your reference. I am new edition of the child support priate field at the top of page 2. also enclosing my original pro- software. Even with the law The individual names at the gram disc for Official Bank- changes, it is by far the easiest top of page 2 populate the rest ruptcy Forms (WBank6) - Ver- product for any Ohio domestic of the pages. Your workaround sion 6.27. Please send me the relations attorney to use. I have certainly demonstrates that free upgrade Version 6.36. I a question though. When I type there’s more than one way to do appreciate your cooperation and the parties’ names on page one, what you want, but we’re think- understanding in this matter. If they both appear in the header ing you went through too many you have any questions, or need as “father” on all subsequent steps. By simply overriding the any further information, please pages. To circumvent this, I names on page 2, all the other do not hesitate to contact me. have been typing only the fa- pages would should receive the ther’s name on page 1, then corrected page 2 information. David E. Gebhart using override to get the So, you were right, there was an Cincinnati, Ohio mother’s name onto her line in easier way. Of course, now even the header on pages 2 through Answer: We’re proud to say that that’s not necessary because the we’re aware you've been a cus- 6. I print all 6 pages and then program has been amended to insert the mother’s name on tomer for years. Big corporations account for the way you had know their customers by num- page 1, then print page 1 again. entered the parties’ names. ber. Happily, we’re not like that. I’m not a software guy, but there has to be a simpler way. There’s A Little Help From Our Friends We’re a small company and even though we have a cus- probably something very simple Thank you so much for helping that I’m not doing right. What is tomer database that includes me install WBOPF5, WOET7, thousands of offices, we know it? W706_08 and W709_08 last most of them by name. Many of Mike Daugherty week. I believe we are now up our customers as for someone Wilmington, Ohio and running. here by name. That’s because After our telephone call I went when you’re small, you know Answer: Mr. Daugherty, your back and reviewed the installa- your customers and your cus- instincts are excellent. There is a tion instructions for all four pro- tomers know you. We think simpler way. Before we explain, grams. Not one of them said “If that’s a good thing. let’s describe how WROCSG6 works. When you put the names you are a Windows Vista user, We’re processing your free up- in the Name of Parties field on you must hold down the Shift grade immediately in order to get page 1, it attempts to intelligently Key as you insert the disk and it back in the mail to you the parse the names to derive the hold it down for 10 to 15 sec- same day. Don’t forget, how- father’s and mother’s name. onds to prevent the automatic ever, that most offices use the What seems simple at first blush installation.” I believe that if you Help|Download Upgrade fea- can get complicated when one add such a statement to your ture to get their program revi- considers the different ways and installation instructions, many sions right away. If you have punctuation variations involved hours of your tech time and problems or questions about it, in entering two names. We many hours of your customer’s we’ve put a new, step-by-step thought we had it all covered, time and distress will be saved. article at the bottom of the Cur- but your use of “v,” for versus Again, thank you for your help. rent Versions page of our web threw us. We should have antici- site that you may find helpful. pated that one. As you already Marvin E. Keller However, if you prefer using the know, we made a quick altera- Perrysburg, Ohio U.S. Mail, just keep doing that. tion to the parsing algorithm and (Continued on page 45) Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office Computing Page 45 MA vs. Inbox WROCSG Some time ago I purchased the program is, how it works, etc. Ohio Spousal Support Calcu- (Continued from page 44) Will running the installers for lator (MA) and, also Version 5 of Answer: We were glad to help. each of these programs upgrade the child support program As more and more issues came currently installed versions on a (WROCSG5). I need the new to light with Vista we did exactly given PC? Also, are files saved child support worksheet for a as you advised. We went back locally and will files from a previ- new case. What I am not clear through all our EZ-Start guides ous version be accessible by the about is whether I need to order and PDF manuals and modified new version? Version 6 of the child support them to include Vista-specific program (WROCSG6) or if there Answer: For detailed descrip- instructions. We couldn’t agree is an upgrade to MA. tions of our programs, use the more that saving your time and Product Information buttons Also, you have probably re- our time at the same time is a along the right of our Home ceived feedback on this before, win/win situation. page. As far as upgrades are but I have no problems using We may need to go over them concerned, with legal and tax your program on my Mac run- again because your letter called programs, the word “upgrade” is ning Parallels. something to our attention that used a bit differently than other Barry L. Smith we omitted by mistakenly as- software. We like to use Turbo Jackson, Ohio suming it was common knowl- Tax as an example. Shortly after edge. When users were in- the release of the 2009 version, Answer: You need to update the structed to “defeat” autostart, it’s Intuit begins to issue updates for child support program because a native Windows behavior to that product. These “upgrades” there were significant changes in recognize that if you hold the are essentially fixes to the 2009 the support calculation that be- key down while the CD is version. The following year, Intuit came effective after July 21, being inserted, it will not will release the 2010 version. It 2008. We think you probably autostart. We should have too can be considered an up- already knew that; it seems the known that while it is a common date, but it is really a “new” pro- gist of your question is whether Windows behavior, the tech- gram that will not replace the you need to upgrade if you al- nique is not well known to users. 2009 version. Our Puritas ready have MA because it has Therefore, it would be beneficial Springs upgrades are similar. its own child support calculator. to include same in the instruc- Tax and probate forms are typi- Again, the answer is yes. The tions. Thank you for calling that cally based on a calendar year difference is substantial. The to our attention. or a date of death and therefore child support program allows you upgrades are handled like we to obtain an answer with a mini- In the near future we hope to described. As far as data migra- mum of data entry. It’s the pro- make the whole issue of Vista- tion from one version to another, gram courts use. MA crunches specific instructions moot, by because people only die once, the same numbers, but requires removing the Borland Database we usually do not build that type a considerable amount of data Engine from our products just as of backward compatibility into entry. Here’s an example, with quickly as we can. There’s more the death/death tax programs. WROCSG, you enter the em- on this in this issue on the Tech- ployment income as one num- nical Support pages. Reply to Answer: You spoke to ber. With MA, because there a me on these points via tele- What Can We Say? different considerations, you phone. You were very helpful must enter all the paystub infor- My organization is currently do- and informative. I just wish other mation, i.e. federal, state and ing some work for a law firm in software packages were as easy local withholding, social security, East Liverpool. They use your to implement as yours. Thanks medicare, etc. You’re doing this software and have purchased a again! additional entry because MA is new version they need installed Jon Baker doing a lot more than just calcu- on their workstations. I’d like a Computer Technician lating child support. general description of what each Page 46 www.puritas-springs.com Volume 2009, No 2 Windows Live Con’t. Product Upgrades (Continued from page 42) We no longer print version infor- HOW TO CHECK WHAT VER- date on all the people I know. mation in this newsletter, be- SION YOU HAVE With e-mail, IM, text messages cause by the time we reach the Naturally, we maintain purchase and social networking sites, it end of the mailing cycle most of and some related customer in- feels like there are just too many the version information is no formation in our database, but places to check and see what longer current. For that and we cannot easily tell you what my friends and family are up to.” other reasons we’ve discontin- subversion you have (the part of ued listing current version infor- Perhaps we just don’t get around the version number to the right mation in the catalog in favor of much and maybe we don’t have of the decimal). The best way to devoting a page of our web site enough family and friends, but determine your exact version is to that information. The web this seems to us like a solution to start the program, click on the page is superior in two ways. to a problem that doesn’t exist. Help menu and select the About First, we can and do update it on command. The version number Microsoft’s attempt to bring a weekly basis. Second, web appears somewhere in that dia- these things under their domain pages don’t carry the size limita- log, usually at the top. This seems ill-motivated. For in- tions of paper; therefore, we can works with almost all Windows stance, creating a profile page include more relevant informa- programs. on Windows Live is about the tion. same as establishing a Face- UPGRADING FOR DUMMIES HOW TO DETERMINE THE book account (minus the friends CURRENT VERSION If you need specific, step-by-step and blogging, etc.). But there upgrading instructions, we’ve got already is a Facebook that been We refer to the latest available just the thing. Go to the bottom widely accepted by users, so version of a program as the of our Current Version page what’s the point? “current version.” There are sev- and you’ll find everything you eral ways to determine what is Again, with so many ways to need to get the latest, greatest. the current version. First, you share photographs, what does can visit our web site JOINING OUR EMAILING LIST Windows Live have to offer? We (www.puritas-springs.com), thought that Windows was about We cannot emphasize enough and click on the Current Ver- multi-tasking and tabbed brows- sions button that appears near the importance and benefits of ing, so anyone can bring this all the top of every page. All the getting on our emailing list. together on their own without programs are listed in alphabeti- Here’s two: sacrificing another fat toolbar on cal order along with brief sum- their browser.  Special discounts and deals maries of the changes. The sec- are available via our email- Microsoft has never liked the fact ond method doesn’t disclose the only sales. that Google achieved such wide- current version, but it does tell spread success as a search you whether you have it. Click  Subscribers get advance no- engine. Enter LiveSearch. An- on a program’s Help menu and tice of updates and new re- other search engine. Do we select Download Upgrade and leases. need this? then Check Availability. You can join by visiting our In conclusion, we ended up re- IMPORTANT. Note that the Home page (www.puritas- moving Windows Live from our network version of Basic Ohio springs.com) and entering your Vista machine because it Probate Forms cannot be up- email address in the text input seemed like some thinly veiled graded via the Internet even field near the bottom center of attempt to control the desktop. though it has a Download Up- the page. Don’t forget that if you Under the circumstances, we grade command on the Help have security or spam preven- can’t see Windows Live as being menu. Call us for password and tion software, you’ll want to add dead in the water. downloading instructions. us to your white list. Volume 2009, No 2 Law Office ComputingPurchaser Information Page 47

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TheCleveland Trust Building Puritas Springs Software Springs Puritas In This Issue Lesson 5—Email—Everything You Need To Know What email is and how it works is explained along with details about the anatomy of email. We cover some security issues and provide some insight about dealing with junk email. Along the way we pass you a few hints about how to get the most out of Microsoft Outlook. The Top 5 Free Utilities Of Practical Use To Law Offices The fact that these five applications are free just makes it all the more fun. And if your appetite for law office freebies is as insatiable as ours, don’t worry, there are plenty more interesting and free software offerings sprinkled throughout this issue. Digital Inklings Some consumer grousing mixed in with some items and Internet services we think are nifty and entertaining. After all, there is life outside the law office. Technical Support An explanation about the Microsoft file-saving philosophy; a cure for Windows 2000 ac- cess violations; more about Vista’s secret Virtual Store; other tips and hints about Win- dows in general, all picked with an eye toward making your law office computing more enjoyable.