E-filing has made it easier than ever to submit documents through the courts. A free PracticeHQ webinar, presented by the New Jersey State Bar Association on Oct. 9, coached attorneys on the basics of preparing PDF and Word documents for e-filing. The seminar covered reducing the size of PDFs, bookmarking, metadata removal, redaction and making PDFs text searchable.
Here are some quick tips from PracticeHQ, a free benefit for members that provides information and guidance on practice-related issues. Check out the program materials from the e-filing webinar here.
How to create a PDF file from Word
The most recent versions of Word have several methods to convert documents to PDF files. The quickest way is to click on the File dropdown tab, Export and then Create PDF/XPS Document. From there you can manage and edit PDF files with programs like Adobe Acrobat and Foxit. Don’t’ scan physical copies of digital documents to create a PDF file. This will result in lower quality. Only scan physical documents if you have no other options.
Metadata removal
It’s important for attorneys to scrub metadata from their documents before filing. Metadata is information embedded in a document that can reveal sensitive details about a file, such as the document’s creator, its origin location and revision history. Be wary that PDFs, like Word documents, also contain metadata.
Documents redaction
Redaction is a common process in the legal industry, though attorneys and firms can risk embarrassment if they don’t redact properly. Word’s redaction tool, located in the Review tab, allows users to redact by scrolling over highlighted text. Just be sure to save an unredacted copy of your document. The redaction tool will burn a digital hole in the file and make the information unretrievable on any program.