I received a comment to one of my Word Style posts that I want to elevate here and address. The commenter asked:

How do I set bullets? I have tinkered with this for a long time and can’t get it right. For some reason, Word just randomly changes my settings.

If you followed along with primer on creating a numbered paragraph style, you are already 90% of the way there. Follow those steps (except you should change the name of your style to something like Bullets) until you get to step 8 “Select the Numbered Tab.” There, instead of selecting the Numbered Tab:

1. Select the Bulleted Tab
2. Choose the bullet style you want
3. Click customize. You can also change the bullet style here if you wish.
4. In the top Bullet position Indent At, select your location for a bullet. For example, .5″
5. In the Text Position section, select the location where you want the text to start after the bullet (Tab Space After) and the location where you want subsequent lines in the same bullet point to start (“Indent at”). I typically set both of these to the same position. In this case, .75″, which gives me a .25″ space between the bullet and the text.
6. Click OK.
7. Click OK.
8. Click OK.

You now have a bullet point style that you can apply.

If you find this stuff interesting and want to understand how it is that Word’s numbering works, I can recommend to you the Word MVP site. You can view his info on his website. Additionally, he has a 25 page PDF that explains how Word Numbering works. I found this article absolutely invaluable in understanding Word and its styles.

This is part four of a four-part series on formating a Microsoft Word Document. In part 1 of this series, we tackled the problem of keeping Word from automatically formatting our numbered paragraphs. In part 2, we created a style that we can now build from to create numbered paragraphs. In part 3, we created a style for automatic paragraph numbering. As I noted before, I am using Word 2003. These tips may or may not work with other versions.

In this part of the series, we will use the two styles we created to create the substantive part of a pleading. Begin by opening Word and creating a new document. We will pretend that we already have a caption at the top (I will address, in a later post, easy ways to create captions by using tables).

You can just start typing without worrying about formating at this time. Below the break, I have included some language that you can simply cut and paste into your document.

1. Copy the text from below the break.
2. Place your cursor in the first paragaph.
3. On the style toolbar, select your Normal Paragraph style.
4. Select all of the text between the first paragraph and the Wherefore paragraph.
5. On the style toolbar, select your Pleading Paragraph style.
6. Place your cursor in your Wherefore paragraph.
7. On the style toolbar, select your Normal Paragraph style.
8. Place your cursor in the last paragraph.
9. On the style toolbar, select your Pleading Paragraph style.
10. You will see that your paragraph numbering continues from before. If you wish to restart your paragraph numbering, right click in that paragraph. Choose Bullets and Numbering. At the bottom of that window, select the radio button beside Restart numbering.

You now have no reason not to use automatic numbering when creating pleadings.

This is the third part in a series on formating a Microsoft Word document. In part 1 of this series, we tackled the problem of keeping Word from automatically formatting our numbered paragraphs. In part 2, we created a style that we can now build from to create numbered paragraphs. As I noted before, I am using Word 2003. These tips may or may not work with other versions.

To create a style using numbered paragraphs, we will build upon the style we created in part 2, our Normal Paragraph.

1. Select Format > Styles and Formating.
2. In the Styles and Formatting Pane, click on New Style.
3. Give your style a name. I call my style Pleading Paragraph.
4. Style type should be paragraph.
5. Style based on. Here use the style we just created, Normal Paragraph. This means that you are starting with the formatting that is in Normal Paragraph.
6. Style for following paragraph. Make sure this is set to Pleading Paragraph.
7. Click the add to template box before you forget to do so.

These next set of instructions may seem like they are complicated. However, if you just follow along step by step, you will do fine.

1. Just below the add to template box, click on Format. Select Paragraph.
2. In the indentation section, select First Line.
3. For By, choose 0.5″
4. Click OK.
5. Click Format again. This time select Tabs.
6. Tab stop position. Add 1″. Click OK.
7. Click Format again. This time select Numbering.
8. Click the Numbered tab.
9. Select one with numbers.
10. Click customize in the bottom right.
11. Your number style should be 1, 2, 3, …
12. Start at: 1
13. Number position: Left.
14. Aligned at 0.5″
15. Tab space after: 1″
16. Indent at 0″
17. Click OK
18. Click OK

You now have a style that allows you to create numbered paragraphs. Just as with the style yesterday, you can apply the style simply by clicking within the paragraph and selecting Pleading Paragraph.

In part 4 of the series, we will use a combination of the styles we have created to draft part of a pleading.

In part 1 of this series, we tackled the problem of keeping Word from automatically formatting our numbered paragraphs. In this installment, we create a style that we can build from to create numbered paragraphs.

Step one of using styles is to have them accessible. If you know how to modify your toolbar, do so to include style on your active toolbar. If you are not sure how to modify your toolbar, just enable the Formating toolbar. It has the style selection on it.

You enable the Formatting toolbar by right clicking on your toolbar and choosing formatting. The style section is the drop down box that currently reads “Normal.”

By default, Word documents format paragraphs using the Normal style. This really does not work for most legal writing. Thus, I create a style I use for my documents that reflects the characteristics that I like. This includes formatting options such as full justification and double spacing.

You can modify the Normal style if you wish to do so. I do not recommend it however. Most of the other built-in styles are based upon it.

Before we create our numbered paragraph style, let’s first create our normal style.

1. Select Format > Styles and Formating. The Styles and Formatting bar will appear to your right.
2. Select New Style.
3. Give your style a name. I call my normal style Normal Paragraph. You can call yours whatever you like.
4. For style type. Leave it on paragraph.
5. Style based on. Leave this on normal.
6. Style for following paragraph. For this, select the name of the style that you are creating now. This means that when you hit enter, the new paragraph will be formatted just like the paragraph you just typed.
7. In the next section you can change your font, its size, its color, etc. You can change this if you wish.
8. Below the font name, are the choices for justification. Choose either left justification (first choice) or full justification (fourth choice) according to your preference.
9. Next (below the font size) is your choice for single space, one and a half space, or double space. I choose double space here.
10. The remaining choices deal with space between paragraphs and full paragraph indenting. Neither are something we want to deal with now.
11. Near the bottom, select Add to Template. It is very important that you check this box. If you do not, this style appears only in the document you are working in. If you select this box, the style appears in the template of the document you are working it (usually Normal.dot). This means it will be available to you every time that you create a new document.
12. Click OK.

You now have a style named Normal Paragraph. To apply this style, simply click anywhere within a paragraph and select the style name. That paragraph will automatically be formatted as you set forth.

Tomorrow in part 3 of this series, we will use the Normal Paragraph to create a numbered paragraph for our pleadings.

All too often I receive a pleading from someone that has numbered paragraphs that have all of the text indented. I am pretty sure that the person creating the document does not really want it this way. However, is the default manner in which Word formats numbered paragraphs.

Don’t let Microsoft hold your documents hostage. Seize control and format the documents the way that you want.

The first thing that you should do is Open Word then select Tools > AutoCorrect Options. Select the Tab labeled AutoFormat As You Type. That tab has three sections to it: Replace as you type, Apply as you type, and Automatically as you type. Select or deselect whatever features you want in the first section (Replace as you type) according to your personal preferences.

In the other two sections (Apply as you type and Automatically as you type) make sure that none of the boxes have check marks in them. Then select the tab titled AutoFormat. In the Apply section, make sure that there is no check mark beside Built-in Heading styles, List styles, or Automatic Bulleted Lists. After doing so, click OK.

Making sure that the above items are deselected, should keep Word from automatically formating your numbered paragraphs.

Now that we have dispensed with Word trying to screw things up, we now have to make it possible for you to create numbered paragraphs. We do that by using styles. Don’t panic. Styles are not difficult to master. We will do that in part 2 of this series.

Please note that for this series I am using Word 2003. Other versions may or may not work in the same manner.