The document automation company Gavel has launched pre-built workflows — sets of automated forms for document generation that are tailored to specific practice areas and jurisdictions, and that are free for any lawyer to test without a Gavel subscription.

The new feature is launching today with three workflows for California lawyers for for divorce, probate and estate planning. Gavel founder and CEO Dorna Moini says she is working with expert attorneys to add more jurisdictions and practice areas on a rolling basis.

Moini says that Gavel developed the workflows and is offering them for lawyers to try free in order to encourage lawyers, particularly those in small and mid-sized firms, to adopt document automation.

Gavel’s pre-built workflow for initiating divorce proceedings in California.

“Only one-third of lawyers surveyed by the ABA are using any document automation technology,” she says. “This is the lowest hanging fruit for firms to not only improve their work product and remain competitive, but to drive higher profits and better margins, particularly as many areas get pushed to alternative fee arrangements.”

Related: Gavel Review 2024: AI-Enabled Legal Document Automation that Generates New Law Firm Revenue.

These pre-built workflows, which require no set-up, are available for free for anyone to try out and use as many times as they want, Moini says. If a user wants to store information and fully integrate these workflows into their practice, they will need to sign up for a Gavel account.

Each workflow asks a series of questions and then uses the answers to generate the appropriate forms. This first group of forms is based on California Judicial Council forms plus a suite of estate planning workflows.

“Our vision at Gavel is to make access to the law universal,” says Moini. “The biggest hurdle to making that vision come true is the speed at which legal knowledge can be automated into Gavel, giving lawyers the flexibility to serve more clients and build long-lasting, future-proof, and profitable firms. On the heels of our two AI product launches, Pre-Built Workflows add another strong pillar to our law firms’ operations.”

Read more about Gavel at the LawNext Legal Technology Directory.

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Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.