Generating Documents
Document production turns “retype the client’s name into the retainer letter again” into a button. Templates hold the wording; the matter holds the data; Generate Document marries the two.
Generating
Section titled “Generating”On the matter, click Generate Document. The menu lists everything published, in two groups:
Documents: single templates, like an engagement letter.
Packages: bundles of templates generated together in order, like a complete closing set. Packages show how many documents they contain.
Pick one and Laminar renders it with the matter’s real data: names, addresses, dates, amounts, pulled from the fields your firm’s templates reference. Only published templates appear; drafts your admin is still working on stay out of the menu.
The Generated Document Is Editable
Section titled “The Generated Document Is Editable”What you get isn’t a frozen PDF; it’s an editable rich-text document. Fix a phrase, add the deal-specific clause, adjust the closing paragraph. It autosaves as you work.
Each generated document records which template and version produced it (“From: Engagement Letter v3”), so you always know its provenance, and republishing a template never silently changes documents you’ve already generated.
Saving to the Matter
Section titled “Saving to the Matter”Here’s the step people miss: a generated document does not appear in the matter’s files until you click Save to Matter. That renders it to PDF and files it as a matter asset, named however you choose. From there it behaves like any other file: downloadable, shareable with the client, permanent.
Generate, review, edit, Save to Matter. If you can’t find the document you generated yesterday in Assets, you probably skipped the last step; look in the matter’s Generated Documents list.
Review before saving. The template fills in what the matter knows. If the matter’s data is incomplete, the gap shows up as a blank in the document. A blank in a generated letter usually means a blank on the matter; fix it at the source and regenerate.
Use packages for repeating sets. If every purchase produces the same four documents, a package generates all four in one click, in order, with consistent data.