Where are my documents?
May 21, 2009
One of the questions we sometimes get asked in regards to TurboLaw Document Software is “where are my documents actually saved?”
The short answer to this question is “wherever you want them to be saved,” but that’s not necessarily helpful, especially if you’re not paying attention to where you save your documents and are just accepting the default save location. So we’ll go into it in a little bit more detail here.
First though, a little bit of terminology: It’s important to remember that TurboLaw is not really “document management” software – it doesn’t save your documents in some special “repository” that you can only access through TurboLaw itself. In fact, any documents you create with TurboLaw are just saved on your computer as normal Word or Excel files.
It’s a little bit inaccurate to speak of your documents being “in” TurboLaw – they aren’t really “in” TurboLaw, they’re “in” your computer, and you just happen to be looking at them “through” TurboLaw. You can also look at your documents “through” any other program you wish – such as Windows Explorer or Microsoft Word or Excel.
With that out of the way, we can talk about where your documents are actually saved when you create them with TurboLaw. There are 2 different scenarios to consider, depending on what you are doing.
Creating a Blank/Empty Document
Creating a blank/empty document is the simplest and fastest way to bring up a form in TurboLaw – although of course you pay for that speed with the time it takes you to fill out the rest of the form by hand, since a blank/empty form is, by definition, empty – that is, no case or client information is inserted for you automatically.
Whenever you create a blank/empty form, TurboLaw saves it into a “temporary” folder on your computer. (After all, since there’s no case involved here, TurboLaw has no idea where you might want to save the document, so a temporary folder is the best it can do.)
After you’ve created and opened a blank/empty form, you can choose the Save As menu in Word or Excel to save the file anywhere on your computer that you’d like. If you would like to just print the document and be done with it (and never use it again), you don’t need to save it at all – just fill it out, print it, and close it.
If you don’t save your blank/empty form somewhere else, then when you are done with it, TurboLaw will delete it from the temporary folder. After all, that’s why it’s called a “temporary” folder. But as long as you remember to save your files where you want, you don’t have to worry – just don’t save them in the temporary folder!
As a safety precaution, TurboLaw reminds you that your blank/empty document is saved initially in a temporary folder every time you open a blank/empty form (unless you have specifically checked the box to not be shown the reminders).
Creating a Document for a Case
When you create a document for a case, the documents you create are saved into the folder for that case.
If you don’t tell TurboLaw otherwise, it will automatically create a folder for your case and manage it for you. The folders that TurboLaw creates are still saved on your computer, but they are named with the internal “ID number” of the case, so that TurboLaw can find them quickly.
The default location where TurboLaw creates these automatic folders may vary depending on the version of Windows (or the version of TurboLaw) on your computer, but you can see what it will be by clicking the View menu in TurboLaw and choosing TurboLaw Status, then looking for the Cases Path. This is the “root” folder where TurboLaw will create additional folders for each case you create (unless you tell it otherwise). If you are using TurboLaw on a network, this folder will be on your network as well – otherwise, it will be on your computer’s local hard drive.
If you choose to use the Alternate Case Folder option when creating a case, you can tell TurboLaw to save the documents for that case in any folder you want. Once you have done this, TurboLaw will save any documents for that case in the folder you picked.
If you ever want to see where the documents for a particular case are saved, just click the Open this Folder button to see the folder for that case open up in Windows Explorer.
Once the folder is open in Windows Explorer, you can look at the Windows Explorer address bar to see the exact location of that folder.
In the picture above, you can see that this case is saved in one of TurboLaw’s managed folders – that’s the reason why it ends with that really long number. The files are still on your computer, even though TurboLaw is controlling where they are saved – and you can do anything with those files that you want. After all, it’s your computer, and they are your files!
TurboLaw always strives to keep things as simple as possible, letting you get down to the business of creating the documents you need. However, knowing a little bit about where TurboLaw saves your documents – and the power it gives you to control where those documents are saved – can help you be more “in control” of your document workflow, and help you stay on top of your work.
Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Website May Harm Your Computer
May 13, 2009
Google seems to have caught the Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s website (telegram.com) distributing “drive by” malware. “Drive by” malware means malicious or harmful software that is installed on your computer even if you don’t click on anything. Of course this is done without your consent (or notice).
Google has a “Safe Browsing” notice page that explains the details of what has been found coming from the Telegram & Gazette’s website.
If you search Google for “worcester telegram and gazette“, you will receive a warning page similar to the one shown below (the warning is circled in red):
If you use Firefox as your web browser and you try to go directly to the Telegram & Gazette’s website, you’ll see a security warning similar to this:
If you use Internet Explorer, you won’t get any warning – so if you do use Internet Explorer, you might want to avoid going directly to the Telegram & Gazette’s website and instead search for it using Google.
According to Google’s report, the malware isn’t coming directly from telegram.com, but from other sites – probably linked via ads of some sort, or perhaps via a sneaky technique known as “injection,” which allows content from other (usually “bad”) sites to be “injected” into other sites (usually very popular ones).
If you do visit the Telegram & Gazette’s website (not recommended right now), you’ll see a vague statement on the front page regarding “problems” they are experiencing right now, and how they are “working with their vendors” to resolve it.
Until this situation is resolved, we’d recommend staying away from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s website. You can check on the status of the situation by searching Google for “worcester telegram and gazette” and seeing whether the “This site may harm your computer” warning is still there.
If you absolutely must go to the website, we’d recommend using extreeme caution. If you have a Macintosh or Linux computer available, it is probably safe to visit the site from those computers – as almost all malware is written for Microsoft Windows.
UPDATE: The problem appears to have been fixed. We received a note from Mark Henderson, Online Director over at the Telegram & Gazette, who let us know about the problem and gave us this note, which was also posted on their website:
Our Web site was the target of a virus or other intruding program for limited periods of time from Monday afternoon to early Wednesday morning. When we learned of the problem, we took all appropriate steps to ensure the integrity and safety of the site. We believe that we have corrected the problem and that you can continue to use the site without concern. It is our understanding that computers with up-to-date virus protection would not have been compromised. If you believe that your computer may have been affected while connected to our site, please contact Online Director Mark Henderson at (508) 793-9266.
Google also no longer lists the site as being potentially harmful to your computer, nor does Firefox. So it seems to be safe to visit the site again. Although this incident just underscores the need to have a good anti-virus or anti-spyware program on your computer that is kept up-to-date!
TurboLaw Customer Profile – New England Divorce Solutions
May 8, 2009
Since so many of our customers practice in the area of Divorce and Family Law, we thought we’d bring this company to your attention in case it was of interest.
Customer Profile: New England Divorce Solutions
Working with a financial professional who focuses exclusively in matrimonial finance matters can make a difference to your client’s financial success both pre and post divorce. Our flat fixed pricing proposition and financial savvy in all matters regarding divorce finance is the perfect complement to our Family Law Attorneys.
Accountants and Financial Advisors are often used in the divorce process to perform discrete tasks for Family Law Attorneys and their clients. These professionals can often be highly skilled in their functional areas, but often have limited knowledge about the intricacies of divorce. New England Divorce Solutions is the only practice in the region that works exclusively with Family Law Attorneys and their clients on divorce finance issues. We are the premier provider in the areas of litigation consulting and forensic accounting services for matrimonial disputes. Simply put, we are your divorce finance experts.
New England Divorce Solutions offers a wide range of services, which include assisting Family Law Attorney’s with discovery, drafting interrogatory questions, preparing financial affidavits, tracing separate property claims or the dissipation of marital assets, investigative accounting and trial preparation. Our firm also provides expert testimony if your case goes to trial and assists with settlement negotiations. We also offer post divorce services, such as ensuring your clients receive the assets awarded to them in the divorce decree, assisting clients with managing their settlements and planning for their future.
Our team consists of highly trained professionals with a combined 47 years of financial experience. We practice exclusively in the matrimonial finance arena and help Attorney’s and their clients resolve disputes. Our professionals have highly specialized knowledge of divorce financial matters and have obtained advanced designations, such as the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and the Certified Forensic Financial Analyst (CFFA). We are all candidates for the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation, administered through the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), which will allow our team to value businesses in matrimonial dissolutions.
Our flat fixed pricing structure distinguishes our firm as the only matrimonial finance practice in the country which prices exclusively on a value proposition. This means we no longer bill by the hour for our services. Once we understand the engagement, New England Divorce Solutions will proudly offer our services for a flat fixed price, which is guaranteed. Our price guarantee allows Family Law Attorney’s and their clients to focus on the benefits we provide rather than worrying about the cost. We have received positive feedback about our pricing structure and are often told it relieves stress and anxiety. To learn more about our practice, please call (617) 671-0860 or visit our website – www.nedivorcesolutions.com.
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