*/
Take heart: e-bundling will soon become second nature. A step-by-step housekeeping guide on how to handle everyday e-bundles using PDF Expert (Mac), Acrobat and PDF-XChange (Windows)
In 2017, I tried to explain the basics of paperless working, its benefits, and the essential functions of the software known as PDF Expert (‘How to e-work’ Counsel April 2017). I hope since then that you have done yourself a favour by at least dipping a tentative toe into the waters of this new world and begun to sense its benefits.
It is now time to look in more detail at how to handle an e-bundle of the kind you are likely to encounter in practice. I aim to talk you through the process of housekeeping the files so they are ready to work on, just in the way most of you will have done with paper. Additionally, for those of you working with a Windows machine, I’ll be explaining how to accomplish the same task in PDF-XChange Editor, a powerful and relatively cheap alternative to Adobe Acrobat for PC users.
So, what are you likely to encounter? Well, you may be fortunate and always receive a full, orderly, paginated e-bundle that requires no housekeeping at all. Normal life for most of us, however, is far removed from that.
What you are more likely to encounter will be something like this. At the start of the case, or on first instruction, you will receive an e-bundle that is something close to orderly and up to date. You will probably receive one file containing all sections of the bundle. As I mentioned in ‘How to e-work’, it will usually be better for viewing and file-management purposes to split this large file into several smaller ones, each being one complete section of the bundle.
Here’s a walk through of how to do this in PDF Expert:
For those using Adobe Acrobat, the steps are similar in principle and go like this:
In PDF-XChange, the process is similar once again, though here you’ll be working with ‘panes’:
Now we move to the next stage. Let us imagine it is the next hearing. Your collection of files, one for each section, served you wonderfully well at the first hearing. You had each one of them opened in a separate tab across your screen. TIP: if the tabs are not in alphabetical order, you can drag the tab across the screen so that they are.
For the next hearing, your instructing solicitor will have sent you the file of new documents containing the chilling word ‘updates’ or similar. Open it up and survey the scene. It is no worse than the paper equivalent, and must be beaten into submission. In a good case, it will have been paginated and that helps a lot. Make sure you have the latest index. If you do not, telephone your instructing solicitor at 3am to ask for it. Pretend you hadn’t noticed the time.
Open the new index so you can see where all the new material goes. Ideally click on and drag the tab for the index to another part of the screen so it opens in a separate window – that way you can see it all the time you’re working on your updates and trust me, this is better because it saves you having to switch into and out of your index. That was another top TIP, in case you hadn’t noticed.
If you are working in PDF Expert or Acrobat, proceed as follows. Bear in mind that all the letters and numbers that follow are imaginary and have no resemblance, real or imagined, to actual bundles or updates to bundles and are not intended to intrude upon the safe space of any such bundles.
Now embark on the process of tidying up. This is simple and soon becomes second-nature:
You now have a bundle that is updated to include the updating material and can delete A8-15 and other updating sections if you want to keep your folders tidy. I do this in one go at the end of the process of updating all the sections.
In PDF-XChange, things are even simpler:
Set out blow-by-blow like this it may seem laborious and even daunting, but it is not. For an average case, it takes about 10-15 minutes. If that seems burdensome, call to mind those happy
hours spent with piles of paper spread all over the study floor, as your paper bundles defied all attempts to bring them under control. And that was even before the ring binder burst, the staple punctured your thumb and the metal strengthener pinged off the bottom of the file and embedded itself in your arm.
What’s PDF-XChange Editor (Windows)?
It is available to download for free and comes in a standard and ‘Plus’ edition (which allows the creation and editing of fillable forms). Premium features (such as the ability to edit text and insert pages) are usable without purchase, so you can try before you buy, but use of these will place a watermark in the corners of each page when you save.
To remove watermarks after purchase:
Premium features can be unlocked with a one-off purchase, which comes in at around £33 for the basic edition and £42 for ‘Plus’ (a steal, compared to Acrobat DC’s £13 per month!). Licenses also give the option of up to three years of rolling updates for a one-off payment of around £10.
In 2017, I tried to explain the basics of paperless working, its benefits, and the essential functions of the software known as PDF Expert (‘How to e-work’ Counsel April 2017). I hope since then that you have done yourself a favour by at least dipping a tentative toe into the waters of this new world and begun to sense its benefits.
It is now time to look in more detail at how to handle an e-bundle of the kind you are likely to encounter in practice. I aim to talk you through the process of housekeeping the files so they are ready to work on, just in the way most of you will have done with paper. Additionally, for those of you working with a Windows machine, I’ll be explaining how to accomplish the same task in PDF-XChange Editor, a powerful and relatively cheap alternative to Adobe Acrobat for PC users.
So, what are you likely to encounter? Well, you may be fortunate and always receive a full, orderly, paginated e-bundle that requires no housekeeping at all. Normal life for most of us, however, is far removed from that.
What you are more likely to encounter will be something like this. At the start of the case, or on first instruction, you will receive an e-bundle that is something close to orderly and up to date. You will probably receive one file containing all sections of the bundle. As I mentioned in ‘How to e-work’, it will usually be better for viewing and file-management purposes to split this large file into several smaller ones, each being one complete section of the bundle.
Here’s a walk through of how to do this in PDF Expert:
For those using Adobe Acrobat, the steps are similar in principle and go like this:
In PDF-XChange, the process is similar once again, though here you’ll be working with ‘panes’:
Now we move to the next stage. Let us imagine it is the next hearing. Your collection of files, one for each section, served you wonderfully well at the first hearing. You had each one of them opened in a separate tab across your screen. TIP: if the tabs are not in alphabetical order, you can drag the tab across the screen so that they are.
For the next hearing, your instructing solicitor will have sent you the file of new documents containing the chilling word ‘updates’ or similar. Open it up and survey the scene. It is no worse than the paper equivalent, and must be beaten into submission. In a good case, it will have been paginated and that helps a lot. Make sure you have the latest index. If you do not, telephone your instructing solicitor at 3am to ask for it. Pretend you hadn’t noticed the time.
Open the new index so you can see where all the new material goes. Ideally click on and drag the tab for the index to another part of the screen so it opens in a separate window – that way you can see it all the time you’re working on your updates and trust me, this is better because it saves you having to switch into and out of your index. That was another top TIP, in case you hadn’t noticed.
If you are working in PDF Expert or Acrobat, proceed as follows. Bear in mind that all the letters and numbers that follow are imaginary and have no resemblance, real or imagined, to actual bundles or updates to bundles and are not intended to intrude upon the safe space of any such bundles.
Now embark on the process of tidying up. This is simple and soon becomes second-nature:
You now have a bundle that is updated to include the updating material and can delete A8-15 and other updating sections if you want to keep your folders tidy. I do this in one go at the end of the process of updating all the sections.
In PDF-XChange, things are even simpler:
Set out blow-by-blow like this it may seem laborious and even daunting, but it is not. For an average case, it takes about 10-15 minutes. If that seems burdensome, call to mind those happy
hours spent with piles of paper spread all over the study floor, as your paper bundles defied all attempts to bring them under control. And that was even before the ring binder burst, the staple punctured your thumb and the metal strengthener pinged off the bottom of the file and embedded itself in your arm.
What’s PDF-XChange Editor (Windows)?
It is available to download for free and comes in a standard and ‘Plus’ edition (which allows the creation and editing of fillable forms). Premium features (such as the ability to edit text and insert pages) are usable without purchase, so you can try before you buy, but use of these will place a watermark in the corners of each page when you save.
To remove watermarks after purchase:
Premium features can be unlocked with a one-off purchase, which comes in at around £33 for the basic edition and £42 for ‘Plus’ (a steal, compared to Acrobat DC’s £13 per month!). Licenses also give the option of up to three years of rolling updates for a one-off payment of around £10.
Sam Townend KC explains the Bar Council’s efforts towards ensuring a bright future for the profession
Giovanni D’Avola explores the issue of over-citation of unreported cases and the ‘added value’ elements of a law report
Louise Crush explores the key points and opportunities for tax efficiency
Westgate Wealth Management Ltd is a Partner Practice of FTSE 100 company St. James’s Place – one of the top UK Wealth Management firms. We offer a holistic service of distinct quality, integrity, and excellence with the aim to build a professional and valuable relationship with our clients, helping to provide them with security now, prosperity in the future and the highest standard of service in all of our dealings.
Is now the time to review your financial position, having reached a career milestone? asks Louise Crush
If you were to host a dinner party with 10 guests, and you asked them to explain what financial planning is and how it differs to financial advice, you’d receive 10 different answers. The variety of answers highlights the ongoing need to clarify and promote the value of financial planning.
Most of us like to think we would risk our career in order to meet our ethical obligations, so why have so many lawyers failed to hold the line? asks Flora Page
If your current practice environment is bringing you down, seek a new one. However daunting the change, it will be worth it, says Anon Barrister
Creating advocacy opportunities for juniors is now the expectation but not always easy to put into effect. Tom Mitcheson KC distils developing best practice from the Patents Court initiative already bearing fruit
Sam Townend KC explains the Bar Council’s efforts towards ensuring a bright future for the profession
The long-running fee-paid judicial pensions saga continues. The current cut-off date for giving notice of election to join FPJPS is 31 March 2024, and that date now gives rise to a serious problem, warns HH John Platt