Ever had the wrong font randomly show up in your document? Maybe you’ve heard things about using the heading styles, but who needs large blue text in their brief? You’re not alone — issues with Microsoft Word fonts plague lawyers every day. Selecting the best fonts can prevent issues with readability and professionalism in legal documents. The good news is it’s easy to fix Microsoft Word fonts once you know how. It just isn’t obvious.
Table of contents
- Step 1: Fix Your Default Legal Document Fonts
- Step 2: Fix Word Heading Styles
- Understanding Typography in Legal Documents
- Choosing the Right Legal Font
- Implementing Font Best Practices
- Learn More Word Tricks for Writing Legal Documents
- About Affinity Consulting Group
- More Office 365 Training Manuals for Lawyers
Step 1: Fix Your Default Legal Document Fonts
Every document has a default font. Changing the font by using the dropdown on the Home ribbon doesn’t change the default font. Your entire document can be Times New Roman 12 pt, but the default font might be set to something completely different.
Using the best legal fonts is important for ensuring consistency and professionalism in legal documents, enhancing readability, and adhering to court-specific guidelines.
When the wrong font randomly appears in your document, 9 times out of 10, that’s the default font rearing its ugly head. Word assumes you want to use the default font most of the time, so it keeps randomly popping up on you.
Changing the Default Word Serif Fonts in an Existing Document
To fix the default font in the document you’re currently drafting:
- Right-click on some unformatted text and select Font from the right-click menu. Ensure that the settings are correct in the Font dialog box.
- Then click on the Set as Default button. Select “this document only” and click OK.
It is important to use Century family fonts as mandated by various courts for legal documents. The US Supreme Court specifically requires these fonts for all briefs, highlighting the significance of compliance with jurisdictional font rules in legal communications and maintaining professionalism in legal documentation.
That will fix the issue on a document-by-document basis. To make a wide-sweeping change, you need to change the default where you start drafting documents.
Changing the Default Word Sans Serif Fonts in New, Blank Documents
If you ever start drafting documents by selecting New Document under the File menu, you’ll need to change the default font in the template those new documents are based on.
Start by opening a new blank document. Then, follow the steps above, except select “all documents based on the Normal.dotm template” instead of “this document only.”
The Normal.dotm template is the basis for all new, blank documents. Historically, font designers created fonts for specific applications, and understanding font licensing terms is important to avoid legal issues and support the designers.
Changing the Default for Documents Drafted from Templates
If you start drafting from templates, you’ll need to change the default font. Edit the template and change the default font using the steps above.
The font style impacts the professionalism and readability of legal documents. Choosing a good font style for official documents, resumes, and law firm websites can affect how information is received by clients and peers.
Working from Documents Recently Drafted
If you start drafting by finding a similar document and copying it, you have two options: change the default font in the documents you frequently copy or change the default font every time you copy a document. Selecting the best fonts for legal documents helps enhance professionalism and readability. Changing the default font in an existing document may alter the formatting. If you want to preserve how the document appeared, don’t change the default font in it.
Step 2: Fix Word Heading Styles
By default, the heading styles in Word are blue, sometimes the wrong font, and typically the wrong size. While they don’t initially look the way that you need them to look, using the default headings comes with a host of benefits, including faster document formatting, more consistent document formatting, populating the Navigation Pane and making it easy to create bookmarks in any PDFs created from the document.
It is also important to consider font choices for law firm websites to enhance readability and accessibility. Many law firms opt for modern web fonts, including both serif and sans-serif fonts, to create an appealing and professional online presence.
To change how they look, format a heading in your document the way you want. Then, right-click on the heading style on the Home ribbon and select “update < Style Name> to match selection.”
Click here to learn more about using styles in Word.
Understanding Typography in Legal Documents
Typography plays an important role in legal documents, it can significantly impact the clarity, professionalism, and overall effectiveness of the document. In the context of legal documents, typography refers to the art and science of shaping the text to convey information in a clear and concise manner.
The Role of Typography in Legal Documents
Typography in legal documents serves several purposes. First, it helps to create a professional image for the law firm, which helps build trust and credibility with clients. Second, it ensures that the document is easy to read and understand, for effective communication. Typography can also help to convey the tone and personality of the law firm, an important aspect of building a strong brand.
Choosing the Right Legal Font
Choosing the right legal font is important in creating effective legal documents. With so many fonts available, it can be overwhelming to select the right one. But, by understanding the characteristics of different fonts and the context they’ll be used in, lawyers can make informed decisions about font selection.
Serif vs. Sans Serif Fonts
One of the most important decisions when choosing a legal font is whether to use a serif or sans serif font. Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman and Garamond, have small decorative lines at the ends of each letter, while sans serif fonts, like Arial and Helvetica, do not. Serif fonts are often associated with tradition and formality, while sans serif fonts are seen as more modern and contemporary.
In general, serif fonts are more suitable for printed legal documents, they tend to be easier to read in print. But, sans serif fonts are often preferred for digital legal documents, they tend to be easier to read on screens. Ultimately, the choice between serif and sans serif fonts will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the law firm.
Implementing Font Best Practices
Implementing font best practices can be helpful for creating effective legal documents. By following guidelines and avoiding common mistakes, lawyers can ensure that their documents are professional, readable, and effective.
Formatting Guidelines
There are several formatting guidelines that lawyers should follow when creating legal documents. First, the font size should be consistent throughout the document, with headings and subheadings in a larger font size than the body text. Second, the line spacing should be adequate to ensure that the text is easy to read. Finally, the margins should be sufficient to allow for easy reading and annotation.
In addition to these guidelines, lawyers should also consider the specific requirements of the jurisdiction they are practicing in. For example, some courts may have specific rules regarding font size and style, while others may have more flexible guidelines.
By following these guidelines and best practices, lawyers can ensure that their legal documents are professional, effective, and easy to read.
Learn More Word Tricks for Writing Legal Documents
Learn more tricks like this in Affinity Consulting Group’s “Microsoft Word for Legal Professionals.”
About Affinity Consulting Group
Affinity Consulting Group inspires, enables, and empowers legal teams of all sizes to work smarter, from anywhere. The company’s holistic approach incorporates people, process, and technology. Affinity’s passionate, well-connected industry experts work hand in hand with you to help you better understand and optimize your business—from software to growth strategy, and everything in between.
More Office 365 Training Manuals for Lawyers
Check out Affinity Consulting Group’s “Microsoft Word for Legal Professionals,” “Excel for Legal Professionals,” “Outlook for Legal Professionals” and “PowerPoint for Legal Professionals.” Each manual zeros in on your practice’s needs with in-depth instructions from Affinity experts on getting the most out of your tech.
