FormsPlus User Guide

infolaw FormsPlus are fillable versions of official forms, supplied as standard Microsoft Word documents for maximum utility and flexibility. You can therefore fill them in, adjust them and adapt them using standard Microsoft Word features.

The forms are compatible with Word 97 or later.

Several free sample forms are supplied on this site.

Filling in forms

Before filling in the form, Save As with a unique filename in the folder where you want to keep the completed form.

As supplied the forms are protected so that the fixed text cannot be altered. Points for insertion (fields) appear as grey areas on the form.

When the form is opened the cursor is placed in the first field. Just type into the field and then press Tab to move to the next. Press Shift-Tab to move to the previous. The tab order is from left to right and then down.

Variable text you type into the form is formatted in a contrasting font to aid identification. For example forms with Normal text as Arial have Variable text as Times and vice versa.

Basic field formats

Text

Most fields are normal text fields. Type the text exactly as you wish it to appear.

Dates

Type any normal UK date format, eg 23/12/03. If the date is in the current year, you can just enter the day and month, eg 23/12. When you press Tab the format will convert to the full date, in the form 23 December 2003. Where the format 'twenty-third day of December 2003' is needed, two fields are used, one for 'twenty-third' and the other for 'December 2003'. In this case, you should enter 'twenty-third' in the first field, and the full year (as well as the month) in the second, eg 'dec 2003'. If you enter 'dec 03', this will be interpreted as 3 December 2006.

In some cases, dates may be split up into separate boxes for day, month and year. These cannot be automatically formatted. You will need to enter these details in the format in which they are to be displayed.

Currency

For amounts, type whole numbers and decimals if required. On tabbing, the format will assume a thousands separator and two decimal places.

Selecting alternatives

Optional or alternative text

Some fields already include optional or alternative text, to be deleted where inapplicable (sometimes this is in square brackets or separated by a slash). To delete all the text, when you tab to the field just press Delete. To delete some of the text do not start typing immediately. First press Home or End to move to the beginning or end of the field, then delete the inapplicable text. Do not amend the text in any other way as it is prescribed wording.

Dropdown selection lists

Some forms use dropdown list fields for alternative text, e.g "*Husband/*Wife/*Civil partner". Use the mouse to select the required option from the dropdown, or tab into the dropdown list field and key Alt+[initial letter].

High Court/County Court headings

Many court forms have alternative headings, for use in a county court or High Court. If the court name field is blank, the High Court wording will be visible; if you enter a court name in the field and then tab out of it, these words will automatically change to 'County Court'. To revert back, tab to the field and press Delete, clearing the data, then tab out of the now empty field.

Formatting issues

Creating new lines

To create a new line (for addresses etc), press Shift-Return rather than Return. This will ensure that correct indentation and line spacing is preserved.

Dealing with overflow

If you type a large amount of text into a field, the form cell will automatically expand to accommodate the additional text. This will often cause text at the bottom of the page to move to the next. In most cases this will be perfectly acceptable to the authorities. However, if you prefer to adjust the form, follow the instructions under Adjusting forms below.

Saving completed forms

When you have finished filling a form, use Save As to save the form with a unique name and in a desired folder. If you just use Save the form you will overwrite the original. You can then access the completed form later and tab through to make amendments if necessary.

Adjusting forms — basics

If you wish to adjust a form for any reason, you can unprotect the form and then edit the layout using Word's standard editing features. If you have already entered data in the form, use the Forms toolbar; otherwise you may lose data when reprotecting the form. Always save a backup copy of the completed form before adjusting.

The forms are laid out as Word tables and it is recommended that you first select Table | Show Gridlines so you can better understand the layout.

To display the Forms toolbar, select View | Toolbars | Forms or right-click on any toolbar and select Forms.

To unprotect a form select Tools | Unprotect Document or use the Forms toolbar.

To protect a form again select Tools | Protect Document | Forms or use the Forms toolbar.

Note that when a document is unprotected, you cannot tab from field to field, but the F11 key can be used for this purpose instead.

Validity of changes

You should not make any changes to the fixed (prescribed) content or other changes that will render the form unacceptable to the regulating authority. It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that the form remains valid

Further guidance

infolaw FormsPlus uses only standard features of Microsoft Word — there are no added ingredients! For further guidance refer to the Microsoft Word Help pages.

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