Salesforce Document Generation | The Ultimate Guide for Legal Services
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Document generation underpins almost every major legal process you can think of, from service proposals to invoices, memorandum of agreements to reports, affidavits to client correspondence, and much more! No matter your legal field, whether it be criminal or civil, family or corporate, environmental or intellectual property, you need accurate and up-to-date documents to keep internal records, finalize negotiations with clients, and stay compliant.
Given that Salesforce is the planet’s leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and has the ability to store and analyze large volumes of client and business data, it only makes sense to use it to generate legal docs.
Legal professionals would be drawing on the gold standard of client data, which would enable them to create up-to-date documents personalized to the needs of their case management system. Sounds great, so what’s the catch?
Well, Salesforce’s own document generation abilities are relatively limited. So, to get a robust solution, we recommend that your law firm choose a third-party provider on the AppExchange marketplace.
Are you ready to find out how to create Salesforce documents to supercharge your legal processes? If so, you have come to the right place. Read on for top tips and more details on document generation in Salesforce.
What is Salesforce Document Generation in the Legal Field?
So what do we mean when we talk about Salesforce document generation? Well, we are speaking about the ability to dynamically generate documents based on data from your Salesforce CRM.
This process is completely automated, resulting in super-accurate data and reliable legal documents. Your law firm can save hours of admin time while mitigating human error.
Can Legal Professionals Generate Documents from Salesforce?
As mentioned a little earlier, Salesforce itself does not have highly developed document generation features of its own. Using Salesforce, legal professionals do have the ability to generate PDFs of quotes but for the most part that’s where the story begins and ends.
If legal professionals want to generate a wider range of documents in more formats, then we suggest looking at the AppExchange marketplace. There are tons of apps on this platform that can help with generating documents in Salesforce.
It’s important to remember that there is a big difference between document generation, creation, and management.
Document creation for Salesforce typically involves the process of manually creating and attaching legal documents to your records and then saving them in places like Quip.
With document creation, you can share legal documents with other users if you have synced sharing enabled. While Salesforce document creation is a useful feature, it is nowhere near as powerful as document generation, and it does not have the power to automate and streamline your documentation systems.
For law firms, document management is all about organizing docs, storing them, and handling legal document version control. There are several Salesforce tools for managing legal documents and while this is a useful function, it is another concept that does need to be differentiated from document generation: they are not the same thing!
How to Create Legal Documents in Salesforce & Its Limitations
Creating legal documents in Salesforce is easy, but remember that this is very different from Salesforce doc gen. Document creation enables legal professionals to attach docs to records and share them with other users. Legal professionals can add a range of content to docs such as spreadsheets, folders, and mentions.
Note: This is one common method of document creation, if your law firm wants an alternative, consult your Salesforce admin.
Prerequisite for following these steps: Ensure that the Quip document component is added to your Lightning Page.
1. First up, you need to add the New Document option to your Global Action menu. This enables legal professionals to create a doc from anywhere within the Lightning Experience.
2. So, head to Setup, run a search in your Quick Find Box, and click on Publisher Layouts. On the Global Publisher Layouts page, click Edit next to Global Layout:
3. Next, click Mobile & Lightning Actions, then New Document. Drag “New Document” into the Salesforce Mobile and Lightning Experience Actions below. Remember to save the New Document action you just added and override any predefined actions if this is your first time editing Salesforce Mobile and Lightning Experience Actions.
4. Once you have added this action, simply navigate to any Lightning Page on your Salesforce and find it in the Global Actions Drop-down:
5. Add your desired legal content. The doc is saved to your private Quip folder. From here, you can link your legal document to a Salesforce record and/ or share it.
Salesforce is regularly updating so be sure to check out how to create a document in Lightning Experience and the Add the New Document Global Action guide.
Explaining Salesforce Document Objects in Legal Settings
When it comes to understanding Salesforce Document Objects, the main one is “Content Document” version. This Salesforce Content Document object represents any document that has been uploaded to your CRM platform.
It’s important to bear in mind that this document object in Salesforce is available for Salesforce CRM Content (version 17.0 and beyond) and Salesforce Files (version 21.0 to the present).
There are limitations to the number of legal documents your law firm can publish, and the limit for regular accounts is 30k. Other options are:
Salesforce Document Version Control for Legal Admins
Can you control legal document versions in Salesforce? The short answer is yes, via the Content Version object. This object is a child of the Content Document Object.
Legal admins can upload a range of different file types to Salesforce such as JPEG, MP3, and document formats like PDF, DOCX, and XLS. This is a reliable Salesforce document storage option and the great part is that if legal professionals want to upload a new version of the same file attached to a record, then they can do so.
Breaking Down the Salesforce Content Document Data Model for Legal Teams
The best way to understand the Salesforce Content Document data model is to use a diagram. Check it out below:
Salesforce: Upload Legal Documents Guide
There are many ways to upload documents in Salesforce, especially, if you choose to use a third-party app for your legal document management system. One of the most common is to choose “upload a file.”
To do this, simply navigate to a record and choose to upload a file. Then, click on Add Files or drag the file you want into the “Files” related list.
Many different legal file types are supported, including PDF, XLX, and DOCX.
Legal Document Management for Salesforce
We have discussed document creation and document objects for legal services, but where does Salesforce document management fit into all this? A document management system is all about storing, organizing, and managing your legal documents in the number 1 CRM platform.
For this, your law firm can either go with a Salesforce native solution or with a third-party integration offering a document management system.
In terms of native Salesforce features, you have the documents tab, attachments, Salesforce Knowledge, Salesforce CRM, and the Files home area. Using these tools, legal professionals can handle Salesforce document storage and other aspects of document management in Salesforce.
Legal professionals also get Salesforce document management integrations. Check them out below:
Salesforce Document Storage Systems for Law Firms
There are several tools for legal document management in Salesforce. All these options help law firms optimize document storage in Salesforce and organize files better. These include Box, Sharepoint, Google Drive, and Dropbox, to name just a few.
Often, it makes sense to choose the document management system your law firm is already using and integrate it with Salesforce!
Export Legal Data from Salesforce to Excel (XLS)
If you are working in Salesforce, you do have the ability to export a report to Excel, but this does require a degree of manual setup:
Legal Admins Can Export a Salesforce Report to Excel
1. In Lightning Experience, click Export from the reports tab, then your desired exported view. For Excel, you need to select the Details Only view and choose whether you want .xlsx, .xls, or .csv.
2. Remember to choose the right encoding if you have selected either .xls or .csv.
3. And then it’s all about clicking Export and saving your file.
Overall, the Salesforce integration with Excel is fairly limited. If you want to set it up correctly, you need the Salesforce Excel connector called “Salesforce Connect”. It gives legal professionals access to real-time Salesforce data.
We recommend custom development or a third-party app on the AppExchange to get the most out of the Salesforce/ Excel integration.
Salesforce PDF Generation for Legal Professionals
Standard Salesforce functionalities do not enable legal professionals to generate a PDF in Salesforce unless they want to do so from a Quote object.
If your law firm is after Salesforce PDF generation that is fast and reliable then we recommend browsing for online document generation solutions on the AppExchange marketplace or implementing custom development.
Remember if your legal firm opts for development, then Apex code will give teams the best results. However, be sure your legal teams have the technical know-how and resources to go in this direction.
Salesforce to Generate Legal Word Documents
Salesforce native functionalities enable legal professionals to upload and manage DOCX files, but they do not give them the ability to generate or edit Word documents.
So, if your law firm wants Salesforce to generate a Word document, then it needs to look into a third-party doc gen app.
Intelligent Document Automation in Salesforce for Law Firms
But where does Intelligent Document Automation in Salesforce fit into all this? Well, Intelligent Document Automation uses AI to provide Salesforce document automation solutions. This technology has the ability to read data from legal documents to populate fields in Salesforce and convert information to digital files.
Intelligent Document Automation can also help digitize workflows to eliminate manual legal tasks. The limitations of document automation for law firms include a complicated setup that will take some time and require considerable technical expertise.
In addition, Intelligent Document Automation is not easily customizable without development, and it could be a pricey feature. So, you do have to think about whether this solution is worth your law firm’s investment.
Note: If your law firm wants to make the most out of Intelligent Document Automation, then it probably needs a Salesforce Unlimited License, whereas the Salesforce Essentials License and Salesforce Professional Licenses will make using this feature very limited.
Salesforce CPQ for Legal Quote Document Generation
Salesforce CPQ enables legal professionals to Configure, Price, and Quote quickly so they can efficiently provide clients with reliable pricing.
Legal professionals can generate quote docs from Salesforce CPQ in PDF format with the option to save them as Microsoft Word documents as well. For this capability, legal admins need to adjust some Salesforce settings.
If law firms want to generate a quote in another format, they will need to implement custom development or get a third-party app to help with Salesforce CPQ document generation.
Salesforce OmniStudio for Legal Document Generation
Salesforce OmniStudio is a suite of tools that makes life simpler for developers in law firms by enabling them to build custom web apps and processes using drag-and-drop tools.
OmniStudio doc gen also has document generation abilities for legal professionals. With OmniStudio, legal professionals can generate documents from templates in DOCX or PPTX formats. They can also generate docs by creating custom OmniScripts, Integration Procedures, and Apex Classes.
Bear in mind, like most OmniStudio functionalities, the document generation capabilities do not offer robust flexibility without using custom development or coding. Similarly, law firms need to make sure they have document generation included in their OmniStudio license and that this makes financial sense.
Salesforce CRM Document Generation Software: What do Law Firms look for?
So, what are the top features your law firm needs to look for when seeking document generation tools to support legal practice management software and Salesforce?
Getting a third-party app for document generation+CRM needs is a great idea given the gaps in Salesforce’s native functionalities.
We think you need to keep these points in mind when choosing a tool:
Salesforce Document Generation Tools for Law Firms
Now that we have taken a closer look at Salesforce document generation tools that will complement litigation support software and also examined the pros of automating processes, let’s review some top Salesforce Document generation apps for law firms.
Remember, Salesforce does not have robust document generation of its own, but the good news is that there are several document generation tool alternatives on the AppExchange marketplace.
DocuSign
DocuSign is a reliable name in the world of document generation and signatures. DocuSign Doc Gen enables legal professionals to generate a range of different documents for Salesforce. So, what are the pros and cons of using DocuSign in Salesforce to generate documents?
Pros
Cons
All in all, DocuSign is a viable document generation solution. However, given the price, legal practices could look further than DocuSign’s integration for Salesforce if a more affordable solution is required.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc has been around for over a decade and directly integrates with Salesforce. What began as a startup has ended up being a global brand.
But how good is PandaDoc for law firms? And does PandaDoc’s Salesforce Integration live up to the hype? Let’s check out the pros and cons below:
Pros
Cons
In summary, PandaDoc for Salesforce is a great option for basic doc generation but is not robust or customizable enough for more complex legal use cases.
Zoho Docs
Zoho Docs does not have the greatest Salesforce integration and law firms won’t find this tool on the AppExchange marketplace. If you want to get Zoho for Salesforce, then you will probably have to use a third-party integration platform. Zapier is the most well-known.
Alternatively, law firms can pick the hard route and try out custom development. So, what are Zoho’s pros and cons:
Pros
Cons
This one’s a simple verdict: Although easy to use, look for a document generation tool that connects directly with Salesforce. It will help you get a single source of truth and eliminate outdated data in your system.
Conga
Conga is a household name in terms of Doc Gen and is well known for helping you create and track documents for Salesforce. So what’s the hitch? Well, reviews suggest problems with usability and lack of responsiveness from the support team.
Below, we check out the top pros and cons of Conga for Salesforce and legal professionals:
Pros
Cons
Conga’s Salesforce integration has some impressive features, but overall, this solution is difficult to use and time-consuming to set up.
Docomotion
Docomotion is designed to help you generate and automate documents. The good news is that it has a relatively fast and reliable integration with Salesforce. This is not a bad tool, though the word on the street is that it is less than ideal if you are after custom implementations.
Here are its pros and cons for law firms:
Pros
Cons
Docomotion is definitely a top contender on our list. Still, it’s on the pricey side and not always easy to use, so it is worth researching all your options.
Nintex
Nintex is a Document Generation tool that legal admins have more than likely heard of. It likes to market itself as a solution that requires little to no technical ability to use. Sounds good, but what are its biggest strengths and weaknesses?
We break it down for legal professionals:
Pros
Cons
Nintex doesn’t quite live up to its hype because the reality is that this tool isn’t in fact that easy to use and is not super simple to implement if you are a non-dev legal admin.
Formstack
Formstack, as the name suggests, is usually better known for its form-building functionalities than it is for document generation. Nonetheless, its direct integration with Salesforce earns it a spot on this list. So where does Formstack win big and where can it improve in the legal space?
Pros
Cons
Formstack for Salesforce has the benefit of a direct integration, but there have been many complaints about lack of documentation, poor support, and a glitchy interface that makes it difficult to fully trust this option for crucial legal matters.
S-Docs
A S-Docs Salesforce integration is right up there with the best. Arguably, this is the best option for legal professionals on the list so far.
Claiming to be the only native document generation tool for Salesforce, this tool plays a big role in the industry and has a good reputation. So, should your law firm choose it?
Pros
Cons
S-Docs is a worthy contender, but its biggest problem is that if legal professionals want to customize docs, they will probably have to resort to some level of development and coding.
So, if you are not particularly technical and don’t have time to spare, continue searching for a solution that matches your requirements.
Titan Docs: Best Document Generation Software for Law Firms
Last on this list is Salesforce’s secret weapon: Titan Docs.
Titan is an all-in-one codeless solution for Salesforce designed to help legal professionals generate docs, deploy forms, sign fast, send surveys, streamline contract management, and build good-looking portals.
The beauty of Titan is that you can implement any kind of legal project you want using no code. This is a breath of fresh air in a market where your options usually are:
- Declarative tools with limited abilities
- Advanced and flexible legal AI tools that require coding or development
With Titan, law firms don’t have to make difficult choices and never have to compromise on quality. Using our powerful point-and-click tool for document generation in Salesforce, legal professionals can generate quotes, proposals, invoices, contracts, and so much more in just a few easy clicks.
So, what are our biggest pros and cons?
Pros
Cons
So, if you like the sound of Titan for Salesforce and are keen on a cost-effective, zero-code tool that does it all for legal docs, why not get in touch?
Legal Use Cases and Document Generation for Salesforce
If you have stayed with us and enjoyed this article so far, you might be wondering: how does all this apply to my law firm? And how will I use Salesforce document generation in my everyday life?
Great questions!
Here, we break down the top Salesforce use cases, which are applicable across a range of different legal fields.
Legal Services Proposals
Do you want to pre-populate templates for legal service proposals based on Salesforce data on your law firm, clients, and leads? It will help in automating every step of the process.
Legal service proposals usually include the experience, skills, and pricing structure of your teams. They are ideal tools that can persuade leads to hire your firm for legal matters.
By upgrading to document generation for legal service proposals, teams can focus on networking with leads and clients while skipping manual admin.
Creating legal service proposals in Salesforce can be completely streamlined. Afterward, legal professionals can even track the level of engagement with their service proposals.
Fee Agreements
Salesforce fee agreements can save your legal team hours every week and give them the ability to close deals with clients faster and more efficiently.
Using document generation, legal professionals can create fee agreements and promissory notes from Salesforce based on accurate data, pre-populate them, review the docs, and get them signed.
Salesforce CPQ can also complement this process!
Legally Binding Agreements
Ensure complete accuracy in Salesforce for lawyers with legally binding agreements that can be tracked every step of the way.
When law firms use document generation for legally binding agreements in Salesforce, they are able to quickly create docs based on up-to-the-minute data. This feature also brings together multiple legal professionals to review, sign, or notarize a document efficiently.
Legal Service Invoices
When law firms use document generation for Salesforce invoices combined with legal billing automation, they ensure all client information is automatically pulled into the doc and that it is sent out on time.
This means no delays for legal service invoices and completely accurate Salesforce records for more competent processes.
Law Reports
Salesforce law reports are essential publications that contain court judgments and legal reasoning. Law reports serve as records of legal principles and are the bedrock of how they should be applied.
Using document generation, legal professionals can gather relevant data and create a report colleagues will love. Afterward, law firms can store legal reports in Salesforce to re-examine them in the future.
Legal professionals can even create Salesforce joined reports to combine different law report types.
Contracts for Legal Services
Never settle for sub-standard legal contracts again, and ensure that every detail is based on data coming from the #1 CRM platform.
With document generation for Salesforce contracts, admins can automate every step of the contract lifecycle process, from creating legal templates to pre-population and reviewing to signing the contract.
As you can see, legal contracts are crucial to most processes, no matter your field!
Legal Memorandums
A legal memorandum is another type of document law firms can generate with Salesforce.
Whether this be for an important client meeting or as part of a review of your law firm, getting the power of Salesforce data, analytics, and insights in your legal memorandums is a game-changer.
Pleadings or Legal Documents
Virtually stamp the Salesforce letterhead on all your correspondence filed at court or sent to clients! Never miss a letter or forget to reach out to a valued client or partner again.
With Salesforce, law firms can get personalized insights on each and every single one of their correspondents to generate tailored legal documents. No more generic emails or correspondence again!
Client Intake Forms for Law Firms
Another use case is that law firms can automatically generate client intake forms using Salesforce data. This is a great solution if legal professionals need to generate these documents in bulk while still recognizing individual names, cases, and services required.
Employee Onboarding Documents Specifically for Legal Professionals
With document generation, law firms can ensure that new employees have absolutely every tool they need to succeed.
Engagement letters, confidentiality agreements, retainer contracts, conflict of interest disclosures, benefits details, and much more can be created based on Salesforce records and sent to new recruits in the format of your choosing.
How’s that for smooth Salesforce onboarding?
Speed Up Legal Services with QR and BarCodes
With the right tool, law firms can map barcodes and QR codes from docs to Salesforce for streamlining court processes, communicating with clients, and marketing or branding strategies.
The best tools will allow law firms to do this statically or dynamically, depending on the preferences and needs of their use case.
Final Thoughts on Legal Document Generation in Salesforce
We hope you enjoyed this article on document generation for Salesforce, specifically for law firms, and learned something new!
The benefits of legal document automation and generation are clear and, from our perspective, best enjoyed with a third-party app.
We hope to see you soon!
Disclaimer: The comparisons listed in this article are based on information provided by the companies online and online reviews from users. If you found a mistake, please contact us.
