Document Editing

Create and edit legal documents directly in SafeAppeals with full rich text support.

Supported File Types

.docx

Word Documents

Full support for Microsoft Word documents with formatting.

  • • Rich text editing
  • • Headings & lists
  • • Tables
  • • Export to PDF
.md

Markdown

Simple, portable text format with preview support.

  • • Live preview
  • • Syntax highlighting
  • • Easy formatting
  • • Version control friendly
.txt

Plain Text

Simple text files without formatting.

  • • Fast editing
  • • No formatting issues
  • • Universal compatibility

Working with Word Documents

SafeAppeals includes a built-in Word document editor, perfect for creating appeal letters and legal briefs.

Opening Word Files

  1. Click on a .docx file in the File Explorer
  2. The document opens in the visual editor
  3. Edit using the formatting toolbar

Formatting Options

Text Formatting

  • • Bold (Ctrl+B)
  • • Italic (Ctrl+I)
  • • Underline (Ctrl+U)
  • • Strikethrough
  • • Subscript / Superscript

Paragraph Formatting

  • • Headings (H1-H6)
  • • Bulleted lists
  • • Numbered lists
  • • Block quotes
  • • Text alignment

Creating New Word Documents

  1. Right-click in the File Explorer
  2. Select New File
  3. Name the file with a .docx extension
  4. Start typing in the visual editor

Tip: Use templates for common documents. Create a "Templates" folder and copy files when starting new documents.

Working with Markdown

Markdown is a simple, portable text format that's great for notes, drafts, and documentation.

Markdown Basics

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

**Bold text** and *italic text*

- Bullet point
- Another point
  - Nested point

1. Numbered list
2. Second item

> Block quote for citing sources

[Link text](https://example.com)

---

| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|----------|----------|
| Cell 1   | Cell 2   |

Preview Mode

  • Ctrl+Shift+V — Open preview in new tab
  • Ctrl+K V — Open side-by-side preview

AI-Assisted Editing

Use the AI assistant to help write and edit your documents:

Quick Edit (Ctrl+K)

  1. Select the text you want to modify
  2. Press Ctrl+K
  3. Describe your change (e.g., "make more formal")
  4. Review and accept the suggestion

Chat-Based Editing

  1. Select text in your document
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+L to send to chat
  3. Ask the AI to rewrite, expand, or analyze the text
  4. Copy the result back into your document

Useful AI Prompts for Legal Documents

"Rewrite this paragraph to be more persuasive"

"Add proper legal citations to this argument"

"Summarize this section in 2-3 sentences"

"Check this for logical consistency"

"Make this language more accessible while maintaining legal accuracy"

Saving and Exporting

Auto-Save

Enable auto-save to never lose work:

  1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
  2. Search for "Auto Save"
  3. Set to "afterDelay" (recommended: 1000ms)

Manual Save

  • Ctrl+S — Save current file
  • Ctrl+Shift+S — Save As (new location/name)
  • Ctrl+K S — Save all open files

Exporting

  • Word to PDF: Use "Print to PDF" or an external tool
  • Markdown to PDF: Install a Markdown PDF extension
  • Markdown to HTML: Use the built-in export or extensions

Document Templates

Create templates for documents you use frequently:

  1. Create your template document with placeholder text
  2. Save it in a "Templates" folder
  3. When needed, copy the template to your case folder
  4. Edit the copy with your specific case details

Suggested Templates

Appeal Letter

Standard appeal letter format with sections for facts, arguments, and relief requested

Case Summary

One-page case overview with key dates, parties, and issues

Evidence List

Numbered list template for cataloging evidence with descriptions

Research Notes

Structured template for organizing legal research findings

Next Steps

AI AssistantCase Management