FAQ
Contents
FAQs for individual customers
How does the money-back guarantee work?
Our goal is that you are 100% happy with the results of our service.
If you have any concerns, we'd prefer that you raise them with us first in case there's something we can do to put things right.
But if you're not happy, we'll refund the money immediately.
How does the process work?
It's probably easiest to understand this by watching this 90 second video. It really is that simple! If you have any questions, you can ask them here.
I'm having issues completing my interview - what help can I get?
First, look for the section at the top left of your interview screen that looks like the image below.
Click on the question mark button, and see if the guidance there answers your question. There are also a lot of help videos which you can view here.
But if you are still having problems, email lawhawk@lawhawk.nz, or call 04 889 0376 if it's urgent. If you can take a screenshot that shows the problem you are having, and attach that to an email, it will assist in quickly identifying the issue.
Can I change my document?
If you have completed an interview, downloaded your document and answer file, and then decided that you need to change some of your answers in the interview to re-generate the document, you do this from the original email containing your link.
Just click on the link within 24 hours of initially generating the document and you can re-do the interview. We're not too strict on this, so if you find you need more time, just get in touch, and we can enable that.
To avoid re-entering all the earlier information, upload your answer file. You can see how to do this here.
Because the documents you download are editable Microsoft Word documents, you (or any lawyers you work with) can always change the documents at any time, with no need to come back to the LawHawk system or pay any further charges.
Do I need a lawyer to review my document(s)?
If you aren't an experienced lawyer, we always recommend that you read the document carefully and then think about whether you want to get some legal advice.
The choice of whether you speak to a lawyer, which lawyer that is, and what you agree with them is up to you. We are happy to suggest some possible options if you need help.
Can LawHawk access my document or answers?
No, the LawHawk system on our e-commerce site has high levels of security. You answer questions in your own browser. When you are ready, your answers are sent securely to HotDocs' servers (which are on the Microsoft Azure platform) in Dublin. HotDocs process your information for a few seconds with no human involvement, and you can then download your document and answer file into your own environment. Your information is not stored by HotDocs apart from briefly during processing. It is only temporarily stored securely by our New Zealand based PCI DSS Level 1 security accredited website host, eStar, to enable download and for no more than 24 hours. Your information never comes to LawHawk.
Is the LawHawk system secure?
Yes. LawHawk's key suppliers have excellent security. For more on HotDocs security, see here. LawHawk's website host, eStar, are PCI DSS Level 1 compliant.
Do I need to install any local software?
No. You use our services over the internet, so you don't need to install any local software.
Will it work on any computer/web browser?
The overall solution relies on delivering your document(s) and answer file back to you in a zip file. For this reason, you won't be able to use an iPad or mobile phone if it can't handle zip files.
The interview questionnaires also contain a lot of questions, and sometimes require detailed answers. There are often videos embedded into the questionnaires you will want to access too. For this reason, it's best to use a larger screen and not a phone.
Where should I save my document and answer file?
You can save your document and answer file anywhere you like. You could save on your local drive (e.g. onto your 'desktop'), or if you are using some form of workflow system, you can save your files into that and manage them as you would any other documents.
The most important thing is that you should make sure that you save them somewhere secure and where you can easily find them again. Use the "Save As" function in your browser to control where the files are saved, and how you name them, so you can easily find them again.
FAQs for law firms/business customers
Does LawHawk only custom automate legal documents and processes?
For us to add value, there probably needs to be some element of legal or other logical complexity in the documents or processes. However, we certainly automate all the simple documents with the hard ones when looking at a whole process.
What we learned early on is that the "legal" documents are almost always only a small part, towards the end, of a much larger overall process. We don't focus so much on what is "legal" and what is not. We focus on the whole process and how to make sure you get the best outcomes you can from beginning to end.
As an example, if you would like to talk to us about your employment agreements, we would also be interested to understand all the steps beforehand, such as:
- Can we hire?
- How will we hire?
- How will we reference check?
We would also look at what happens after hiring, and how you will get this employee onboarded quickly and effectively so they can do all the things you hope they can do for you.
How does the process of getting documents automated work?
See our LawHawk Automation Services page for more detail on this.
How does the document generation process work?
It's probably easiest to understand this by watching this [2-minute video]. It really is that simple! If you have questions, you can ask them here.
We also have a "sandbox" environment we can provide you with access to, so you can carry out a free trial and see how it works.
I'm having issues completing my interview - what help can I get?
First, look for the section at the top left of your interview screen that looks like the image below.
Click on the question mark symbol, and see if the guidance there answers your question. There are also a lot of help videos which you can view here.
But if you are still having problems, email lawhawk@lawhawk.nz, or call 04 889 0376 if it's urgent. If you can take a screenshot that shows the problem you are having, and attach that to an email, it will assist in quickly identifying the issue.
Can I change my document?
As a business customer, generally there will be no limits in the number of documents you can assemble, and the number of times you can come back and make changes.
These arrangements will all be covered within the pricing we agree with you up-front.
Can documents be drafted in our own style?
Yes! If we custom automate your documents for you, they will look exactly as you want them to. We do all our automation on top of your existing Word templates, so it is no difficulty at all to have your font, numbering, logos and other customisations.
It's also possible for us to create versions of some of our LawHawk templates (for example wills, enduring powers of attorney and employment agreements) for you. If you tell us your firm's styles, we can assemble documents in those styles.
Can you indicate costs and timeframes to automate our documents?
To do this properly we need to see the documents, and we can then give you a detailed proposal, but often the cost is similar to the fees law firms charge to generate similar documents each time they do one.
If you send us the documents, we will review them without charge and give you a report setting out if they are suited for automation and, if so, proposing how we will do it, when we can do it by, how much it will cost, and what results you can expect. Any documents you send us will be kept confidential, and only used to provide you with our report and proposal.
You can also see our LawHawk Automation Services page which contains more information on how we work and price for our services.
Can I upload my templates myself?
No, that is not possible at this stage. We provide a fully managed service when we custom automate your documents, and will do this for you to make sure everything works as it needs to.
Can anyone else use my document templates?
We will store the document templates we automate for you on a separate page that only you, and others you authorise, can access.
Is the LawHawk system secure?
Yes. LawHawk's key suppliers have excellent security. For more on HotDocs security, see here. LawHawk's website host for our business customers, SilverStripe, was chosen in part because they have an established track record of delivering websites for the New Zealand Government.
We can provide you with substantial security information if you need to know more.
General FAQs
What is HotDocs, and why is it relevant to LawHawk?
HotDocs is the market-leading provider of document automation software, with more than 1m users in 11,000 organisations around the world. Hotdocs is owned by AbacusNext, which has been recognised by Forbes as one of America's fastest-growing companies.
HotDocs' software is one of the key technologies that we use to deliver our solutions.
We use the HotDocs platform for its powerful automation, so we can focus on quickly and cost-effectively creating benefits from document automation.
The key points to note are:
- Anyone can licence HotDocs. The results you get will on your own depend on your own skills and effort.
- LawHawk's customers use us to ensure they get the results they need at a known cost.
Do I have to be a lawyer to use LawHawk?
No, you don't have to be a lawyer. Many New Zealanders have used our online wills and been very happy with the outcomes as you can see from these reviews.
Similarly, we have designed several solutions for use by business users. We take care of the legal logic in the background, while presenting the user with a more straightforward and intuitive questionnaire to work through.
What is a document interview?
A document interview is the questionnaire you will fill in on your screen. Once you complete the interview, the automation software assembles the final customised document(s) from the template by merging the interview answers into the template text.
What is an answer file?
Answer files relate to our HotDocs solutions. As you complete an interview to generate a document, you can save your answers into an answer file. It is essentially a file that contains all the answers you inputted into the interview, in a format that can be recognised by HotDocs.
You'll also get an answer file delivered to you with your document. The answer file allows you to make changes quickly, or to work even faster the next time you need to generate a similar document. For example, if you did a will and enduring powers of attorney for a wife, you could re-use the answer file to do the same for the husband with just a few changes.