If there are any CA lawyers in this group, perhaps you can offer some
guidance. Converting a Word document (Word 2003) in Columns for a MSJ
Separate Statement with pleading lines to WordPerfect has proven to be
next to impossible.

So, perhaps the answer is to learn how to do the same thing in Word.
The columns need to be equidistant wide, with a separator column .5
wide. The text will line up at the start, although it might not finish
in column three at the same place. The next block of text will start
on the numbered line or two below the one above. Thus a whole series
of Points and Citations (or references to the record) will stream down
the multiple pages of the document.

Is there a tutorial somewhere? I've looked at the help files, and they
might as well be written in Greek.

The essence of what is done in WordPerfect is to create Newspaper
columns, 3.5", .5", then 3.5", and after the text is entered in columns
1 and 3, "discontinue". When you go to the next numbered pleading
line, start another set of Newspaper columns. It sounds cumbersome,
and it is probably the most difficult thing to do in WPerfect.

Feel free to respond privately -- even flame me for my ignorance -- at


Thanks.

Dave Clark

Pleadings never convert well, and any resulting document would probably be
unstable.

We use tables for separate statements and begin each new item in a new row.
I would get rid of the top and bottom cell margins, though, if you are
concerned about keeping everything aligned with the numbered lines on your
pleading paper. Set line spacing to exactly 24 points.

The only major difficulty you'll have is with line breaks in the table --
you won't have much control. I wouldn't try to tweak anything until you have
all the text in and won't be making any more changes.

"DC1999" wrote:

If there are any CA lawyers in this group, perhaps you can offer some
guidance. Converting a Word document (Word 2003) in Columns for a MSJ
Separate Statement with pleading lines to WordPerfect has proven to be
next to impossible.

So, perhaps the answer is to learn how to do the same thing in Word.
The columns need to be equidistant wide, with a separator column .5
wide. The text will line up at the start, although it might not finish
in column three at the same place. The next block of text will start
on the numbered line or two below the one above. Thus a whole series
of Points and Citations (or references to the record) will stream down
the multiple pages of the document.

Is there a tutorial somewhere? I've looked at the help files, and they
might as well be written in Greek.

The essence of what is done in WordPerfect is to create Newspaper
columns, 3.5", .5", then 3.5", and after the text is entered in columns
1 and 3, "discontinue". When you go to the next numbered pleading
line, start another set of Newspaper columns. It sounds cumbersome,
and it is probably the most difficult thing to do in WPerfect.

Feel free to respond privately -- even flame me for my ignorance -- at


Thanks.

Dave Clark

My assistant finally figured out how to convert the Word document to
WordPerfect -- by brute force.

First, we had to abandon any hope of using Word.

Then, we figured out that in WordPerfect, we could achieve the correct
result with Parallel columns and block protect. WP has those features
as check boxes. The default is Newspaper, so have to be careful to get
into Parallel. Newspaper just won't work properly.

Last, she simply re-typed the 35 numbered entries. Apparently, whoever
did them originally in the version of the Word document sent to us had
used outrageous editing, such as space bar entries to get proper
justification, etc.

With parallel, you still have to discontinue columns after each
paragraph of the Separate Statement.

Whoever dreamed up the format at the California Judicial Council must
have been a sadist.

Your idea of using tables is a good one. We may try that next time we
have to do this.

Thanks.

Dave