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About PatternBuilder

PatternBuilder Review: Legal Document Automation for Lawyers

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Lawyerist Rating for PatternBuilder

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Rating Breakdown

Our Rating: 4.7/5

Our rating is based on our subjective judgment. Use our resources—including our rating and community ratings and reviews—to find the best fit for your firm.

4.7/5

Overview
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What is PatternBuilder?

PatternBuilder is a NetDocuments-centric template and process automation tool promising a “no code” approach to automation. It offers robust tools and can slipstream into legal process automation and document e-signing procedures. However, one must subscribe to NetDocuments to access PatternBuilder. While some firms buy NetDocuments expressly to use PatternBuilder, firms using another document management system, or none, must weigh the cost of NetDocuments plus PatternBuilder when seeking an automation and workflow technology.

Starting Cost: Custom

Pros
  • Built-in eSignature
  • Low-Code
  • Integrated with NetDocuments
Cons
  • No ePayments
  • No Ready-made Templates
  • No Open API
Overview
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PatternBuilder Review: Legal Document Automation for Lawyers Features

Customer Experience & Support

/5

Price & Value

/5

Security

/5

Innovation & Future-Proofing

/5

Overview
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PatternBuilder Review: Legal Document Automation for Lawyers Video

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Product Details

Services Offered
  • Document Automation
Apps
  • Web
Software Integrations
  • NetDocuments

Core Features

For Document Management & Automation, the following are essential features, and you should therefore expect to see a check in every box in this section.

Yes
No

Free Trial

Open API

An open API means that the program has an application programming interface that will allow it to directly integrate with other software programs such your firm's timekeeping, accounting, or custom relationship management software.

Version Control

This means the software provides information on document revisions and makes sure you are using the most recent version of a template.

Encryption

Built-In E-Signing

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Metadata Scrubbing

Document Templates

The document management program creates resuable templates.

Court Forms

Guided Interviews

The program can create a guided interview and then use the client's answers to automatically create a document.

Conditional Logic

If the software uses conditional logic, this means that you can choose to have certain text in your assembled document included only under certain conditions

Tables

This means the software can generate tables of any size and place them in your assembled document.

Calculations

If this field is checked, it means the software can perform calculations based on numerical or text input.

Compare PatternBuilder Similar Products

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PatternBuilder

4.7/5

NetDocuments Logo
Pros
  • Built-in eSignature
  • Low-Code
  • Integrated with NetDocuments
Cons
  • No ePayments
  • No Ready-made Templates
  • No Open API

Gavel

4.7/5

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Pros
  • White Labeling
  • MS Word Add-in
  • Guided Interviews
Cons
  • Weak Zapier Integration
  • No Ready-made Templates
  • Expensive
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HotDocs

3.9/5

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Pros
  • MS Word Add-in
  • Integrations
  • Open API
Cons
  • No ePayments
  • Complex Set-up
  • Not for Solos
Read HotDocs Review

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the price of PatternBuilder?

PatternBuilder does not publish pricing. They prefer to start a subscription conversation via demo (https://www.netdocuments.com/products/patternbuilder#request-demo-section). Firms can request a demo without being an existing NetDocuments customer

Does PatternBuilder integrate with my Law Practice Management Software?

PatternBuilder integrates tightly with NetDocuments. All documents created in the platform are automatically saved there. If your LPMS integrates with NetDocuments, PatternBuilder documents will be accessible within that also.

Can my law office accept eSignatures through PatternBuilder?

Yes. In addition to native esignature tools, NetDocuments integrations like DocuSign are also available.

Can my law firm accept ePayments through PatternBuilder?

No, as of this review, PatternBuilder does not have an ePayment component.

Does PatternBuilder have Guided Interviews or client-facing forms?

Guided interviews are available for internal use, including conditional logic and tables. PatternBuilder lacks external, client-facing forms.

Is PatternBuilder easy for lawyers to use?

Yes, it is a "no code" solution and promises that legal team members can create and update workflows without engaging a software developer or IT professional.

Can my law firm use our own templates?

Yes, in fact, the platform uses only your templates. There are no starter sets or jurisdictional bundles to buy. Instead, you start with the documents you have.

Does PatternBuilder have ready-made templates?

No, as of this review PatternBuilder does not offer ready-made templates. However, on the plus side, you automate the language you’ve perfected in practice.

How difficult is PatternBuilder to set-up?

As a cloud service running atop NetDocuments, PatternBuilder requires no installation. As a "no code" application, it has a gentle learning curve.

Will PatternBuilder work on my computer?

Users create documents through a web-based process. Any modern web browser on any modern operating system (e.g., Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android) can open the PatternBuilder tool and generate a document.

Additional Details about PatternBuilder

PatternBuilder adds powerful automation and document assembly features to NetDocuments without attorneys needing to hire or be software developers or shade-tree IT professionals.

Use the AI-Powered PatternBuilderMAX to Get More from Your Documents More Quickly

PatternBuilderMAX is an AI add-on product from NetDocuments, part of its ndMAX suite of AI tools. With PatternBuilderMAX, you define the questions and workflows to produce documents. PatternBulderMAX uses your existing documents, or the subset you select, as the basis for creating new documents.

Creating New Documents with AI

PatternBuilderMAX can take a sample or model document and create a new branded, formatted draft document based on that sample or model.

Extracting Information Quickly from Existing Documents

When you receive documents, PatternBuilderMAX can “read” those documents, extract the relevant information, and save it into a NetDocuments-stored database. Similarly, PatternBuilderMAX can summarize documents and build custom interview scripts from those documents. For example, the AI could “read” a deposition and make entries into a database of “case name”, “deponent,” “”examining attorney,” “topics covered,” and more. You could then have PatternBuilderMAX create a list of proposed questions for that or other witnesses from what it knows of the deposition.

Core Automation Capabilities

PatternBuilder offers attorneys the major document assembly tools, such as text, date, and number variables. Users can create document templates from existing documents and build guided interviews. Template capabilities include conditional logic and data tables. Additionally, calculation variables remove the math burden from form users.

Integrations

PatternBuilder harnesses all the features inherent to NetDocuments, such as version control, encryption, and optical character recognition. Further, building on underlying NetDocuments capabilities or its open API, PatternBuilder can reach other vendors like Clio, DocuSign, and more.

Who PatternBuilder is for

PatternBuilder’s “no code” philosophy makes it approachable to automation novices. And, once the firm creates and deploys automated templates, PatternBuilder promises to be a self-service tool for clients and coworkers. Further, unlike some automation or assembly programs, it advertises the ability to “create customized, error-free documents at scale,” indicating that PatternBuilder is a strong fit for high-volume practices. However, firms not already using NetDocuments may want to consider alternatives.

Not sure where to begin? Download our Field Guide

Take the guesswork out of researching, purchasing, and implementing the right legal tech products and services for your law firm. Our Field Guide answers your essential questions and breaks down the features most important to your business, so you can buy with confidence.

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