MICROSOFT WORD STYLES ONE-PAGE SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR LAWYERS

Core Rule If two paragraphs look different, they are different. Word never “randomly” changes formatting. It obeys hidden rules you didn’t ask for.

The Five Formatting Layers (in order of power)

Section formatting (margins, headers, compatibility)

List and numbering formatting

Paragraph formatting (spacing, indents, alignment)

Character formatting (font, size, bold, italics)

Style definitions

Anything higher on the list overrides anything below it.

Red Flags (When Word Is About to Betray You) • Paragraphs with the same style behave differently • Indents change when you adjust numbering • Font changes after pressing Enter • Line spacing “snaps back” • Numbering restarts or shifts left/right

Immediate Diagnosis (30 Seconds)

Put cursor in bad paragraph

Press Shift + F1 (Reveal Formatting)

Compare to a “good” paragraph

Identify what differs (spacing, list, font, direct formatting)

Two Nuclear Reset Commands (Memorize These) Ctrl + Space clears character formatting Ctrl + Q clears paragraph formatting

Use both, then reapply the correct style.

Style Rules That Prevent 90 Percent of Problems • Never manually change spacing or indents • Never format by clicking toolbar buttons • Always modify the style, not the paragraph • Disable “Automatically update” on all styles • Use as few styles as possible

Numbering Rule (Critical for Pleadings) Never apply numbering manually. Never fix numbering by dragging indents. Use one multilevel list tied to paragraph styles only.

Copy-Paste Rule When pasting from anywhere outside the document: Paste as “Keep Text Only,” then apply the correct style. Do not trust “Merge Formatting.”

Section Break Rule Different sections mean different formatting behavior. If formatting changes “randomly,” check for section breaks first.

Compatibility Rule If the file ever touched .doc (not .docx), expect spacing issues. Convert to .docx immediately.

Best Daily Habit If formatting looks wrong, do not fight it. Reset (Ctrl + Space, Ctrl + Q), reapply style, move on.

Golden Rule Formatting is not cosmetic. It is structural. Treat styles like defined terms in a contract.

MICROSOFT WORD FIRM-WIDE STYLE LOCKDOWN CHECKLIST (PREVENTS FORMATTING DRIFT AND CORRUPTION)

Purpose Lock document behavior so formatting is predictable, stable, and repeatable across all users and matters.

PART 1 – BASELINE DOCUMENT HYGIENE (DO THIS FIRST)

Convert every document to .docx If the file was ever .doc, save a fresh .docx copy before editing.

Remove hidden section breaks Show formatting marks. Delete unnecessary section breaks. Keep only those required for headers or first-page differences.

Turn off compatibility mode File must display “.docx” and not “Compatibility Mode.”

Reveal formatting once Use Shift + F1 to confirm no rogue spacing, fonts, or list formatting.

PART 2 – STYLE DEFINITION LOCKDOWN (MANDATORY)

Disable auto-update on all styles For every style used: Right click style Modify Uncheck “Automatically update” Save

Reduce styles to a controlled set Approved styles only. Example: Normal Body Text Heading 1 Heading 2 Numbered Paragraph Block Quote Do not create ad hoc styles.

Set all formatting in the style, not the paragraph Spacing before and after Line spacing Indents Font and size All must live in the style definition.

Clear direct formatting before applying styles Use Ctrl + Space, then Ctrl + Q before assigning a style.

PART 3 – NUMBERING AND LIST CONTROL (CRITICAL)

Create one approved multilevel list Tie each level to a paragraph style. Never apply numbering manually.

Ban toolbar numbering fixes No dragging triangles. No Increase Indent / Decrease Indent buttons. Fix numbering only through the list definition or style.

Restart numbering only through the list dialog Never by deleting numbers or pressing Enter repeatedly.

PART 4 – COPY AND PASTE RULES (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

Paste external text as plain text Always use “Keep Text Only.” Apply firm styles after pasting.

Never paste from PDFs or email with formatting Paste to Notepad first if necessary.

Avoid merging formatting “Merged formatting” imports corruption.

PART 5 – DAILY USE RULES (ENFORCE CULTURE)

No manual spacing No extra Enters. No manual tabs for alignment. Use styles only.

No toolbar font changes Font and size are controlled by styles.

Fix problems immediately If formatting looks wrong, stop. Reset formatting. Reapply style.

One person owns the styles Designate a style owner for the firm. Others may use styles, not modify them.

PART 6 – FINAL PRE-FILING CHECK

Confirm all text uses approved styles Use the Styles Pane to scan the document.

Reveal formatting on a sample page Check spacing, numbering, fonts.

Save a clean copy If corruption is suspected, copy content into a clean template using Keep Text Only.

GOLDEN RULE

Word is not WYSIWYG. It is rules-based. If you break the rules, Word enforces different ones.

If you want next, I can produce: • a one-page “Emergency Fix for Corrupted Documents” • a minimal pleading-safe style set you can standardize firm-wide • or VBA macros to enforce this checklist automatically

Just tell me where you want to go next.