How to edit LawVu files in Word Desktop

Who can use this feature?

🔑 Requires an active Microsoft Office installation

In this article:

If the integration is not already marked as "Active," follow these steps to enable it:

2. Click on Get Started

3. Click on Enable now

From the Files tab of a matter or contract, click the three dots next to the document (...) and select Edit in Word. This action opens the file locally on your desktop, allowing you to make changes using Microsoft Word.

Once you've finalized your edits, you can seamlessly upload the updated file back to LawVu—either to the same matter or a different one—using the LawVu add-in for Microsoft Word.

The option to open the file in Word locally is also available from the Preview window:

Note: The integration can only edit documents that are saved in the .DOCX file format.The older .DOC file format, used in previous versions of Word, is not compatible with the editing function. If you encounter a .DOC file, you can open it in the Word desktop application, use the "Save As" feature to convert it to .DOCX format, and then upload the converted version to LawVu. This process enables the "Edit in Word Online" option for the document.

You can edit contract documents using either Word Desktop or Word on the web, depending on your preference. To set your default application for editing:

1. From the Overview tab of the contract, click the small arrow next to the Edit button.

2. Select Settings and choose your preferred option.

From now on, whenever you click on Edit, the file will open in your preferred application.

To read more about the Word on the web Integration, please check this article: Editing Word documents with Word on the web

When opening a document using Edit in Word, Microsoft Word may initially display a temporary name such as Document1 instead of the original file name.

This is a limitation of Microsoft Word’s integration framework and is outside of LawVu’s control. We’ve explored all available options to change this behaviour, but Microsoft does not currently provide a way to override it. The document remains correctly linked to LawVu, and the correct file name is shown when saving or versioning via the LawVu add-in, or when you are prompted to save on close. We’ll continue to monitor Microsoft updates and will review this behaviour if improvements become available.