First, Microsoft Word does not actually have a feature called Paragraph Glue. That’s just an umbrella term I use to describe two (sticky) features. The first (Keep With Next) will hold one or more paragraphs together on a page; and the second (Keep Lines Together) will hold the lines of a particular paragraph together on a page. To the extent you’re wondering why you haven’t seen the buttons for these features, well that’s because there aren’t any buttons for them. Welcome to Microsoft Word! Important functions a legal user would likely need in just about any document are often concealed. However, that doesn’t mean they are inaccessible. The following is a description of these features, when they’re appropriate to use, and how to utilize them.
Keep With Next: Let’s begin with an explanation of the problem this feature resolves. In the screenshot below, you see a very common issue in legal documents which I’d refer to as an awkward page break. I would obviously want paragraph 2.3 to move to the top of page 3 and not be marooned at the bottom of the page 2.
Unfortunately, most users try to resolve this issue by adding hard returns (Enter key) or page breaks above the title. To be clear, that technique is only a temporary fix and you should never use that technique again if that’s your typical approach. The problem with those faux fixes is that if the document undergoes further editing and more text is added or deleted above it, you’re likely going to have to remove those hard returns or page breaks later or you’ll end up with gaps/blank pages in your document. You may be thinking, “well I only do that when the document is finalized - so I don’t have to worry about further editing.” Respectfully, that’s still not a valid defense because almost all new documents in law offices are created from existing documents (as templates). Thus, it’s likely that the document you finalized today may be used as a template at some future date, in which case it will undergo further editing. When that happens, the latent defect you created in the original document is likely to show itself.
A superior way to deal with this is to simply glue paragraph 2.3 in the foregoing example to any subsequent paragraph so you don’t have to worry about it again and you don’t have to add any hard returns or page breaks. To utilize this feature, you should not select paragraphs 2.3 and (a) although that would seem a logical first step. Instead, you want to focus solely on the paragraph/title/heading you want to glue to a subsequent paragraph. Simply right-click the paragraph/title (Holdover in this case) choose Paragraph from the menu that appears click the Line and Page Breaks tab at the top of the subsequent dialog check Keep with next click OK.
You don’t want to select paragraphs 2.3 and sub (a) before right-clicking is because that will glue paragraph 2.3 to (a), and subparagraph (a) to subparagraph (b). If you glue too much text together, I guarantee you’ll start seeing bizarre page breaks in your document. So a little glue is good, but you don’t want it on everything or you’ll have a whole new formatting issue to resolve (random gaps and inexplicable page breaks). As such, you need to be surgical in your application of this feature, and be careful not to apply it where you don’t actually need it.
Keep Lines Together: This is a slightly different type of glue compared to Keep With Next. In this case, you’re not glueing one paragraph to another, you just want to hold the lines of a particular paragraph together. For example, you would not want a page break to occur in the middle of the highlighted paragraph below.
If you work with footnotes, you may have also seen Word decide to split a footnoteacross multiple pages(and I’ve still never met anyone who wanted one footnote split across multiple pages). This feature solves(and I’ve still never met anyone whowanted one footnote split across multiple pages)that problem as well. If you want to hold the lines of a paragraph together on a page, simply right-click the paragraph/title (holdover in this case), choose Paragraph from the menu that appears, click the Line and Page Breaks tab at the top of the subsequent dialog - check keep page with next - then click OK.
Using Both Features Together: "Using Both Features Together: It is often appropriate to use both types of glue together on a block of text. For example, in the foregoing acknowledgment, I want the state and county to stick to the “Be it remembered…” paragraph, I want the lines of the paragraph in the middle stuck together on a page "and I want the paragraph to also adhere to the signature blank for the Notary. As such, I would select/block the entire acknowledgement - right click - paragraph - check both Keep with Next and Keep lines together - click OK. After doing that, the entire acknowledgement will move as a unit and stay together on a page.
Make These Features Easier to Access: Interestingly, you can add buttons for thesefeatures to the Quick Access Toolbar or even the main ribbon. How to do that is beyond the scope of this article, but if you already know how to add custom buttons to Word, be advised that although the features are called Keep with next and Keep lines together, the buttons for them are called Para keep with next and Para keep lines together, respectively. If you think it’s ridiculous that Microsoft would alphabetize features that begin with “k” under the letter “p,” well, join the club.
Barron K. Henley, a founding partner of Affinity Consulting Group, is a legal technology expert with a diverse background. After practicing law from 1993 to 1997, he transitioned to providing technology services for lawyers. At Affinity, Henley leads the document assembly/automation and software training departments, specializing in automating complex documents using platforms like HotDocs and Contract Express. He conducts technology audits, assists in launching new law firms, and delivers engaging continuing legal education seminars across the US and Canada on technology, practice management, and ethics.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Henley is deeply involved in the legal community. He's a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and the American Bar Foundation, a member of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Technology and the Courts, and Co-Chair of the ABA Joint Law Practice Management Group. Personally, Henley is an enthusiastic cook, preparing all meals for his family at home. He enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and biking with his wife and dog, and has a passion for smart home technology. Despite describing himself as "always in a hurry," he proudly maintains a clean driving record of 37 years.
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