Hi mygsdni,

You could use a custom numbering format for a Paragraph Style, where the '12-' is hard-coded into the numbering. That would eliminate the SEQ field and cause the numbering to update immediately a new paragraph in that Style is created.

To do this, select any unused paragraph in the document, format its layout, font etc for how you want these paragraphs to look, then go to Format|Bullets and Numbering|Numbered. Pick a suitable base numbering system and choose 'Customize'. Then, in the 'Number Format' box, type your 12- before the # (be careful not to delete the #). Click OK. Then choose Format|Styles and Formatting|New Style and give your paragraph a suitable Style name. Click OK and you're done. Now, whenever you want one of these paragraphs, simply apply your custom Style to it.

As for numbering different columns, either method results in the numbering going across then down, whereas it appears you want down then across. The only ways of overcoming this are to:
a) use different SEQ field names (ie change 'Counter' to something else for the 2nd column) and set a new starting # for the first row;
b) use different Style names for each column, with their own default starting #s; or
c) change both the table's layout and its text orientation so that the columns and rows are transposed and the side-on text gives the appearance of the numbering going down the columns.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]