I use outlines to organize most information stored on my computer.

In Microsoft Word (offline / standalone: Professional Plus 2021), I want to create a new template for a legal outline with the numbers at each level aligned to the left margin and leader dots between the outline number and the text.



Microsoft Word allows nine levels of numbers in the outline.

On the first level of the outline, after the outline number, the line of text is tabbed at .5 inch.

On the second through nine levels of the outline, after the outline number, each succeeding line of text is tabbed / indented a further .25 inch.

I have spent many hours trying to create such a template, but the outline numbers invariably become scrambled every time I create a new numbered section.

I have tried to use “Define New multi-Level List” to correct the errors, but it only compounds the problem.

Here is a screenshot of the legal outline I have created and, in the second section, one of the many ways the numbering become scrambled.

I would appreciate any suggestions for how to deal with this issue.

Attached Images

ScreenHunter 13.jpg (158.5 KB, 16 views)

The short story is that whenever you go to revisit the “Define New multi-Level List” dialog to fiddle with a lower level - BEFORE YOU DO, YOU MUST put your cursor back in a Level 1 paragraph from that outline list.

Useful reference material I highly recommend you carefully consider is
Outlining
How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in Word 2007 and Word 2010 | ShaunaKelly.com

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Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

More detail:

Multilevel numbering in Word is easy to mess up. It always has been.

Automatic Paragraph Numbering all starts with the Define New List Style Dialog.
You use that to create and name a list style, within that dialog, when you format numbering you go to the Define New MultiLevel List Dialog. The key is to assign a separate existing paragraph style to each level of numbering. The styles can be built-in styles- or custom styles.

If you use automatic paragraph numbering or bullets read Shauna Kelly's directions on numbering and bullets. Start with How to create numbered headings or outline numbering and her parallel page How to control bullets. For large documents you must follow these directions or you will lose your hair!
(Mac version: Outline Numbering in Word for macOS - Best Practices - Brandwares). For styles attached this way, you also control the left indents through the Define New MultiLevel List dialog not the Ruler or the Modify Style dialog.

You first want the paragraph styles existing in your document. These can be built-in styles or custom styles or a mix of the two. You can, if you want, modify their formatting later. Then you go to the Define New List Style (Not Define New MultiLevel List! You will get to that dialog in the process, though.)

This may seem a bit convoluted at first, but it really is not. Just follow the steps. Shauna Kelly's instructions use the built-in heading styles, but you can use any existing paragraph styles including your custom styles. There are, however advantages to using the built-in heading styles when you create a Table of Contents. Here are some more advantages: Why Use Word's Built-In Heading Styles? by Shauna Kelly Note, you can modify these built-in styles to look exactly the way you want.

You want to do this even if what you want is a single-level list if you want the most control over your list.

Videos on this

https://youtu.be/niD6VXPvAyU?t=487
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EICWOeIhsR4

The basic idea is that the numbering is set using the Define MultiLevel List dialog with each numbering level being attached to an existing paragraph style. Once you have this set up, you should not use the buttons for numbering in the Ribbon but rather apply the appropriate style for that level.

You can save a document with this as a template for future documents if you want so you will not need to do this every time.


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I'm a lawyer.

There is no way I would create a legal document that would go through any editing without using this process.

Once again, I deeply appreciate you directing me to the guide created by Shaunna Kelly. It will take some time to assimilate all the information, but I clearly sense that I will find the answers that I need in her guide.