Abstract: A system and method allows multiple users to more efficiently access and use client information in the preparation and assembly of documents. A computer software system captures certain information from clients and separately stores it from ordinary document assembly files such as template and answer files. A computer software system provides an intuitive, friendly environment in which to call a document assembly engine. A computer software system enables a more efficient re-use of information to form completed documents. A context-sensitive computer software interface hierarchally arranges a list of documents by client, then client matter, and then document type. Files are internally uniquely named and are accessed by a checkout mechanism from a central repository which avoids data loss associated with multi-user access.