Those of you who follow my blog are no doubt saying, “Gosh, Rick, aren’t you a bit late to the game here?” After all, Adobe Acrobat DC shipped three weeks ago.

I am negligent, although on advice of counsel I will not actually admit that . . . 🙂

In this post, I’ll present just the essentials of the Acrobat DC. I hope to follow up with more detailed posts in the future.

  1. Adobe Acrobat DC is the latest version of Acrobat and is the successor to Acrobat XI
  2. The “DC” stands for Document Cloud, a set of (optional) connected cloud services for Acrobat
  3. The PDF file format has not changed.
    Any work you produce with Acrobat DC can be opened in previous versions or other tools which work with PDF
  4. The new version includes about 40 new features and a redesigned interface
  5. You can buy Adobe Acrobat DC via subscription (paid monthly or annually) or perpetually (purchase outright).
    I plan to blog more on this topic, so stay tuned.
  6. New Adobe Acrobat DC Mobile app

What are the Document Cloud services?

Many attorneys are already using cloud services. You may wonder what your ethical obligations are when using cloud services. I suggest you consult the Practice Management section of your local bar association for advice. Some US states have issued opinions and the American Bar Association offers this useful web page which aggregates this information: Cloud Ethics Opinions Around the U.S.

For many of our legal customers, the idea of cloud services is new, but I must say that the services available with Adobe Acrobat DC are really useful and work very well. I think you will enjoy using them in your practice.

Below, I’ve included brief descriptions of the services which I think are most valuable for legal professionals.

Electronic Signatures

With Acrobat DC, you can collect legal e-signatures quickly and securely — without printing, faxing, overnight delivery or requiring your client to come to your office. This eliminates paper and saves time. More importantly, it removes friction from signature processes and keeps the workflow completely digital. (PC, Mac, tablet or phone). All parties receive a certified, tamper-evident PDF with a full audit trail.

Learn more about Electronic Signatures included with Adobe Acrobat DC

Send and Track

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Learn more about Send and Track included with Adobe Acrobat DC

Learn more about Mobile Link included with Acrobat DC

What new features are included in Adobe Acrobat DC?

Acrobat DC includes 41 new or enhanced features. Consult this table which compares to Adobe Acrobat DC to Acrobat XI

I plan to blog in more detail about some of the features in the future.