Search UK case law inside Microsoft Word

LexDraft adds a Case law tab to Microsoft Word. With a UK jurisdiction selected, you can look up UK judgments by neutral citation, case name or keywords while you draft, and LexDraft checks UK neutral citations so you know whether a cited case matches a judgment on Find Case Law.

How UK case-law lookup works

1. Choose a UK jurisdiction. Set the jurisdiction chip to UK: England & Wales, UK: Scotland or UK: Northern Ireland.
2. Open the Case law tab in the LexDraft panel.
3. Search by citation, case name or keywords. For example, a search for the neutral citation [2024] UKSC 1 finds Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
4. Read the result. Each result shows the case name, the court, the date and the neutral citation, with a link that opens the judgment on Find Case Law.
5. Read the judgment itself. LexDraft does not summarise or interpret judgments. Open the judgment and check the passage you rely on.

Neutral citation check

A neutral citation identifies a judgment independently of any law report: the year, the court and a number, such as [2024] UKSC 1, [2023] EWCA Civ 100 or [2022] EWHC 1234 (Ch). Neutral citations were introduced for the senior courts of England and Wales in 2001.

When a LexDraft answer cites a UK neutral citation, LexDraft checks it against Find Case Law and shows whether a matching judgment was found. A match confirms only that the citation points to a real judgment with that name. It does not confirm that the case says what the draft claims, so read the judgment before you rely on it.

Law report citations, such as those in the Appeal Cases or Weekly Law Reports series, cannot be checked this way. Search by case name instead, or find the neutral citation for the judgment.

Where the results come from

UK judgments in LexDraft come from The National Archives' Find Case Law service, which only partially represents the activities of the courts and tribunals. Not every judgment or decision is included.

Find Case Law includes judgments of the UK Supreme Court, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Upper Tribunal, among other courts and tribunals, mostly from 2001 onwards, with older judgments where they have been added. Find Case Law does not include judgments from Scottish or Northern Irish courts or tribunals. UK Supreme Court judgments can include appeals from those jurisdictions. Use the relevant courts' own publication services for their judgments.

LexDraft is an independent product. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by The National Archives or any court.

Why look up case law in Word

• Fewer tabs. Look up an authority while the clause you are drafting is still on screen.
• A guard against invented citations. AI tools can produce citations that look right and do not exist. The neutral citation check catches a citation that matches no judgment on Find Case Law.
• The source is one click away. Every result links to the judgment on Find Case Law, so you read the original rather than a paraphrase.

Free lookups and paid plans

The Free plan includes 5 case-law lookups a month, shared between US and UK searches, with no card required. Professional ($99 a month) and Business ($199 a month) include unlimited lookups. Prices are in US dollars. US case law comes from CourtListener when a US jurisdiction is selected.

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. LexDraft does not give legal advice; qualified counsel must review every draft. LexDraft is not affiliated with or endorsed by The National Archives or any court. Spotted something out of date? Email support@lexdraft.ai and we will fix it.