HotDocs software's origins date back to the late 1970s. Back then, a pioneering research project at Brigham Young University Law School used computers to create legal documents, which led to the development of a PC-based tool for creating "automated practice systems." In 1987, the project spawned the creation of Capsoft Development to continue the work and commercialize the products. In October 1997, Capsoft Development was acquired by Matthew Bender & Company, a legal publisher with 20 offices worldwide. And in 1998, Matthew Bender was acquired by Reed Elsevier Inc. and became part of the LexisNexis Group.