Patent ID: 7636742

Claim:
A computer system, operated by forms preparer tasked with preparing a form for a client, comprising: a database including a plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of clients, wherein a record comprises a plurality of fields and contact information for electronically communicating with the client associated with the record; a status module loaded into memory, communicatively coupled to the database, and configured to; identify a field requiring a missing data item, and assign a status to the field wherein the status assigned to the field is associated with obtaining the missing data item for the field from the client associated with the record; and a data retrieval module loaded into memory and configured to: generate an e-mail to the client comprising a data object and a request to populate the data object with the missing data item, transmit the e-mail message to the client, receive a reply e-mail message from the client comprising the data object populated with the missing data item, and add, automatically, the missing data item from the data object in the reply e-mail to the field wherein the forms preparer and the client are separate entities, and wherein the status module is configured to assign the plurality of statuses to the plurality of fields responsive to status information provided by the user via a user interface.