Reduce three returns to one without wider implications.

I have some unwanted returns which I need to reduce.

At the top of my page I have address lines. After these there are five returns before my list starts.

Each item in the list should have one return space before the next item in the list. My problem is that some have three returns. Their position and frequency can vary. I've had trouble tying to replace them specifically without affecting wider areas of the document.

Can someone advise some VBA to reduce every instance of three returns in the list to one , whilst maintaining the five returns under the address?

I've attached sample files.

Grateful for any advice.

Can't give you the code at the moment (on an iPad) but you could record a macro while you do this manually.

Select just the list down, then do a global replace of ^p^p^p by ^p. That's three new paragraph marks to one. If you are asked to edit the rest of the document, the answer is no.

Thanks.

I did try this and it does do the job , but I found it interfered with other parts of the document. I found that the issue in my document is caused by a combination of Paragraph Marks and Soft Returns.

Since I made my post , I've managed to track down where the problem lies and have established a search and replace which deals with it accurately.

I think a soft return, a new line rather than a new paragraph, is ^L.

Glad you have a solution.

Yes , that's right.

This is the combination that resolves the issue I was finding

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I was trying just to use ^p , but I found it was too blanket in its application and caused issues elsewhere. Turning on the formatting in the document helped significantly in tracing otherwise invisible marks.

Turning on the formatting in the document helped significantly in tracing otherwise invisible marks.

To be honest with you, I never switch it off. Well, maybe occasionally to see what the document looks like. But, 99% of the time, I would have it switched on.