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LEGAL DOCUMENT ASSISTANCE

Legal Document Assistants were once commonly known as Independent Paralegals. However, as of January 1st, 2000, only those Paralegals working directly for attorneys may now be referred to as Paralegals. Those formerly known as Independent Paralegals are now officially known as Legal Document Assistants (LDAs). LDAs often have the same educational background as a paralegal and are REQUIRED by law to be registered and bonded in the county in which they have their principal place of business. Please Note:

  • A Legal Document Assistant is NOT a Lawyer.

  • By law, they cannot give you legal advice or represent you in the courts in any matter.

  • If you need to consult with an attorney, the LDA in our office will be able to provide you with a referral.

UNDERSTANDING & GETTING HELP

What is the advantage of hiring an LDA?

  • LDAs provide a low-cost alterative to hiring an attorney for routine paperwork.

  • In many cases, one visit will usually be sufficient for you to be able to handle most matters.

  • LDAs will provide you with top-quality legal typing assistance.

What does an LDA do?

An LDA is an experienced professional who is authorized to prepare legal documents for a client, but only at the direction of the client. In other words, an LDA is there to assist the “self-help” client handle their own legal matters without the cost of an attorney. Since even the best legal, self-help books can be confusing and overwhelming, your LDA can provide invaluable assistance with routine legal tasks, such as typing and filing the paperwork for uncontested divorces, bankruptcies, wills, and many other types of documents. Again, because an LDA is forbidden to practice law of any sort, they cannot make suggestions as to what the client needs done for a particular matter, or what forms that the client must file with the state or the other party to the action.

How can an LDA help me?

(*Our office may not be equipped to handle all of these areas, in those cases we will refer you to another CALDA member)

LDAs are often trained in many areas and frequently specialize in multiple fields. This means that your LDA may be able to help you prepare your documents for:

  • Adoption

  • Annulments

  • Assignment of Personal Property

  • Bankruptcy

  • Case completion

  • Certification of Trust

  • Child Support Calculation

  • Child Support

  • Child Custody

  • Collection

  • Corporations, partnerships, LLCs

  • Civil actions

  • Deeds

  • Divorce and other “Family law” matters

  • Emancipation of Minor

  • Evictions

  • Guardianships

  • Health Care Directives

  • Immigration and Citizenship (Only LDAs that carry the additional required IM Bond and who are registered with the Secretary of State may help with this type of service.)

  • Marital Settlement Agreements

  • Mediation

  • Modification of Child Support

  • Name changes

  • Notary

  • Orders to show cause

  • Paternity

  • Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements

  • Probate

  • Powers of Attorney

  • Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO)

  • Quit Claim Deeds

  • Resumes

  • Small Claims

  • Living trusts

  • Separations

  • Settlement Agreements

  • Spousal support

  • Stipulations

  • Typing documents

  • Unlawful detainer / eviction

  • Visitation

  • Wage garnishments

  • Wills

  • and MANY others!

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