Legal document assistants (LDAs) help self-representative clients prepare necessary paperwork for court, but cannot advise or represent them. LDAs vary by state and can assist with routine matters like uncontested divorces, property transfers, and company formation. They are not free, but can be a cost-effective alternative to hiring a lawyer. With the rise of electronic filing, LDAs also function as online legal document providers.
A legal document assistant, commonly referred to as an LDA, is an American professional who assists self-representative clients in preparing the necessary paperwork to appear in court. A legal document assistant is not a lawyer or paralegal, but an independent document technician or legal document preparer. The role of the LDA and the specific tasks that an LDA can perform for a customer are defined by the individual states, with the result that LDA activities permitted in one state may be prohibited in another. United States law is particularly difficult for individuals who practice law without a license, and how states interpret this prohibition in the legal document wizard space varies greatly.
Most legal document assistants do for individuals what paralegals do for lawyers: they provide legal assistance and support. Paralegals in most US jurisdictions assist and prepare documents for attorneys, but are not permitted to interact directly with clients. Only lawyers can advise and work with clients. Lawyers can be expensive, however, and for routine matters, many clients just need a little help with paperwork and paperwork. This is where the legal document wizard comes in.
The rising cost and frequency of litigation in the United States is credited by many for the boom in the legal document assistant profession. Legal document assistants basically act as the legal pen for a client appearing pro se in court. The LDA cannot represent the client – the client must still represent themselves – but the LDA can help that client ensure that all of their filings and documents are in order.
Most of the time, the customer should act as the main driver of the paperwork. Typically, the legal document assistant can do little more than fill out and file client-supplied documents. The legal document assistant generally cannot recommend which documents to file or advise a client how to manage their case without risking crossing the legal practice line.
Even so, the legal document preparer offers an attractive service to a client who knows what he wants to do. Particularly in cases like uncontested divorces, transfer of property, company formation and some adoptions, clients often know exactly what they want to pursue, but how to get there on paper is often more difficult. Incorrectly completed or filed paperwork can significantly delay the progress of a case. Lawyers generally provide the same documental services as LDAs in the course of representing a client, but a lawyer’s services are typically quite expensive.
Many legal document assistants have experience as paralegals or legal secretaries, but not all do. Legal document assistant training requirements and qualifications vary by jurisdiction. Legal document assistants are legal technicians who can help clients at a lower cost than an attorney, but they are not free. To make an LDA worth the time and cost, the client must have a good idea of how to proceed. A client who needs advice on more than simply filing known documents should consult a licensed attorney.
As the Internet and the ability to file documents electronically increase, the role of many legal document assistants has become one of understanding the specifics of legal document preparations as well as the nuances of legal preparation software. An LDA in modern times often also functions as an online legal document provider. The Internet has made legal documents easier to file and send, but it hasn’t really relaxed any of the strict formatting or content requirements that courts place on legal records.
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