Independent paralegals are paralegals that do not operate under the supervision of attorneys. In California, independent paralegals are approved, bonded, and use the title “Legal Document Assistants.” Presently, California is the only state to manage independent paralegals.
For the California Association of Legal Document Assistants, go to their site at http://www.calda.org.
An independent paralegal can provide you with the forms you need for most routine legal things also help you with processing your documents. Generally, independent paralegals are educated about regional court rules and other nuisances you may not discover in the self-help kit or book. The fee? Usually, 1/3 of what you would pay for an attorney.
If you reside out of of California, make sure you use an independent paralegal with a paralegal certificate from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved school. Often, independent paralegals with 15 years of skill or more do not have these certificates for the reason that they were not considered necessary years ago. You may want to ask the independent paralegal what, if any, continuing education s/he obtains over the lessons of a year to stay up-to-date on training. Also, how long, if in anyway, s/he labored under the supervision of an attorney to gain the needed knowledge to help you. Lastly, ask and see if the independent paralegal is really a member of a professional association or has any special certifications.
There is only one countrywide independent paralegal license to my awareness, and that’s We The People. We The People won’t require their proprietors or operators to have paralegal certificates; however, they do provide in-depth schooling from the company on all the categories of legal matters that they cover. We The People has been in business for over twenty years.
Like the independent paralegals described above, there’s also “attorney assisted” independent paralegals. These attorney-assisted paralegals usually present the same services as traditional independent paralegals but have an attorney proofread their papers or keep an eye on their job in several way. Charges are generally about the same or slightly more than conventional independent paralegals.
As for legal assistance programs, most states own “documents helpers” in the courthouse to help you. In California, they are called Family Law Facilitators. These programs are free to everybody; they are not legal aid, which is only open to those with little incomes. There are also infrequently programs via local public groups, like the YMCA, that provide similar support.