Posted on January 21, 2023

For the first time, a new California law known as SB1418 authorizes non-lawyers to prepare legal documents for people doing their own legal tasks. Effective January 1, 2000, these non-lawyers, called Legal Document Assistants, may:

Distribute to their customers legal materials that have been published or approved by a lawyer
Prepare the customers’ legal documents under the direction of their customers
File the customers’ legal documents in the appropriate courts

To qualify as a Legal Document Assistant, a person must:

Register in the County in which they work
Post a $25,000 Bond
Establish that he or she has a minimum level of experience and/or education

Every Legal Document Assistant is required to use a Contract. The Contract will provide appropriate notice to the Legal Document Assistant’s customers regarding the scope of the customers’ rights and the Legal Document Assistant’s duties. This Bill was passed for your protection. When you look to hire a Legal Document Assistant after January 1, 2000 be sure to ask if he or she is bonded and registered.

Who are Legal Document Assistants? (LDA)

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, your LDA will be able to provide you with a referral.

We always suggest that you be sure to ask the LDA you are thinking of retaining if he or she is bonded and registered in their county. This is for your protection. All LDAs listed on our Member Search Engine are registered and bonded by their counties. If a person is acting as an LDA but is not registered and bonded, then they are operating illegally in California. The Bond is for your protection!

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.

For example, to file an uncontested divorce in California, there are approximately 6 different forms which must be filled out exactly. Naturally, the average client doesn’t know what forms he or she needs. The LDA is not allowed to suggest to the client what forms would be necessary for an uncontested divorce, because that requires legal know-how and legal judgment, and it constitutes UPL(unauthorized practice of law). The LDA is, however, allowed to have a pre-printed instruction sheet or list, prepared by a licensed California Attorney, which specifies what forms are needed for an uncontested divorce. The LDA can merely hand over the sheet and tell the client: “Here is what a lawyer says you need for a divorce. Would you like me to fill out THESE forms for you?”

The same goes, naturally, for ALL other services the LDA provides. They must have a detailed guide, approved by an attorney, stating exactly what forms are needed. The LDA is not allowed to use his or her judgement and say, “Well, really you’re talking about this type of case instead of that type of case. Therefore, you should follow this course of action and file THESE forms instead.” The CLIENT must know what he or she wants, and what forms to use (or decide on the forms based on the attorney-approved instruction list), and the LDA is there to fill in the forms. However, just because an LDA is only there to fill out forms doesn’t mean they aren’t an invaluable resource for your legal matter. Many, if not all, legal forms are very confusing; incorrectly filled out forms will delay your case, possibly for a long time. An experienced LDA can help you avoid the pitfalls and also make sure every important detail on a form is accounted for. This alone makes them the best choice for your self-help legal endeavors. As all certified LDAs are professionals trained in multiple fields, there are a number of services they can provide.

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.

Do I need an LDA?

If you do not know your legal rights in a situation, chances are highly likely that you may need to see an attorney.
If you already have decided on a course of action, but are uncertain about how to fill out the paperwork, you may need your own personal LDA.
If you recently bought a legal self-help book, an LDA may be especially helpful in helping you finish and file your legal paperwork.

How can an LDA help me?

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!

Few LDAs provide every service above. Each LDA in our Directory has his or her own listing of the services that LDA can perform. In order to make your search as fast as possible, you can also perform a search on just the Legal Self-Help service you are in need of!

What Legislation Involves Legal Document Assistants?

One of our goals is to provide as much education and information regarding LDAs as possible. Click here for detailed information about the legislation that deals directly with Legal Document Assistants. Independent Paralegals are now referred to as Legal Document Assistants. All LDAs and UDAs now have to identify themselves on each document they prepare as well as in other areas such as advertising, etc. Section 6408 of the Business and Professional Code is amended to read:

The registrant’s name, business address, telephone number, registration number, expiration date, and county of registration shall appear on any solicitation or advertisement, and on any appropriate papers or documents prepared or used by the registrant, including, but not limited to, contracts, letterheads, business cards, correspondence, documents, forms, claims, petitions, checks, receipts, money orders, and pleadings. If an applicant has an office in more than one county where the work is performed in that county then they will have to register and provide a copy of the bond.

Source: CALDA