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Becoming a
​Legal Document Assistant
(California BPC §6400)​

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An open conversation about navigating California's legal landscape with self-representing clients​.
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Prepared Legal Corp.

6/28/2021

Should You Register As A Legal Document Assistant (LDA)?

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 Are you well organized, detail oriented, self directed? Do you enjoys working with the public?
Then becoming an LDA might be right for you.

Do you offer Paralegal services directly to the public? Do you fill out documents for compensation? 
If you offer or are contemplating providing document preparation services directly to the public for compensation without the supervision of an attorney, you may be required to register as a Legal Document Assistant, according to California Business & Professions Code § 6400, et seq.

Bus & Professions Code § 6400(c)(1) Any person who “provides, or assists in providing, or offers to provide, or offers to assist in providing, for compensation, any self-help service to a member of the public who is representing himself or herself in a legal matter, or who holds himself or herself out as someone who offers that service or has that authority. This paragraph does not apply to any individual whose assistance consists merely of secretarial or receptionist services."

Making that decision to walk down this career pathway requires more than just adherence to BPC § 6400, et seq., it requires a commitment and a belief in oneself to take on challenges of not only the legal industry, but also working with California courts that are severely underfunded. 
Chronic underfunding of the courts unfairly affects members of the public seeking their day in court. Trial courts receive a little more than a penny for every general fund tax dollar, and in the past the judicial branch has had funds swept to support the state budget during times of crisis. Now the courts have an ongoing funding crisis, new laws are added annually, there are more complex cases, but there is no stable funding solution for the judicial branch and the people we all serve. -  Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye
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Before the judicial branch implemented the Workload-based Allocation and Funding Methodology (2013-14, left) some trial courts were underfunded by as much as 60%. By 2017-18 (right), the new formula had helped equalize funding gaps. SOURCE: The Trial Court Funding Formula, Explained by Merrill Balassone
In the past year, 55 percent of Californians at all income levels experienced at least one civil legal problem in their household, yet nearly 70 percent of them received no legal assistance. Fewer than 1 in 3 Californians sought legal assistance to address their problems. - California Justice Gap Study: Measuring the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Californians.
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SOURCE: California Justice Gap Study Executive Report
​The Legal Document Assistant (LDA) profession was bore from community based legal advocacy. In fact, the LDA profession is an innovation in the legal services industry which enhances the delivery of, and access to, legal services. In some communities throughout California LDAs are the only legal resource. Becoming an LDA is privilege which should not be taken lightly. We serve members of the public who aren't able to hire a lawyer, while alleviating the demand on limited court resources. Legal Document Assistants are an affordable non-attorney professional alternative for members of the public facing a legal problems, but can't afford to hire an attorney.
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SOURCE: California Justice Gap Study Executive Report
The Justice Gap Study Executive Report also tells us the gap in knowledge is the one of the key issues in access to justice. As an LDA One of the biggest challenges of working with the self-representing litigants, is they do not realize their questions are legal questions which can or should only be answered by an attorney. While we can provide litigants self-help resources or sure the litigant an research the answer themselves, but legal research is a art in of of itself which is a two semester program taught in a paralegal program. This is a systemic civics issue that transcendent socio-economic condition. How does the constitutional right to redress serve the people if they cannot navigate the legal system without paying thousands in attorney fees? Fortunately, the California State Bar is presently working on address this very issues. ​
  • The California Justice Gap Survey revealed that a significant portion of the justice gap in California is caused by a lack of knowledge about the civil legal system.
  • ​Most do not recognize the legal aspects of these problems; if they do recognize those aspects, many do not know how to access the appropriate resources to address them.​ ​- California Justice Gap Study: Measuring the Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Californians.
The Legal Document Assistant profession, while challenging, can be very rewarding. LDAs close the legal resource gap that often exists in our judicial system. Even if we can't provide legal advice, at minimum we help pro se litigants identify that they have a legal issue. We provide affordable legal services bridging accessibility. Are you ready to become part of the legal justice solution?

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Sacramento County LDA Reg. 2020-03, Exp 08/04/2024
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NON-ATTORNEY DISCLOSURE: 
Prepared Legal Corp. (PLC) is not a law firm. Angela Grijalva is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Neither
PLC nor Angela Grijalva can represent you in court. PLC can provide document preparation services at the client's direction.

​Services provided by
PLC are not substitute for the advise of a lawyer. If you have questions regarding the section of appropriate forms, you should seek the advice of a lawyer. ​
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PREPARED LEGAL CORPORATION
LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARERS

Ph: (916) 750-0073
Fx: (833) 750-PREP

180 Promenade Circle, Suite 300
​Sacramento, CA 95834
​_______________________________
Sacramento County LDA Reg. 2020-03
Exp. 08/04/2026

_______________________________
A Minority Woman-Owned Business 🏳️‍🌈
​DIVULGACIÓN DE NO ABOGADOS: 
​
Prepared Legal Corp. (PLC) no es un bufete de abogados. Angela Grijalva no es abogada y no puede dar consejos legales. Ni PLC ni Angela Grijalva pueden representarlo en la corte. PLC puede proporcionar servicios de preparación de documentos a nombre del cliente.

Los servicios provistos por
PLC no sustituyen el asesoramiento de un abogado. Si tiene preguntas con respecto a la sección de formularios apropiados, debe consultar un abogado .
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Disclaimer: The information presented is intended to convey general information only and not to provide legal advice or opinions. Communication of information should not be construed as, and should not be relied upon for, legal or tax advice in any particular circumstance or fact situation. It is not intended to serve as legal advice. You should not rely upon any information discussed or presented here without first seeking legal advice from an attorney licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction.
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Copyright 2020 Prepared Legal Corporation. Copyright 2016 Legal Document Preparers. All rights reserved.
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  • About LDA Services
    • LDA Q&A
    • Understanding the LDA Profession
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • The LDA Blog
  • Meet the Our Team
    • Legal Document Assistant
  • Legal Services
    • Document Preparation Pricing
    • Document Preparation >
      • Start a Divorce
      • Respond to A Divorce
      • Finalize Your Divorce
      • Grandparent Visitation Rights Intake
      • Joinder of Employment Benefit Plan Intake
      • Request for Order Intake
      • Motion to Recuse Judge | Peremptory Callege
      • Deeds | Property Transfer Intake
      • Name Change Intake
    • Court Filing & Retrieval
    • Immigration Services Referral
    • Notary Public
    • Process Service | Serving Court Papers
  • Servicios Legales
    • Citas
    • Tarifas y Precios
  • Contact Us
    • Hours & Location
    • Testimonials on Google
  • Appointments | Citas
  • Testimonials on Yelp
  • Legal Resources
  • Case Portal
  • eNotary (Notarize Online)
  • Start Here | Be Prepared
  • Comience Aquí | Prepárase