Legal Document Preparer Certification

People often ask: Are you a paralegal? I answer, no, paralegals by definition are supervised by an attorney, and I am not. I am a legal document preparer. As a legal document preparer I can prepare documents for you, provide legal information; and explain procedure. I cannot give you legal advice; or provide representation.

Are you certified or licensed? I answer, no, legal document preparers are not regulated by the state or government in any way. However, I am a member of the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers - www.faldp.org - which is a statewide trade association for nonlawyer legal document preparers.

The Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers (FALDP) raised the bar in 2016 when it started offering an opportunity for member document preparers to earn FALDP Certification. FALDP has always required that prospective members meet minimum standards, which may include experience preparing documents for pro se litigants; law firm experience as a paralegal; academic training; or a combination of experience and training.

By adding the "FALDP Certified LDP" designation the world will know that the document preparer has taken the time, initiative, and interest to go the extra mile. There is a three step process to certification available to FALDP members. Pass a Basic Skills Test; pass a Focus Area Test; and complete at least 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) before 2016 renewal. Once certified, member document preparers must complete 10 CEUs each year to maintain their certification.

Consumers will benefit by being able to easily find out whether a document preparer has taken the time to become certified and maintain certification. The document preparer's focus area(s) will be clearly displayed to help consumers make an informed choice in hiring a document preparer.

The Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers exists primarily to help consumers access the legal system by providing resources and document preparation assistance. The association's website, www.faldp.org, is itself a resource, with information about court procedure, detailed articles, online courses, and a Membership Directory which advertises the services of member document preparers.

FALDP's second goal is to support the legal document preparation industry by providing educational opportunities, webinars, an annual conference, networking, online courses, and mentoring. To that end FALDP now offers Intensive Training for Divorce Document Preparation every month beginning in February 2023.

Founded in 2010, the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers has proven itself to be an industry leader in a rapidly evolving service market. Consumers contact FALDP for referrals to member document preparers. Consumers and document preparers alike can take advantage of the many free resources on the website. Resources include articles; information; and a question and answer forum.

The internet has helped level the information asymmetry for self-represented litigants by allowing the determined and diligent to pursue their case on their own. FALDP is the fulcrum providing the leverage to Florida pro se litigants - the Axis of Justice.

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

Archimedes