I am grateful for the
privilege to do what I do. I serve consumers who would otherwise go
without. I help people who have no choice but to stand up for
themselves. I prepare documents for those who have no idea how to
proceed. I am a Florida legal document preparer. "Proudly
serving the under served." appears on our association site. And
I mean it, it is not just a catchy marketing phrase. It is what we
do. I am proud and humbled at once.
Couples break up.
Neighbor sues neighbor. Disputes fester. Solutions are elusive. Most
people want things to be fair, even while acknowledging that the
world isn't fair. We've known that the world isn't fair since we were
children, but still wish it were so. Wishing isn't getting, but we
can try. Try for that reasonable and fair solution. The compromise
where no one is completely happy, but no one feels trod upon.
Rental leases, cell phone
contracts, car rental contracts, insurance, employment contracts,
non-compete agreements, bills of sale, promissory notes, pet care
agreements, construction contracts, powers of attorney, and licensing
agreements are just a few of the contracts that consumers use and
sign, often without an attorney. In fact, most of these types of
contracts are usually signed without an attorney looking out for the
signer's best interest. Few new hires would refuse to sign an
employment contract until an attorney had a chance to review it. And,
it would likely be less than cost effective to have an attorney
review and approve a cell phone contract prior to signing.
But, when a marriage
deteriorates. Or business partners disagree. Or an arrangement that
once worked becomes unbalanced. Or when the powerful prey upon the
weak. And there is no compromise in sight, the dispute lands in
court. When property, money, and children are at stake - somehow,
some way, the dispute needs resolution. Even if that means taking it
out of the hands of the disputing parties to let a judge decide.
It is always always
always better to resolve disputes without judicial intervention, as
long as the solution does not leave the weaker party weaker still.
And there's the rub. It's hard to know. Presented with a settlement
agreement or contract, for example, how does a layman have any idea
whether he should sign? It may seem to say that the agreement is
reasonable, but maybe there is also some language that doesn't make
obvious sense. Then what? Research, education. Ask for clarification
and/ or lawyer up, I guess.
Document preparers
encourage their customers to seek legal advice when they do not
understand their rights. We encourage consumers to consult with an
attorney and ask for advice regarding their rights and
responsibilities. We also encourage consumers to educate themselves
about their rights and responsibilities. We are here to prepare
documents once a consumer knows their rights and responsibilities.
And then once the documents are prepared, we then encourage
consumers, to have an attorney review the documents. Whether a
consumer can afford an attorney or not, depends entirely on that
consumer's specific financial means.
And even as we encourage
consumers to seek legal advice, we know that many will not be able to
afford the fees. We are not part of the problem, but we certainly
aspire to being part of the solution.
Please complete our FALDP Pro Se Survey. Thank you!
