Document Preparation Training Courses

 

People sometimes wonder about the legitimacy of the legal Document Preparation industry. Because document preparers are not licensed by the State of Florida in any way and there are no specific criteria to be a legal document preparer some people think that anyone can just decide to become a legal document preparer. Technically that's true, but there's a lot more to it then just proclaiming yourself to be a legal document preparer. 

The Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers - FALDP, has member document preparers who have years of experience working for attorneys and cumulatively have a wealth of background, experience, and knowledge they use to help consumers.  

Sometimes when a prospective member contacts us, one of their questions is whether the market is saturated with document preparers. They want to know whether it is a good idea for them to pursue a business as a legal document preparer, and whether the field is too crowded. My answer is always no, there is a lot of room for growth in our industry -- there are many many consumers who are under served. 

 

 

 No one seems to keep detailed statistics about pro se litigants - who is pro se; the number of consumers who proceed pro se; their reasons; and their success rates. We have maintained a survey for pro se litigants on our website. And we've compiled some responses to the survey, that might shed some light on just these questions. For example in our survey we found that most of the responders were females aged 50 to 65 who found the survey online. The survey is on our website – www,faldp.org - and we have done little or nothing to promote the survey until recently. We found that of those responders 45% were college-educated with English as their native language. Almost 43% were involved in or dealing with a civil case and of those 60% were defendants. In other words, they were involved in a court case, not by choice, but to defend themselves.  

25% researched online before deciding to proceed pro se; and 16% consulted with an attorney before deciding to proceed pro se. Most striking, however, was that 35% of the survey responders stated that they were proceeding pro se because they could not afford an attorney. This underlines the pervasive Justice Gap, the difference between those who can and those who cannot afford an attorney. And the implication that for those who cannot afford an attorney, no justice is possible.  

We maintain our website in part to educate consumers about the types of issues that they may have encountered like family law, bankruptcy, and civil matters. We also maintain our website to support the legal Document Preparation Industry as a whole. 

In order to help our members in document preparers grow and expand their businesses, we offer online legal Document Preparation training courses. And, we have bundled are courses together into what we call our All Course Bundle which consists of 16 online legal Document Preparation training courses. Our courses are available to anyone, you don't need to be a member of our association or even a document preparer to take our courses. 

 The price for the 16 course bundle, the All Course Bundle $2399... This offer represents substantial savings compared to taking all of our courses one by one. Call – 800-515-0496; Email staff@faldp.org; Visit – www.FALDP.org

Why FALDP?

Why indeed. We've used a marketing piece for some time that explains the “what” of FALDP, among other statements, it says: “FALDP is an industry leader – empowering the people – and working everyday to make Florida a better place to live”. I believe those words are true, I fervently hope that we are, in fact, making Florida a better place to live.

But, why? Why did we form FALDP? Why is there a need for us? What is our reason to be? Our raison d'être ? The phrase, « find your why » has been bandied about of late, and has sunk from a catch phrase to a cliché by now. But, phrases become over used for a reason. Its because they resonate, hit a nerve, and yes, sometimes the last nerve.

The simple reason we exist is that people need us. People need document preparers. Not want, need. Our services are steadily in demand.

''You can't fight for your rights if you don't know what they are .'' Chief Justice John Roberts

''One of the primary reasons our nation’s founders envisioned a vast public education system was to prepare youth to be active participants in our system of self-government. The responsibilities of each citizen were assumed to go far beyond casting a vote; protecting the common good would require developing students’ critical thinking and debate skills, along with strong civic virtues/.''

BY AMANDA LITVINOV (3/2017)

Low knowledge of essential facts

The 2018 Annenberg civics knowledge survey, released for Constitution Day (Sept. 17), found that many people do not know how the branches of government work:

• A quarter (27 percent) incorrectly said the Constitution allows the president to ignore a Supreme Court ruling if the president believes the ruling is wrong;
• But a slim majority (55 percent) knows that a 5-4 Supreme Court decision is the law and must be followed, about the same as last year.

Annenberg Public PolicyCenter, (9/2018)

Why am I telling you this? And what does this have to do with FALDP? We're document preparers, we don't need to know about rights? Oh, really?

We can't give legal advice … but, the fact is that everybody gives everybody legal advice all the time.

• Don't drink and drive;
• Wear your seat belt;
• As an employer or landlord, you should not discriminate based on gender, race, or national origin. Its against the law;

According to the State ofTexas:

What is Legal Advice?

Court users are asking for legal advice when they ask whether or not they should proceed in a certain fashion. Telling a member of the public what to do rather than how to do it may be giving legal advice. Legal advice is a written or oral statement that:

 Interprets some aspect of the law, court rules, or court procedures;

 Recommends a specific course of conduct a person should take in an actual or potential legal proceeding; or

 Applies the law to the individual person’s specific factual circumstances.

What is Legal Information? Clerks and court personnel may:

 Provide public information contained in dockets, calendars, case files, indexes, and other reports.

 Recite common, routinely-employed court rules, court procedures, administrative practices, and local rules, and explain generally how the court and judges function.

 Refer self-represented litigants to a law library or the court’s website for statutes, court rules, or forms.

 Explain the meaning of terms and documents used in the court process.

 Answer questions concerning deadlines or due dates (without calculating due dates).

 Identify and refer self-represented litigants to court forms.

According to Find Law:

What Legal Advice Is

Advice from friends or family does not constitute legal advice. True legal advice forms an agreement between an attorney and his or her client based on a particular legal matter the client is experiencing.

In a nutshell, legal advice has the following characteristics:

• Requires legal knowledge, skill, education and judgment
• Applies specific law to a particular set of circumstances
• Affects someone's legal rights or responsibilities
• Creates rights and responsibilities in the advice-giver

Unlike legal information - such as information posted on a street sign - legal advice proposes a specific course of action a client should take. For instance, it's the difference between telling someone what to do (legal advice) as opposed to how to do it (legal information).

Examples:

• Selecting, drafting, or completing legal documents or agreements that affect the legal rights of a person
• Representing a person before a court or other governing body
• Negotiating legal rights or responsibilities on behalf of a person
• Speculating an outcome
• Selecting or filling out specific forms on behalf of a client

Specific legal advice questions may include:

• Should I file for bankruptcy?
• Does my disability qualify for federal assistance?
• What kind of recovery can I receive for my accident? injuries

What Legal Advice is Not

While legal advice is specific, direct, and proposes a course of action, legal information, on the other hand, is factual, generic, and does not address any one particular cause of action. To help avoid the confusion that often comes with legal information, websites and individuals will often go to great lengths to clarify that any information contained in their site should not be construed as legal advice nor form an attorney-client relationship.

Examples that do not constitute actual legal advice:

• Legal information obtained from free online legal websites, including a law firm or attorney's own website
• Advice from friends, family members, or former clients of a lawyer
• Information you hear on the radio
• Information you read on social media websites
• Information you see in news periodicals or on billboards
• Responses to legal questions posted in online Q&A boards, even if provided by a licensed attorney
• Printed materials listed in a "how to" guide
• Legal "self help" forms

Specific legal information questions might include:

• Where can I find the Federal Medical Leave Act?
• What does the acronym EEOC mean?
• What are the gun laws in my state?

Confused yet?

Yes. I think everyone is confused, including the courts. As an experienced document preparer I can point to many instances where a court clerk most certainly has told a pro se litigant what form to file. It happens all the time. So, as nonlawyers, the clerks of court, routinely select forms for pro se litigants, even though selecting forms for pro se litigants is a prohibited act.

And, do we ignore a customer's request for advice? Yes, but, the technique is to turn their request for advice into a request for information and then point them to the information. Is this word play -- semantics? Yes.

Think about these scenarios:

A customer comes to you and says that the landlord won't fix the leaking roof. And that customer asks you what he should do. Beware the “should” word. Telling someone what they should do might be giving legal advice. A better practice, particularly if you frequently prepare documents for landlord/ tenant issues, is to point him to a source of information, like Top 10 Landlord Legal Responsibilities in Florida , let the customer explore his options.

Another customer comes to you because she has been served a complaint for a past due credit card debt. She says that she knows she owes the debt, but it was years ago, and she thought the credit card company had written it off. It is helpful to know the following:

Florida’s statute of limitations varies for different types of debts. For written contracts such as personal loans, the statute of limitations is five years. So once this type of debt is more than five years past due, the lender can no longer sue in order to collect owed money. For other debts, the statute is shorter. Oral contracts and revolving accounts such as credit cards have a statute of limitations of four years.

https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/consumer-florida/

And point your customer to that information. However, that information isn't quite enough, because the pro se litigant must bring up the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in their Answer. That information is in the Florida Statutes and can also be found here - https://blog.credit.com/2019/07/seven-ways-to-defend-a-debt-collection-lawsuit-62166/

In my experience, I've found that pro se litigants can figure out the basic substantive law. It is procedural law that stymies them. And, its my understanding that we can explain procedure providing we don't cross over the boundary between explaining procedure, into using procedure as strategy. We can explain what comes next, procedurally, as in: after the defendant/ respondent is properly served he has 20 days to file an answer. But, to tell a pro se defendant / respondent that instead of filing an answer, as long as he files something within 20 days, may be using procedure as strategy.

The reason FALDP exists is to help consumers and pro se litigants navigate the court system; and provide a hub for Florida document preparers. We're proud of what we do, mainly because we think we're helping make Florida a better place to live.

A Few Bad Apples ...

I'm the founder and director of the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers [FALDP.ORG]. As such, I am 100% invested in the growth of the nonlawyer legal document preparation industry. I, personally, have been preparing legal documents since 1998. We exist because there is a demand for our services. People can't afford attorneys, people think that if they just had the correct forms,in the required format; and could decipher procedure that they would probably get through their legal matter on their own. Many times, most of the time, they're right.

Not to say there is no need for attorneys, and specifically not to say that our services replace attorney services. But, people often do not need and do not want legal advice or representation.

As a document preparer and as the director of FALDP I do my best to provide services within my limitations. I know the rules for the unauthorized practice of law [UPL] as well as anyone. I mean anyone. Document preparers who are being investigated for UPL frequently seek me out for my insights about their investigation. Members of FALDP are required to take a course annually, called Avoid UPL!. My hope is that member document preparers will learn the rules backwards and forwards and can thereby avoid an investigation.

We also suffer criticism of our livelihoods as legal document preparers. I received some hate mail the other day from a subscriber to my newsletter, a subscriber! He said - “All the document prepares in Florida need to be banned... Go to Law School if you want to give advice... bunch of lying bottom drellers” [sic]

But, this article isn't about UPL. I'm talking about those few bad apples today. The few bad apples that give us a bad name. The bad apples that spoil the barrel. In my opinion, we have enough push back from random critics, and the Florida Bar, who investigate us and seem to persecute us, without our colleagues making things worse.

Bad Apple #1: Another document preparer that I'm aware of is abusing the system in several creative ways. She is known to telephone the document preparer on the other side of a divorce case and try to negotiate a settlement for the Marital Settlement Agreement which might include money, property, and child custody. Document preparers may not negotiate on behalf of anyone else. She also falsifies or leaves out entire pages of information on financial affidavits which may be unfavorable to her customer. And, even worse, she's a Spanish speaker and frequently attends court hearings ostensibly as a court interpreter (although she is not certified), but she is actually at the court hearing to represent her customer. In Spanish. So the judge won't know.

Bad Apple #2: This bad apple is now in prison. But, before he got there, he had been a member of FALDP for a number of years. He had seemed fine for most of those years. Around 2014, I heard from a couple of his customers that he seemed to have a drinking problem and may have met with them while under the influence. And soon after, he began harassing a document preparer online and claiming that he had the full force of FALDP behind him. When I became aware of his harassment, I let him know that he most certainly did not have the full force of FALDP behind him in harassing anyone. He got mad at me and quit FALDP, saving me the trouble of terminating his membership. The harassment stopped after several months, and we thought it was a thing of the past. But, in 2016 his harassment toward the other document preparer started up again, and I noticed he was displaying the FALDP logo in his advertising and asked him to remove it. I then became a target for his harassment as well. He finally put himself in prison by going out in the street and threatening his neighbors with a firearm.

As a fledgling industry, each of us reflects on the other. We're criticized by lawyers as a matter of routine, that we are under trained wannabe lawyers. We're not. Most of us don't ever want to be a lawyer, and are more than happy to work well within our niche. We may seem untrained, but we're not that either. We're not allowed to give advice, so we don't. Sometimes, people may think that we're not advising our customers well. They're right. We're not advising them at all. We prepare documents, provide information, and explain procedure, but we do not provide legal advice or representation.

Support your Legal Document Preparers! Our services help so many people just like you.

Why Choose an FALDP member as your legal document preparer:

Why Choose an FALDP member as your legal document preparer:.

A legal document preparer is never a substitute for an attorney. However, if all a consumer needs is properly prepared documents, a legal document preparer may be just the right choice. Legal document preparers may not provide legal advice or representation, but if no advice or representation is needed, consider the services of a legal document preparer. Members of the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers must meet certain standards in order to join this association. Among these requirements are: 

• Completing our Online Courses - INTRO & a content specific course, or;
• Two years experience preparing Florida legal documents, or;
• Two year paralegal course, or;
• A combination of related professional experience and education, and
• Above average proficiency in spoken and written English;
• Acknowledges and agrees to follow the rules set forth by the Florida Bar Association and the Florida Supreme Court regarding UPL;
• Agrees to refrain from offering legal advice, and to refrain from representing themselves as legal experts.
• Agrees to abide by the FALDP Pledge.

Six Ways our Members Help Consumers

1. Providing Legal Information. A document preparer can assist consumers by locating laws, cases, and court rules. Although, the interpretation of this legal information is considered legal advice, locating them and providing them to consumers is perfectly fine. For example, on many of the instruction sheets for Florida Family Law Supreme Court approved forms, a Florida Statute is referenced, but the statute itself does not appear. Many Florida Statutes are straight forward and do not require legal interpretation. Providing the statute itself to the consumer may be all that is needed for the consumer to make an informed decision.

2. Explaining Procedure. Many consumers are stymied by not knowing the steps in their case. A document preparer can explain procedure so that the consumer knows what to do next, or what to expect next. And the consumer can also get a better idea of time frames and deadlines once he has a basic understanding of legal and court procedure.

3. Preparing Documents. Document preparers help consumers by preparing complete and proper documents to file in their case. Sometimes a form's instructions includes a list of which additional forms must be filed at the same time. However, sometimes the list is incomplete or more forms that must be filed at the same time are listed on yet another form's instructions. While a document preparer may not select forms for a consumer to file, showing the consumer which forms are required according to the court's written instructions helps the consumer follow the court's rules and moves their case along.

4. Formatting Documents. While many consumers may be able to fill out forms themselves, consumers may not be aware of specific formatting requirements, such as font, font size, margins, etc. By providing the court with properly formatted documents the consumer

4. Active Listening. Legal document preparers may not offer legal advice, but there are no rules to say a document preparer should not actively listen to their customers. Asking questions that help the customer arrive at their own decisions or acting as a sounding board may be the most valuable aspects of hiring a legal document preparer.

5. Flat Fee Pricing. Most document preparers offer flat fee pricing for various form sets. The flat fee pricing allows consumers to know in advance how much to expect to spend. And, rolled into the flat fee pricing plan, most document preparers also include corrections and minor revisions at no additional charge.

6. Affordability. Since consumers are only paying document preparers for limited nonlawyer services, the fees document preparers charge are much lower than an attorney might charge for similar document preparation services. By definition, document preparers do not provide legal advice, and if the consumer has no need for legal advice then there is no reason to pay for it.

So, for consumers who do not require legal advice or representation, a legal document preparer may be their best option.

CALL TODAY 800-515-496 OR VISIT WWW.FALDP.ORG

UPL - It's deja vu all over again.

As the Director of the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers (www.FALDP.org) I make every effort to educate members about the rules surrounding the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). When I notice a member advertising in a way that may mislead the public or trigger a UPL investigation, I contact the member and tell them. Upon joining our association each member is required to acknowledge and agree to our FALDP Pledge which states:

As a Member of the FALDP, I agree:

• To refrain from offering legal advice. 
• To direct my customers to information so that they may make informed decisions.
• To provide responsive customer service.
• To comply fully with applicable state and federal laws.
• To ensure clear and truthful advertising.
• To clearly disclose costs and relevant terms.
• To represent myself as a legal document preparer, and not as a paralegal.
• To refer customers to an attorney for legal advice. 
• To conduct my business ethically.
• To respect my customers’ privacy.
• To keep in strict confidence my customers’ affairs, and not share information about a customer without that customer’s permission unless court ordered.
• To support legislation promoting public access to the legal system. 

We offer an online course called “Introduction to Preparing Florida Legal Documents”, which is primarily a compliance course. The course is meant to educate document preparers about the rules surrounding UPL, and also includes information about doing business as a Florida Legal Document Preparer. Some of the UPL rules are clearly posted on the Florida Bar's website, other rules are scattered about in various court cases. The Intro Course is not required unless the document preparer is relocating to Florida from another state or is starting a document preparation business for the first time. I suggest to some experienced paralegals who submit membership applications that they should take the Intro Course, because working under the supervision of an attorney and working for self-represented litigants are two very different activities.

There are things which are considered UPL that no one could imagine, but there they are. You don't know until you know. For example, Florida legal document preparers are not allowed to advertise “free consultations” as this is something that attorneys offer. Florida legal document preparers are not allowed to draft property deeds. It remains unclear whether document preparers can prepare a property deed using a standard template. Document preparers are likewise prohibited from sending a document to a consumer with the word “draft” in the title. We suppose that “draft” in the Florida Bar's reasoning means creating or authoring; but according to multiple dictionaries I checked, “draft” means a preliminary version of a writing.

It is not clear whether document preparers may assist pro se litigants in efiling their documents. . Other document preparers have been told by the Florida Bar that they may not use the word “legal” anywhere on their website or as part of their email address. Document preparers have also been reprimanded for using the words “professional” and “experienced” on their sites or in their advertising when referring to themselves. In addition, document preparers have been told not to mention that they have law firm experience, are a member (or former member) of NALA, and to refrain from mentioning any academic credentials or achievements. For example, document preparers (according to the Florida Bar) are not allowed to state in their advertising that they have a Paralegal Certificate or a BA in Legal Studies – even though these are true facts. All of these things, according to the Florida Bar, mislead the public. And I suppose, mislead the public into somehow thinking that the document preparer is an attorney, even though document preparers make clear in their advertising that they are not attorneys and do not offer legal advice or representation.

In support of their position, the Florida Bar frequently relies on FLORIDA BAR v. BRUMBAUGH 355 So.2d 1186 (1978) and Sperry v. Florida 373 U.S. 379 (1963). Sperry states:

“... if the giving of such advice and performance of such services affect important rights of a person under the law, and if the reasonable protection of the rights and property of those advised and served requires that the persons giving such advice possess legal skill and a knowledge of the law greater than that possessed by the average citizen, then the giving of such advice and the performance of such services by one for another as a course of conduct constitute the practice of law.”

The above paragraph is circular reasoning at best. And obfuscation at worst. Please notice the dates on the citations – 1963 and 1978. I am certain the world has changed in the past 39 or 54 years.

It is clear in the Florida Bar rules that legal document preparers may not refer to themselves as “paralegals” or “legal assistants”. However, some legal document preparers persist in using those monikers anyway, and that use in itself has sometimes been enough to trigger a UPL investigation. A quick look through craigslist will reveal many legal document preparers blithely referring to themselves as paralegals, while others are investigated for UPL for referring to themselves as paralegals. Including phrases like “legal services”, and “legal clinic” in a business name is an invitation to investigation.

I am aware of legal document preparers who have not only been told to refrain from using the word “legal” in their business name, but also to refrain from using the word “legal” anywhere on their website AND to refrain from using the word “legal” in their email address.

I think most of this is over kill. I think most of this is about lawyers and the Florida Bar protecting their turf. If lawyers and the Florida Bar could only understand that document preparers are not trying to steal their business. We don't want their business, we just want to conduct our business. If lawyers went to three years of law school so that they could prepare legal forms, I don't know what to say to them. Document preparers do not want the responsibility of giving legal advice, we leave the choices up to the consumer. And/ or we suggest that the consumer consult with a lawyer every time they have a legal question. Legal document prepaers are often serving people who could not possibly afford an attorney, and without a document preparer would be unlikely to pursue their rights at all.

In the long run, I believe consumers are harmed by the Florida Bar's insistence on persecuting legal document preparers. Many consumers cannot possibly afford an attorney and will go without any sort of legal assistance, if document preparers are not available. The courts benefit when consumers use the services of legal document preparers, because even though the consumer may be unrepresented, the documents are clear and correct.

The Florida Bar's infringement on the rights of legal document preparers to earn a living; to enter contracts; and to provide services in the marketplace; is collateral damage. The actual damage in these laws is to the consumer. It is the consumer who would seek assistance in asserting his rights through the court system who suffers. The court system, fraught with jargon, and complicated procedure; can bring dire consequences to people who can find no help at all. 

Pro Se Legal Access Survey II

Following are comments from FALDP's Legal Access Survey II. The survey is ongoing and can be found here - Pro Se Legal Access Survey II. Comments are in answer to the question:

What advice would you give a friend who was considering proceeding pro se?

The comments below are repeated verbatim, except for correction of spelling and grammar, and removing personal information.

Read many pro-se websites and read extensively the case law covering the issue that you are litigating.

In a divorce, if you start Pro se, end pro se. Hiring an attorney, at least for me was an utter night mare. my attorney took my money, filed a motion for attorney fees from ex husband won the award, sat on my case for a year and then Withdrew weeks from the Final Judgment of Equitable Distribution. I hired the attorney to issue subpoenas, review financials and present, no, finish my divorce. He did none of what I asked and now I cannot even afford to hire someone to help with documents. IF I had just stayed my own course and not lost faith in my abilities, I would already be finished with this never ending divorce.

The advice I would give a friend is to be prepared to challenge yourself in believing that what you are about to indulge in is what you are ready to endure. Because it is not a piece of cake and it requires a lot of perseverance.

Hard work but very rewarding

Find a lawyer

Read everything. Fill the forms out, walk away, read again, and make corrections if necessary. Also get sample cases similar to your own, contact the Court clerk and request clarification. Be calm and stand strong

Do not. Lawyers lie, in ways that you won't know until it is too late. Everything they say or write has double meaning, and the court will see it in ways you never expected.

Become a lawyer.

Prepare for months of reading & research

Fully read what plaintiff sends you

Get info before case goes to court.

Be diligent

Read carefully the instructions of every form found on line. Always ask for the next step when filing a doc. Act immediately, do not wait for the grace period. Check on line the case and ask the Clerk of Courts if there's something you do not understand.

I am accomplishing more pre se than with attorney. I paid way too much for nothing. I am in SC now but this case is in Florida. It is frustrating and time consuming to try to follow the rule but the e-file portal and people are great. Wish there was a consultant attorney to explain confusion only. Like when I filed a motion to dismiss am I supposed to do anything else or wait. Some answers I am not able to find online.

Do more research before you proceed.

I could not get legal assistance since my soon to be ex husband had a consultation with them but not using them so there is a conflict of interest. I cannot find a lawyer to work for free. Self help is not available to me because husband has an attorney.

Depends on the circumstances.

Find all the forms you will/may need throughout the process, download, print, and READ the instructions for each form thoroughly. Understand the process for your particular situation. Be timely with your filings and if you are going to be late, notify the opposing parties attorney at a minimum; document all communication (recommend written communication at all times). Research, research, research! Stick to the facts! Chances are the lawyer on the opposing side has been fed a bunch of lies. In my opinion, they appear to believe anything they're told when they are paid a $5K retainer and charge $250/hr. Do not let the lawyer from the Petitioner's/Respondents side bully you. THEY will attempt to make you look ignorant. They will TRY to be dominant and may even threaten you (and WHEN they do threaten you, file a complaint with the Florida Bar) As a Pro Se litigant, you have rights too; review and understand them. Expect the unexpected stay COOL and CONFIDENT under fire. Do not expect Judges to be "black and white" when it comes to interpreting the Florida Statutes.

Do not trust opposing attorney

It can be very stressful.

Find out all angles before proceeding as things aren't always what they appear to be. You don't have it "knocked" just because the law appears to be on your side. Am hoping I'm wrong when the thought "justice is only for the rich" crosses my mind. Am seeking relief in a probate litigation matter.

Stick to the facts and not personal or emotional feelings you have on the subject. sometimes people don't realize there is a difference

Do your research.

Do lots of research and make sure you have the proper forms and they are filled out correctly.

Just keep swimming.

Study, study, study, then review, review, review! Know your Constitution inside out. Understand that no other law (international, Admiralty & Maritime, UCC/contract, Equity, Trust, Civil, Criminal, State/Constitutions/statutes/codes/ordinances/regulations/policies/rules, +) supersede it. Use GPO/FDsys Library of Congress, official reporters, Law schools, verify everything, don't take a lawyers advice, the judicial system is corrupt, everything is about money, truth and honor are dead, legal is not the same as lawful, common law pisses off judges, prosecutors, clerks, attorneys. Stay in honor, be courteous, get everything on record, claim nothing, answer questions with questions ....

Do it!

If you can afford an attorney get one. If not become diligent on looking up FL statues, laws,motions,properly filing motions,what just arguments you have and etc

Research and use as many resources as possible

Find out if you qualify for free legal aid. If you are not eligible, exhaust every effort in gathering the money for an attorney. Especially if the case involves children or custody.

Basics of Legal Research

As the number of Florida pro se litigants increase, so does their need for research tools. Since pro se litigants are nonlawyers, with little or no knowledge of the law, access to understandable easy to use resources is vital. Many pro se litigants are low income and therefore unable to pay for a research service.

Legal research is rarely easy or straightforward. Because American law stems from many sources and develops in complex ways, thorough legal research requires technical proficiency. And because the law is dynamic and often unclear, thorough legal research also demands creativity and careful thought.

Many consumers can easily locate Florida Statutes when beginning their research, but identifying the issue first may be more daunting. Florida Statutes can be pulled up online as simply as entering the search string - Florida Statutes online - into your favorite search engine. However, the statutes themselves are not intuitively searchable, and its difficult to know what you're looking for until you find it.

Narrowing the search from the outset will help bring results that are more useful and less daunting than a more general search. For example, suppose you were a residential tenant and you had received a three day notice to pay or quit. But, you, the tenant, did not want to pay because the landlord had promised repeatedly to fix the roof, air conditioning, and the hot water heater and had never done anything. How can a tenant find guidance, (assuming the tenant cannot afford an attorney and does not qualify for legal aid)?

Many consumers will immediately take to the net to find answers. Some question and answer sites have good answers and some don't. Finding the statutes could be a good starting point. For that issue, use the search string - Florida Statutes online landlord tenant - and you'll arrive at Florida Statute Chapter 83 in its entirety. This is a lot to wade through, and it is a better idea to do some general research first to familiarize yourself with landlords and tenants rights and responsibilities.

Read some articles from authoritative sources. Authoritative sources are official government sources like the Florida Bar site, or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.

https://www.floridabar.org/tfb/TFBConsum.nsf/0a92a6dc28e76ae58525700a005d0d53/e21a25a8c288bed98525740800537588!OpenDocument

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Consumer-Services/Consumer-Resources/Consumer-Protection/Publications/Landlord-Tenant-Law-in-Florida

In reading these articles you may learn under what circumstances a tenant is allowed to withhold rent and why. Spending time collecting facts, learning the vocabulary, and then analyzing the facts will save hours of time spent on dead end research. Many beginning researchers can find the governing laws, statute, or ordinances, but struggle to find out how to apply them. The actual procedure is often the most difficult part in practical terms. These two broad areas of law are referred to as substantive and procedural.

In our scenario, about the tenant having been served with a Three Day Notice to Pay or Quit, the researcher will soon find out through reading articles and Florida Statutes, that a tenant can withhold rent if his rented dwelling is uninhabitable. The researcher, may then wonder, what exactly is considered "uninhabitable"? Is having no air conditioning in July in Florida considered legally "uninhabitable"? We all may well agree that no A/C is torture, but the law doesn't say so. In fact, Florida landlord tenant laws demand that a dwelling have heat, but air conditioning is not a requirement for habitability. Hot water and a non-leaking roof are generally considered requirements for a habitable dwelling. See 83.51 Landlord’s obligation tomaintain premises.— for more information.

If a residential tenant needs to withhold rent because the landlord won't make necessary repairs or if the dwelling is uninhabitable, the rent should be deposited with in the registry of the court. And the tenant should have notified the landlord in writing previously and the landlord failed or refused to make things right. If the tenant has placed the rent in the registry of the court, and the judge finds that the landlord has neglected his obligation to maintain the property, the judge can then decide how the rent money should be disbursed.

Exact procedures for withholding rent can sometimes be found on the clerk of court's website (depending on the county). Pinellas Counts provides some good information and forms for landlords and tenants. Notes on the form for withholding rent state:

A Tenant cannot withhold rent from the Landlord without sending notice and allowing the Landlord time to cure the non-compliance, violation, or default of its obligations. Failure to send the required notice to th e Landlord has significant impact on a Tenant’s rights under the rental agreement and Florida Statutes. If the non-compliance is not remedied within the time period specified by statute (or such longer time as may be granted in your written rental agreement) and the Landlord’s failure to comply renders the dwelling unit untenantable and the Tenant vacates, the Tenant may vacate and withhold all rent, or, if the failure to comply does not render the dwelling unit untenantable, rent may be reduced in proportion to the loss of rental value caused by the non-compliance. If the Landlord’s violation of its obligations is not remedied, but the failure to cure the non-compliance does not render the dwelling unit untenantable, the Tenant may remain in the dwelling unit and the rent shall be reduced, until the violation is cured, by an amount in proportion to the loss of rental value caused by the failure to cure the violation. In any legal proceeding, however, the Tenant will have to pay all past due rent, and rent as it co mes due during the legal proceedings, into the registry of t he Court. The Tenant should, therefore, deposit all rent as it comes due in a separate bank account until the Tenant's disputes with the Landlord have been resolved.

For the text of Florida Statute 83.51(1), and the grounds for withholding rent, see the note to Form 3. SOURCE: Sections 83.56 and 83.60, Florida Statutes (2007).

Legal information can be found in many places. Diligent and persistent search pays off when you find the answers to troubling legal questions. Keep an open mind, frame the issues, and remember there may be more than one right answer to any legal question.

The Pro Se Challenge - Accessing the Court System

As a pro se litigant, I recently experienced a frustrating (and expensive) example of the sort of barriers a pro se litigant can encounter. I discovered that court systems are not designed to aid the pro se litigant in filing their paperwork, and a clerk of court’s staff are often far from helpful.

In 2015, I was sued by someone in a state on the other side of the country. Other attorneys in his area referred to him as a vexatious litigant, and he filed all his lawsuits pro se and in forma pauperis. He had never won a lawsuit.

My background is in research, and I once managed a law library. So, I was able to defend myself, and I prepared a defense based on lack of personal jurisdiction.

Unfortunately, the court system this man lived under was still in the 1990s technologically. There were many obscure rules, and many forms for filing documents that were unique to that court. Half the time I called the clerk of court to ask a question, and either the person I needed to speak to was “out of the office,” or the person I spoke to had no idea how to help me. To make matters worse, this court system just happened to be implementing new scheduling software, which caused even more problems as members of the clerk of court’s staff became unavailable because they were “in training.” I left messages, and did not receive calls back until literally the last minute I had to do my paperwork.

There was also no system set up for full electronic filing. I could send a copy to the clerk’s office electronically, provided I went through an obscure registration process. However, I was still required to “snail mail” copies to the judge. Barney Fife obviously served as clerk of court in this county!

I filed a motion to dismiss, only to discover that I had filled out a form incorrectly, and my dismissal hearing was not properly scheduled. I became so concerned about not being able to communicate with the clerk’s staff that I hired an attorney in the other state. In the end, because of various actions by the plaintiff, it cost me $21,000. It could have cost more. Thankfully, the attorney I hired recognized that I was competent at legal research and allowed me to do research for him on personal jurisdiction. That saved me $1500. (The judge, by the way, awarded me those attorney fees after everything else was over with.)

The attorney used the same arguments I used in my motion to dismiss, only adding a few points from that state’s case law. Had the court system in the Plaintiff’s state been more accessible, I could easily have handled these matters myself. The end of this affair proves it: After the Plaintiff lost to me in his home state, he tried to sue me in Florida – and I defeated him for no more than the cost of postage and copies..along with a small payment to a helpful legal document preparer!

Guest Blog - published with permission from the author, Jim Holding.

Florida Probate for Small Estates - Summary Administration of Estate

Many Floridians don't realize that a family member or other interested person is allowed to settle an estate. It is a myth that an attorney must be involved in every estate. If an estate is small enough to qualify for the Summary Administration of Estate process a family member or interested party may be able to initiate and handle the paperwork pro se. In general, Summary Administration of Estate is appropriate if the value of the estate is less than $75,000 excluding exempt property. The summary administration process is also available if the decedent passed away more than two years prior to filing the Petition for Summary Administration. 

It seems that nothing in Florida that has to do with the courts is easy. Some states require only one single document called an Affidavit of Small Estate. But, in Florida a set of documents is almost always required. The probate court also expects the filer to submit proposed orders along with the petition. This rule differs from the regular rules of civil procedure which generally require that orders are not to be filed in the court record.

When a family member dies, the first step in settling the estate is to determine whether there is a will. Sometimes the family knows exactly where the will is, and other times it takes a search through the decedent's papers in order to locate it. Other times the will is in a safe deposit box. In Florida there is no requirement to file a will with the court until after someone dies. If there is a will, then the estate is considered "testate". If there is no will, the estate is considered "intestate".

The next step after determining whether there is a will or not, guides the whole process. If the person died with no will, then the rules of intestate succession apply. Florida Statute 732 lays out the exact order of inheritance. If there is a will the wishes of the decedent are carried out as closely as possible. For example, in Florida you can't disinherit a surviving spouse -- even if the will says so.

The next project is to determine what the probate assets are. When there is a will, sometimes the assets are listed, and sometimes not. Sometimes assets have been acquired since the will was signed, and sometimes the will's language is very general. Language like I leave all that I own to my brother, John Adams; and leave nothing to my brother George Washington, is perfectly legal. While you cannot disinherit a spouse, you can certainly disinherit anyone else, including children. It is considered best practice if someone is to be disinherited to name that person in the will to avoid a possible will contest that could claim the disinheritance was a mistake.

A probate asset is property that was owned by the decedent in his or her name only. Real property in more than one person's name may or may not be a probate asset. If the form of ownership with another person or persons is "tenants in common" it is a probate asset. If it is owned by another person or persons as "joint tenants with right of survivorship" or owned with the surviving spouse, then the property is not a probate asset. Joint bank accounts are not probate assets. A bank account with a transfer on death (TOD) designation is not a probate asset. Life insurance with a person's name as beneficiary is not a probate asset; but life insurance naming "the estate of ..." is a probate asset.

And, next, determine whether the estate is indebted. If there is credit card debt, some credit card companies will write off the debt, others won't. It never hurts to ask. The credit card companies that will write off the debt, usually require nothing more than a written request and a copy of the death certificate.

Florida Statute 735.203

(1) A petition for summary administration may be filed by any beneficiary or person nominated as personal representative in the decedent’s will offered for probate. The petition must be signed and verified by the surviving spouse, if any, and any beneficiaries except that the joinder in a petition for summary administration is not required of a beneficiary who will receive a full distributive share under the proposed distribution. However, formal notice of the petition must be served on a beneficiary not joining in the petition.

Despite the plain language of the above statute some clerks of court and even some judges are adamant that a Petition for Summary Administration of Estate must be signed and filed by an attorney. As far as we know, Sarasota County and Washington County refuse to allow pro se litigants to file summary administration of estate. 

The ABA is Preaching to the Choir

A recent article by Lisa Needham, "A Quick Look at the ABA’s Report on the Future of Legal Services" (8/9/16) published on www.lawyerist.com made the following statement.

"The access to justice gap remains enormous. Legal aid organizations are overtaxed, pro bono representation can’t meet the need, and other initiatives have fallen far short".

My observations and replies are as follows:

I have been writing about the justice gap for some time, and it is far more than a "gap".More like a canyon. A gorge. An abyss. Legal aid organizations are overtaxed. For every person helped, another is turned away. The 2009 ABA report on the Justice Gap reported: 

" Lack of resources, however, continues to be the major factor why LSC-funded programs turn away half of those seeking help. Closing the justice gap will require a multifaceted approach that includes increased funding by federal and state governments, private funders and concerned private parties, and increased pro bono contributions by individual lawyers." Now nearly seven years later, little has changed.

Pro bono representation can't meet the need. Although, in theory, attorneys are required to provide 20 hours per year in pro bono services, Palm Beach County officially allows attorneys to buy out their pro bono obligation for as little as $350 per year. Many attorneys charge $350 per hour, one hour of time versus 20 hours of work is a simple economic choice. The following is posted on the Palm Beach County Bar Associations website:

"In Palm Beach County, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County is the designated agency for administering Florida's Pro Bono Plan. That plan, outlined in Rule 4-6.1, Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, describes lawyers' professional responsibility for pro bono service. The professional responsibility may be discharged by: (1) annually providing at least 20 hours of pro bono legal service to the poor; or (2) making an annual contribution of at least $350 to a legal aid organization." 

Other initiatives have fallen short. Florida's Commission on Access to Justice has been discussing and debating various initiatives for the past year or two with very little actual change or improvement. Florida legal document preparers are, at best, routinely overlooked as part of the solution. And, at worst, routinely intimidated from prospering and growing their businesses due to the Florida Bar's continuous intimidation. More than one FALDP member has closed up shop, specifically because of the threat of unfounded UPL allegations. Until the day we demand that the Florida Bar recognizes that document preparers are here to stay, that we provide a sought after and necessary service, and we do not seek to take work away from attorneys -- we, as business professionals, will remain disenfranchised, vulnerable, and ineffective.

I now ask FALDP members and all document preparers to stand with me and demand that our right to be let alone be upheld, and let us be free to pursue our livelihood without interference. That our business disenfranchisement be transformed by the gratitude of our satisfied customers. Demand that our vulnerability become our strength in our willingness to assist our customers despite the zealots who would have us fined and imprisoned. And finally affect our customers, our communities, and the world in positive ways by continuing to assist consumers as is their right.  

Dinosaurs in a Blizzard.

This article is not about dinosaurs or weather. It is about what happens when a creature fails to adapt to a changing environment. Attorneys can rail all they want about the changes in the way people access the legal system, but it will ultimately be their own downfall. Try as they might, attorneys are not going to be able to turn back time. They aren't going to be able to reset the clock to the days when the first and only choice consumers had for anything legal was to immediately go out and retain counsel.

The internet opened up to wide public use in 1995. Since then, the internet has become a way of life for many Americans. A center for their social network, a place to find work, an easy way to shop, and most of all a place to find information. Including legal information. Now that consumers can readily find legal information, they can then make an informed decision regarding many of their own personal and legal matters. Sometimes they'll seek an attorney, sometimes they won't. Sometimes they'll hire a legal document preparer, sometimes they won't.

I found the following on the Florida Bar's site. It is part of a Consumer Pamphlet titled:

 "Hiring The Right Person To Help Me With My Legal Problems Pamphlet "

There will probably come a time in your life when you will need or want to seek legal advice or services. One of the first questions you may ask yourself is whether you need a lawyer, or whether a nonlawyer could assist you instead. This consumer pamphlet is intended to help you make an informed choice.

I recently saw an advertisement in the paper from someone who called himself a paralegal, which said he could help me with my legal problem for a lot less than a lawyer. Can this person really help?

Florida Bar says:

No, a nonlawyer cannot help you with your legal problem. 

Legally, only a licensed member of The Florida Bar can help you with your legal problem and give you legal advice. A lawyer’s job is to make the law work for everyone. Consumers often use the services of lawyers to help them draw up wills, handle real estate transactions, and other important legal needs. If a nonlawyer attempts to help you with your legal problem, that person may be prosecuted for the unlicensed practice of law (UPL) and your case may be affected.

I say:

It depends on what your legal problem is. Granted a nonlawyer document preparer may not give legal advice. But needing legal advice may not be the problem. Maybe a consumer only needs documents properly prepared. Maybe a consumer only needs information about procedure. Remember, there is no specific law school course that focuses on document preparation. Attorneys generally rely on paralegals or software for document preparation, and may not be personally familiar with preparing documents.

But this person is a paralegal. Doesn’t that mean they have training or that they work with a lawyer?

The Florida Bar says:

No. In fact, so many people were being misled about the titles “paralegal” and “legal assistant” that the Supreme Court of Florida passed a rule saying that it is not proper for a nonlawyer to use those titles if they are providing services directly to the public. Paralegals working in a law office often do have training and are often certified. They also have a code of ethics that they must follow, and work under a lawyer’s supervision, not on their own. Nonlawyers who do not work for a lawyer may not have any training and should not be using the title “paralegal”.

I say:

If a document preparer, who offers services directly to consumers, is refers to himself as a "paralegal" or "legal assistant" - I'd stay away. One of the very few clear cut rules regarding the unauthorized practice of law is that document preparers may not call themselves "paralegals" or "legal assistants". A "paralegal", and a "legal assistant", by definition, is supervised by an attorney; and document preparers are not. If a document preparer is unaware of that one very basic rule, it is likely that the document preparer is also unaware of other important information; AND is not a member of the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers (FALDP). Members of FALDP must meet set standards to join; adhere to a code of ethics; and have an opportunity to become FALDP Certified. Document preparers may or may not have formal training. The use of the title "paralegal", in this context, has more to do with attorney supervision than training. Document preparers often have extensive training; many were formerly paralegals; some are retired attorneys or attorneys from other countries or jurisdictions.

What can this nonlawyer do for me?

The Florida Bar says:

The only thing the nonlawyer can legally do for you is to sell you a pre-printed form and type in the information that you provide to them. A nonlawyer cannot tell you what information you should put on the form, or even what type of form to use, and cannot help you fill it out. Basically, the nonlawyer can act as a secretary or typist.

I say:

The Florida Bar answer is partly correct. However, in addition to selling pre-printed forms and typing information, nonlawyers can assist consumers by locating a specific form for the consumer. It is a common request. Consumers contact document preparers and say they cannot find a specific form and ask for assistance in locating it. Consumers also often struggle understanding the instructions that accompany the Florida Supreme Court approved forms. The form instructions frequently delineate which forms must be filed simultaneously; and a document preparer can point out these instructions to the consumer. Document preparers can also answer procedural questions - such as:

• what happens next in my case?
• what happens after the other party answers the complaint?
• how long does the other party have to answer my petition?
• how do I efile? can a pro se litigant efile?

How do I know if the form provided by a nonlawyer is right?

The Florida Bar says:

You do not. You cannot rely on the nonlawyer to do it right. You are really representing yourself.

Again, nonlawyers can only supply forms and type in the information you provide.

I say:

Consumers who use document preparers are self-represented. And document preparers may not choose which forms a consumer is to use. Form selection is up to the consumer; and the forms are completed according to information provided by the consumer ... so any error is ultimately the responsibility of the consumer. Consumers who use document preparers are encouraged to educate themselves about their issue, and learn the applicable procedural rules. Through this self education consumers can become empowered in pursuing their own best outcome.

However, consumers can rely on document preparers to complete the required forms correctly. If a document preparer makes errors in completing documents, the consumer's recourse is the same as with any service provider: request corrections/ revisions; demand return of monies paid; or sue.

The ad says that nonlawyers provide the same services as a lawyer. Is that true?

The Florida Bar says:

No, that is not true. A lawyer can give you legal advice and go to court with you. A nonlawyer cannot give legal advice and cannot go to court. There are other important differences between a lawyer and a nonlawyer:

I say:

No, that is not true. Any document preparer who claims to offer the same services as a lawyer is an unauthorized practice of law investigation waiting to happen. And an FALDP member who claimed to provide the same services as a lawyer would be immediately reprimanded, and potentially face termination of membership.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers are required to have a college degree and a law degree. There are no legal education requirements for nonlawyers.

I say:

Prospective FALDP members must submit a written application -- not all applicants are invited to join. Prospective members must agree to a background check; meet set standards posted on the FALDP website; and agree to abide by the FALDP Pledge.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers are required to pass a stringent admittance examination to determine their competency, as well as a thorough character and fitness investigation, before being admitted to practice law. There are no such requirements for nonlawyers.

I say:

Certain specific red flags generally prevent an applicant from joining FALDP. Some of these specific red flags are: an applicant who is a disbarred attorney; applicants who have committed financial crimes; and applicants who have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers are required to maintain current legal education and take ethics courses periodically. There is no continuing education requirement for nonlawyers.

I say:

FALDP Certification requires at least 10 Continuing Education Units per year. FALDP Certification is voluntary within the association, and not all members choose to pursue certification. FALDP regularly hosts webinars which are open to all members at no charge. Topics include information business ethics, best practices, and UPL, among others.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers are subject to comprehensive and tough ethical rules. There are no written ethical standards for nonlawyers.

I say:

All FALDP members are required to adhere to the FALDP Pledge. Failure to abide by those rules can be reason for termination of membership.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers who are accused of misbehavior are investigated by The Florida Bar, which can lead to losing their license to practice law. Nonlawyers are not professionally accountable to any authority, although they can be investigated and prosecuted for engaging in the unlicensed practice of law.

I say:

FALDP members who are accused of misbehavior are investigated by FALDP which can lead to termination of their membership. Consumers who report to FALDP that they have been poorly treated, or have paid for services and received no documents - even when the document preparer is not a member of FALDP - are assisted. Sometimes FALDP will complete a consumer's documents at no cost or low cost when a non-member document preparer has failed to live up to his obligations.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers are required to maintain client confidences. Nonlawyers have no such requirement, and could tell your secrets to anyone, even the other side.

I say:

FALDP member document preparers are required to maintain their customer's privacy according the FALDP Pledge:

• To respect my customers’ privacy.
• To keep in strict confidence my customers’ affairs, and not share information about a customer without that customer’s permission unless court ordered.

The Florida Bar says:
• Lawyers as a profession maintain a Clients’ Security Fund, which is intended to reimburse clients for some of their losses if a lawyer misappropriates trust funds. There is no such program for nonlawyers. A nonlawyer cannot be forced to give you your money back if a nonlawyer steals it from you or does not provide the services that were promised.

I say:

Document preparers do not typically handle trust funds. If a nonlawyer steals from a consumer or does not provide documents as requested, consumers can sue the document preparer or report the document preparer to law enforcement. Just as with any service provider, there are resources in place to protect consumers.


I still think I’m going to give the nonlawyer a try. My case is simple and I think I can handle it myself.

The Florida Bar says:

Every person has the right to represent himself/herself. But remember, cases that appear simple at first may turn out to be more complicated than you first thought. Finding a lawyer isn’t as hard as you think and you might be able to have your questions answered or get good legal advice during an initial consultation. If you do not have a lawyer, many local bar groups in Florida sponsor lawyer referral services, listed under “attorney” or “attorney referral services” in the yellow pages of the telephone book. These services can set up an initial appointment for you with a lawyer for a nominal fee (usually less than $50). If there is no lawyer referral service in your city, The Florida Bar’s statewide service can locate a lawyer for you. You can call this service toll-free at (800) 342-8011. The statewide service, which operates only in cities where there is no local program, will refer you to an attorney for an initial half-hour consultation for a nominal fee. The Florida Bar’s consumer pamphlet “How To Find A Lawyer In Florida” may also help.

I say:

Document preparers routinely urge consumers to seek legal advice or representation when and if the case becomes more complicated than the consumer first thought. Many consumers consult with an attorney before using a document preparer; and have already received legal advice before hiring a document preparer. Some consumers find attorney prices unaffordable after the initial consultation; and seek assistance for a legal document preparer instead of an attorney. It is also common for a consumer to seek the services of a document preparer after an attorney withdrew from his case. FALDP maintains a Member Directory with information about FALDP Members throughout the state. Consumers can call 800-515-0496 to be matched with a legal document preparer who may be able to assist them. 

In the long run, it is attorney's best interest to adapt with the times, and recognize that legal document preparers provide a vital consumer service, and have a niche in the marketplace. Attorneys railing against document preparers and trying to put document preparers out of business through intimidation and half-truths is a losing proposition. Just ask the dinosaur.