Is it Helpful and a Good Idea to Hire a Divorce Paralegal? Written By Sandra McCarthy Founder, A People’s Choice What is a Divorce Paralegal? The American Bar Association (ABA) defines a divorce paralegal as “a person, qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible” (ABA). Commonly, a paralegal may be responsible for conducting legal research on a lawyer’s behalf. Additionally, they may draft documents for a law firm, government agency, or another employer. Therefore, a divorce paralegal is an individual who performs delegated legal work for divorce cases. For example, a divorce paralegal may work at a family law firm. Limitations of Divorce Paralegals Divorce paralegals are not attorneys, and therefore they cannot provide legal advice or represent you in court. Further, divorce paralegals can complete and file legal paperwork, obtain records, conduct research, and set trial and hearing dates. However, they cannot provide services to the general public without supervision by an attorney. As a result, you will likely have to hire a firm to represent your case to work with a divorce paralegal. How Does a Legal Document Assistant Compare? In 1998, California State Senate Bill SB1761 was created to regulate the legal document preparation profession in California. Thus, it created a new title describing individuals who can prepare legal documents for clients WITHOUT an attorney’s supervision: legal document assistants (LDAs). According to state law, LDAs require specific and rigorous qualifications, including: A baccalaureate degree in any field and either a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney, or a minimum of one year of experience, prior to January 1, 1999, providing self-help service; A certificate of completion from a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association or that requires successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester units, or the equivalent, in legal specialization courses. Ultimately, LDAs are experienced and trained professionals who support “self-help” clients handling their own legal matters without the cost of an attorney. What our Clients Say... “A People’s Choice helped me with my QDRO. They were very professional and very honest. They saved me a lot of money by having them do all the paperwork. There was no hidden fees. I would recommend A People’s Choice for any of your needs. They are very knowledgeable in what they do. Thank you A People’s Choice for all your help!” Debra H. “Overwhelmed with my divorce, custody and child support paperwork, A Peoples Choice made everything so much easier and really put my mind at ease. I couldn’t be happier with their assistance and it really made all the process speed up for me. Thank you so much for all your help.” Samantha R. “A People’s Choice prepares legal documents so you can represent yourself and still look like you know what you’re doing. I utilized their services recently and found them to be professional as well as extremely helpful. I couldn’t be happier.” Evan J. “I recently required the help of A People’s Choice, Inc. and found them to be entirely professional. Everything was done in short order yet all was explained to my satisfaction. They were friendly and courteous. I am happy and impressed.” C. Zyobel “This company is excellent! They helped me get through all of my paperwork, submitted it to the court, and now everything is complete. Everything was clear and almost too easy. I saved thousands of dollars!” Seth M. “I’ve worked with A People’s Choice since September 2013. They are very knowledgeable and experienced. Their work is done professionally and timely. They show a real concern for my situation. I recommend you give them the opportunity to be of service to you.” D. Echeverra “I used A People’s Choice for filing divorce paperwork for an uncontested divorce. The price was very affordable and fair. Excellent service throughout. Not being able to call and talk on the phone worried me at first but they responded to every email extremely quickly. Directions were very easy to understand. Will definitely use them again if I need. Frank M. “Lightning fast response, I had my very simple document on the same day as my order for the very fair and reasonable price of $325 (including the rush fee!) compared to my attorney who quoted me 3 weeks and $2500. I will definitely use these folks again and highly recommend them!” L. Carnes “I can’t remember how I found A People’s Choice, but am completely satisfied with the service provided. The person I worked with was very friendly whenever we spoke on the phone and always responded promptly to any emails. The entire process was smooth and painless. Would recommend A People’s Choice without hesitation.” Les A. “Divorce is usually never pleasant but A People’s Choice made it much easier than it would have been if we tried to do the divorce paperwork on our own. They were very quick to respond to us and always took the time to answer all of our questions thoroughly, in addition to quickly. I would highly recommend them for handling divorce paperwork.” Susan Z. “This team is efficient, professional, ethical and easy to work with. Any of my questions were responded to immediately. They did everything they could to help me. I highly recommend their services.” Leigh A. “Extremely satisfied with the performance of A People’s Choice. The communication was excellent and all was handled in a timely efficient manner. “ Pam T. “Great service. Highly professional and efficient creating legal documents. I am completely satisfied and highly recommend them to others. I am so glad I found you on the internet. People who are looking for professional legal services look no further, try A People’s Choice.” Radtech N. “A People’s Choice is a business that delivers what they promise. I was treated like a VIP by their staff. As for their services, they promptly delivered all of the official documents and fillings on my behalf and their price is more than reasonable. In short, this is a business that I will always recommend and continue to use. Thank you!” Juan B. “Made the process so easy for me. Also VERY prompt replies through email. So glad I used their services.“ Kristina C. “A People’s Choice saved me time, money & hardship. The people are professional and a pleasure to work with, I totally recommend them to everyone! I will used them for all my legal documents in the future. Thank you!” C. Lazalde “I had contacted a lawyer and he wanted to charge me $1800.00. Then I found A People’s Choice. They got my paperwork started and at a much lower cost, and steered me, with the help of lots of paperwork, in the right direction. I am grateful for the company’s services and would recommend them to anyone that may need the services they offer.” April R. “Highly recommend A People’s Choice. The customer service and professionalism are exceptional. My documents were delivered to me quickly and accurately. Compared to using an attorney for complete paperwork, this service is only a fraction of the cost, more responsive, and better suited to quickly completing complicated court forms. “ Linda F. “I was very happy with the service received. They were extremely responsive by phone and email and completed the document in less than 24 hours! All questions were answered promptly. I would highly recommend this service to anyone needing a legal document prepared!” M.D. “A People’s Choice offers a very professional, low cost service for all sorts of legal paperwork, from living trusts to divorce, bankruptcy and everything in between. If you know what you want to do and don’t need legal advice, I strongly recommend calling this company. You won’t be disappointed and will save lots of money!” Kathryn R. “Just recently moved to the Ventura area and didn’t know of any companies to help me with my legal paperwork. I am glad I chose A People’s Choice. They were very friendly and helped me with my documents in a very efficient way in very little time. Give them a try and you will be writing a positive review just as I did.” D. Buelna “I needed help understanding and filling out legal documents, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for an attorney. The staff at A People’s Choice was very professional and helpful. They took care of all of the paperwork and filings and kept me posted. I would highly recommend them. You will get outstanding service at an affordable price. “Sharon B. “I thought I could save money and file my own divorce paperwork. The court clerks offer no assistance whatsoever! The best advice I can give is to call A People’s Choice first. They typed up my paperwork and my divorce was final in two weeks! Would highly recommend them to everyone.” L. Bayer “Very professional, excellent follow up and easy to work with. I will recommend them often! The staff rocks!” Gene A. “A People’s Choice is awesome! They made the legal documentation process painless. I highly recommend A People’s Choice. The name says it all.” Eric J. “I had the opportunity to use A People’s Choice again, Wow doesn’t say enough for the way the staff was able to get me in and out and all my answers answered. Very P-professional, organized and Friendly. I highly recommend!” Debbie E. “The service provided by A People’s Choice was very professional and comprehensive. We have used A People’s Choice on a previous occasion and were completely satisfied. We would highly recommend A People’s Choice to anyone!“ R. Betancourt “My wife and I needed to have papers filed in court but found traditional lawyers were quite expensive. A People’s Choice did a professional job completing our paperwork and I might say, at a very reasonable price. You can bet I will contact A People’s Choice again if or when the need arises. “ D. Hileman “When I first saw all of the documents required to file I was overwhelmed. Already dealing with the stress of everything else, I did not want to deal with the courts, a mountain load of paperwork and trips to file as well. I’m VERY happy that I went with A People’s Choice. They were very helpful, despite all of my questions. I definitely recommend.” M. McCleod “A People’s Choice is extremely customer orientated and friendly. Their service was fast and reliable. in the future, should I need their services again, I will not hesitate to call them. All e-mails were answered with either a phone call or e-mail sometimes even late at night“ Tar “I would just like to comment on what a great job A People’s Choice did with my divorce. I could not be happier. They let me know how they keep the cost down by communicating through email. I also appreciated how when I had a question they got back with me in the day or in the evening. APeoples Choice is a good deal for the consumer.” R. Leyva “So glad I found this company to handle my divorce. They were very professional and detail oriented, answering all of my (many) questions and kept me informed. They handled everything for me from hundreds of miles away and made it pretty seamless. The pricing was in the exact range we were looking for. Very honest company and great to work with!” Jessica J. “Want to personally thank the staff at A People’s Choice for making my divorce process so simple and painless. From my 1st contact in the office, they were was warm and friendly and took the time to explain each step in a very simple and quick manner. Filing for a divorce can be a difficult and painful process and the staff was extremely professional and clear in all guidance and explanations. I highly recommend A People’s Choice.” C. Hannon “I can’t say enough about the level of service and professionalism I received working with A People’s Choice. Emails were always responded to quickly and thoughtfully. They really care about the process and helping you get the best result with no up-selling. The process played out according to plan, and I ended up saving a lot of money by going with A People’s Choice over an attorney.” M. Rice “I used A People’s Choice to complete custody paperwork. No disappointment here. The service was easy and painless. It might have been nice to have a discussion by phone, but it was still quite easy and quick via email. Overall, the process was simple and I would use A People’s Choice again.” Michael J. “How much is peace of mind worth to you? This company of hardworking, caring individuals will help you get the job done in the quickest, most efficient way. Conveniently located. Check it out. Thank you!” Diana K. Get help filing a California divorce! START MY DIVORCE PAPERWORK…or continue reading the article below to learn more about legal help for your divorce. Who Should You Hire to Help With Your Divorce? Deciding which type of legal professional will help with your divorce is totally dependent on the circumstances. For example, if you are unable to compromise with your spouse on contested issues, you may need legal advice. In this case, a divorce attorney may be your best bet. However, if you decide to go the “DIY” route, an LDA may be a great option. Plus, for your California divorce, consider hiring A People’s Choice to help with your legal forms. We have over 40 years’ experience serving California residents and clients navigating the California legal system. Whether you need help with one legal form or want assistance from a first draft through filing with the court, A People’s Choice is here to help. For non-attorney assistance with your divorce to save thousands of dollars, contact A People’s Choice today! Alternatively, start your divorce ASAP with our Quick Start My Divorce Interview! After reviewing your information, we will reach out to you to discuss how we can help make your divorce quick and easy. Get help with your Legal documents today! A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney! GET STARTED!Was this article helpful? We would love to know your thoughts! If you found this article helpful, please check the LIKE button below. Your feedback helps us plan topics for future articles. By Sandra McCarthy|October 7th, 2020|Divorce|Comments Off on Is it Helpful and a Good Idea to Hire a Divorce Paralegal?