Not every legal situation requires hiring an attorney. In California, certain types of legal paperwork, like an uncontested divorce, a will, a power of attorney, or guardianship documents, can often be handled without paying thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
When you likely don't need a lawyer
If your situation is uncontested, straightforward, and you and the other party (if there is one) already agree on the outcome, you may only need help preparing and filing the correct paperwork, not legal representation. This applies to many cases involving:
Uncontested divorce
Wills
Probate (in many cases)
Power of Attorney
Guardianships and adoptions (uncontested)
Evictions, for both landlords and tenants
Paternity and child support/custody filings (uncontested)
QDRO preparation for dividing retirement accounts
Immigration forms
When you should talk to an attorney
If your case is contested, involves a dispute, or requires someone to argue your position in court, you need a licensed attorney. Legal document preparation services cannot represent you in court, give legal advice, or tell you which option to choose.
What a document preparation service actually does
A legal document preparation service helps you complete and file the correct forms accurately, based on what you tell them you need. They don't decide your legal strategy, you do, or your attorney does, if you have one. What they save you is the cost of paying attorney rates for paperwork that doesn't require legal representation.
Affordable Document Services has helped families and individuals across the Inland Empire, from Riverside and Moreno Valley to Jurupa Valley, prepare legal documents for over 29 years, working directly with the local courts to make sure paperwork is filed correctly the first time.
If you're not sure whether your situation needs an attorney or just needs the right paperwork done correctly, give us a call, we'll tell you honestly.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Affordable Document Services is a bonded and registered Legal Document Assistant, not an attorney.