National Association of Legal Document Preparers

The National Association of Legal Document Preparers (NALDP) released today general guidelines on how to become a legal document preparer, a non-attorney who helps consumers represent themselves in undisputed legal matters by preparing the necessary legal documents to court standards. Unlike paralegals, legal document preparers do not work under the supervision of an attorney.

1) Learn your State’s Laws: Your first step in considering a career as a legal document preparer should be to research your state’s practice of law rules, which define what is considered an “unauthorized practice of law” (or UPL) in that state. To find these rules or court cases, check your state code, the state Supreme Court or the bar association.

2) Educate Yourself: While no formal training is required in most states, it is important to receive proper education to ensure that you are providing the best quality service to your customers. Some suggestions for training include:

3) Purchase the Necessary Software: Many LDPs use software programs to organize and prepare documents. See the full article for software suggestions.

4) Join NALDP: The National Association of Legal Document Preparers is the only national association dedicated to promoting and protecting the legal document preparation industry. NALDP will help you promote your business by providing you with marketing tips and promotional materials, a membership certificate, frequent industry updates, access to a members-only web site, a forum to network with other legal document professionals, listing in an online directory of legal document providers, discounts on products and services, and much more.

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