MORESTEALTH CONSULTING. can i hire a paralegal instead of a lawyer?

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1 MORESTEALTH CONSULTING can i hire a paralegal instead of a lawyer?

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3 INTRODUCTION Greetings; After dealing with the stresses of my legal matters, I came to the realization that there aren t enough stand-alone, affordable services in the areas of Bankruptcy, Child Support, Divorce and Credit Repair. When I was dealing with my legal issues, I definitely couldn t afford to hire an attorney and could barely pay the filing fees, so I began a quest to not only study and research the court s procedures and their processes but to truly understand why going to court was such a stressful and intimidating affair? While diligently trying to understand the maze of court practices and procedures, I soon discovered through most of my legal burdens that not only could I had dealt with them myself but with very little aid as well. The actualization of this helped me with the decision to return to school and gain a Paralegal Studies Degree. By accomplishing this I had a better understanding of the legal jargon, document preparation, and court procedures. ( Also, aided with my newly founded knowledge made going to court less stressful and intimidating ). Listen, I truly understand and know how it feels to be in a legal situation that can be overbearing and burdensome not to mention causing hardship and stress on your day-to-day life activities. Which is why for 10 years I have dedicated my life passion in assisting and educating those who needs help navigating the complex terrain of the courts. For those who are in need of our services, it would be my pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity in assisting you through the complexities of our court system. I truly believe that together we can find a remedy, if not a solution, to your situation. Regards, Marlon D. Matthews

4 paralegal vs. lawyer can i hire a paralegal instead? Although a Paralegal may not be a licensed attorney, however, it may be a budget-friendlydecision to hire a Paralegal for certain legal matters but not all scenarios. If you do not want to pay up to $150/hour through a law firm just to be sent to sit with a paralegal, you may want to skip the middleman & hire an independent paralegal directly. All too often, attorneys who are overbooked and constantly in court will employ paralegals to handle clients until it is time to go to court. The problem with this is that the firm will bill their patrons an hourly rate as if they are sitting with the attorney themselves and not their assistant. If you want to reduce the cost of legal services, it might be in your best interests to have a paralegal assist you if you have a less complicated matter. Read on & find out what you need to consider before hiring a well-trained, but independent paralegal. WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT PARALEGAL? An independent paralegal, which may also be referred to as a freelance professional, is a non-attorney legal professional who provides different types of legal document services to patrons for a fee without being under the supervision of a licensed attourney. Since the paralegal is not working directly under an attourney, there are some strict limitaions as to what they are lawfully allowed to do. They cannot actually practice law, but they can help individuals with less complicated matters that do not create the need for legal advice. Providing information about certain legal topics is not against the law, but they must be careful how the patron takes the information that is offered.

5 4 WHAT SERVICES ARE INDEPEN- DENT PARALEGALS ALLOWED TO OFFER THE PUBLIC? You must be very careful to hire paralegals for only very basic legal services. You can save a significant amount of money if you need help with your legal document preperation, but there are limitations even with this type of service. A paralegal that is not being supervised, cannot prepare pleadings when information that is not common knowledge must be provided. In order for you need to qualify as something that can be handled by a paralegal, it needs to be a legal matter that you already know what you want & just needs an experienced legal professional to help you locate the forms & fill them out properly. The legal assistant may not be able to file the forms for you, but they can direct you on how to file or record the documents to prevent delays. Some of the different type of matters that a paralegal may be able to help with include: Estate planning Probate filings Powers of attorney Bankruptcy petitions Straightforward uncontested divorce forms If you want to hire a paralegal for basic legal matters that do not require advice, be sure that you choose the right professional. According to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, consumers should choose a professional who has no less than a paralegal certificate when they want someone other than a lawyer to perform legal work. This proves that the professional that you hire really is trained & knowledgeable in law & procedures. The choice to hire a paralegal can be a smart one as long as you do your research.

6 paralegal vs. lawyer how to choose a good independent paralegal Choose a paralegal service that is established. You can do this by making sure they are licensed with the state & have no Better Business Bureau complaints. Be sure to ask the paralegal what exactly their fees cover. Do they charge an hourly rate? Does their flat rate include providing you with self-help information? Will they be filing your paperwork for you? Does the paralegal s fee include the court filing fee? Choose a paralegal service that makes reputable DIY materials available to you. There are numerous trustworthy self-help legal publishers: Sphinx (By sourcebooks), self-counsel press, career press, info America, Bradford, Alpha, Nova, Nolo Press, Washington Legal Blank & DIY documents. Choose a paralegal service that advertises honestly. Ads that say, Divorce preperation just $99 are hard-to-believe for a reason. These types of ads usually refer ONLY to divorces where there are no children, no property, no debts & will still have hidden fees. Choose a paralegal who recognizes the possibility that some situations may require an attorney. A trustworthy paralegal will not hesitate to tell you when youre situation is beyond the scope of an non-attorney. A good paralegal will even help you find an affordable alternative.

7 6 To use a paralegal or not? More often than ever before, people are using paralegals to assist in their less complicated matters. Paralegals can offer many benefits, such as price. Technically, a paralegal is a trained legal assistant supervised by an attorney. A paralegal who works on their own is called an independent paralegal because they are not supervised by a lawyer. Statistics show in some states about 75% of divorces and 60% of bankruptcies are done without lawyers. Many of these do-it-yourselfers have chosen independent paralegals instead. What can an independent paralegal do for you? A paralegal is familiar with local forms, local rules, and has knowledge about local processes. An independent paralegal can NOT give you legal advice, represent you in court, or choose your forms for you. Many paralegals also do not file your forms at the court for you or prepare your paperwork (Morestealth Consulting LLC prepares and files your documents). Paralegals may avoid these activities in order to protect themselves from being charged with the crime unauthorized practice of law (UPL). Instead, the paralegal may provide information, perform typing, proofreading, and give other assistance. In some states, independent paralegals can become licensed and registered. This shows, once again, the popularity of their services. For example, in California, independent paralegals or Legal Document Assistants must be registered with the county and possess a bond. As defined by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, a Paralegal is a person, qualified by education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work. Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts. An independent paralegal is not employed by a law firm or supervised by an attorney. An independent paralegal does not give legal advice or practice law. Read the CNN article about Lawyers and Non-Lawyers. (

8 paralegal vs. lawyer in conclusion Sometimes consulting with an attorney is just too expensive and deserving people should not have to give up their rightssimply because they can t afford legal counsel. That s why Morestealth Consulting LLC exists. With our assistance, we have helped numerous clients navigate the complexities of Judgment Enforcements, Bankruptcies, Child Support, and much more. More often than ever before, people are using paralegals to assist in their less complicated matters. Don t let yourself get buried in details, contact us instead. Find out how our services can help you get on the path you need and desire. We are here to help find the answers and create the solutions you need! follow us on social media FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN