Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers

FALPD (Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers) is an institution that trains aspiring Florida notaries to beak into the lucrative industry of legal document preparation services. Unfortunately the founder Ruth Tick passed away in 2023. The forward direction of the institution is unknown at this time. Ruth & FALDP were big advocates of understanding how to avoid unauthorized practice of law (UPL). 

With legal document preparation training, notary entrepreneurs can learn to offer these services. Good new!  We have taken the initiative & now offer an all-in-one legal document preparer course for FL Notaries! 

Common Services Provided by Florida Legal Document Assistants:

1. Divorce Papers Preparation

   • Preparing forms for uncontested divorce or simplified dissolution of marriage.

2. Child Custody and Support Documents

   • Assisting with preparing documents for child custody agreements, parenting plans, and child support modifications.

3. Name Change Petitions

   • Preparing petitions and forms for legal name changes, including adult and minor name changes.

4. Small Claims Court Documents

   • Helping clients prepare the paperwork needed to file or respond to small claims lawsuits.

5. Eviction Notices and Landlord/Tenant Documents

   • Drafting eviction notices, lease agreements, and other landlord-tenant-related legal documents.

6. Power of Attorney (POA) Forms

   • Preparing durable or general power of attorney documents, medical directives, or limited POA forms.

7. Living Wills and Healthcare Directives

   • Preparing living wills, healthcare surrogate forms, and other end-of-life directives.

8. Wills and Simple Estate Planning

   • Assisting with the preparation of simple wills, and other basic estate planning documents, but not giving legal advice.

9. Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

   • Preparing agreements that outline the division of assets and financial matters in case of divorce or death.

10. Deed Preparation

    • Preparing quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, and other property transfer documents.

11. Business Formation Documents

    • Preparing and filing forms for the formation of LLCs, corporations, and other business entities.

12. Bankruptcy Petition Preparation

    • Assisting with the preparation of bankruptcy petitions and schedules for individuals filing for Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy (without providing legal advice).

13. Immigration Forms

    • Preparing immigration forms such as applications for residency, citizenship, and visas (without advising on immigration law).

14. Guardianship Documents

    • Preparing documents for establishing guardianship over minors or incapacitated adults.

15. Summary Administration

    • Assisting in the preparation of probate forms for small estates or formal probate proceedings.

16. Estate Living Trusts

    • Preparing living trust documents for clients seeking to manage their assets through a trust arrangement.

17. Notarization & Mobile Notary Services

    • Offering notary services to authenticate signatures on legal documents.

18. Document Filing Services & Efile

    • Filing prepared legal documents with the appropriate court or government agency.

19. Legal Correspondence Templates

    • Filing out demand letters, responses, and other formal legal correspondence.

20. Property Settlement Agreements

    • Assisting with the preparation of property division agreements in divorce or separation cases.

21. Affidavits and Sworn Statements

    • Preparing and notarizing affidavits, declarations, and other sworn statements.

22. Expungement/Sealing of Criminal Records

    • Assisting with the preparation of documents to expunge or seal criminal records in Florida.

23. Civil Litigation Forms

    • Preparing documents for civil cases, such as complaints, answers, motions, and discovery forms.

Important Notes:

• No Legal Advice: Legal document preparers in Florida are not allowed to provide legal advice or represent clients in court. Their services are limited to preparing documents as instructed by the client and providing information on how to file these documents.

• Client Responsibility: Clients are responsible for ensuring that the documents are appropriate for their specific situation and for any follow-up actions, such as filing with the courts.

This list reflects the wide range of document preparation services a legal document preparer can offer, but it is important that the preparer operates strictly within the guidelines to avoid unauthorized practice of law. We are staunch proponents of the philosophy or Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers.

 Call: 1-877-540-6104 To Speak With A Document Preparer