Unauthorized Practice of Law In California

Paralegals and Legal Document Assistants

 

Law Offices of Donald E Glass
$295 to $995 Flat Legal Fee Divorce Attorney
www.AttorneyPreparedDivorceForms.com
www.CaliforniaOnlineDivorceAttorney.com

(951)  326-8005

Here’s an overview of what paralegals can not do:

 

Conclusion.

The practice of law in California is generally restricted to active members of the California State Bar.  In addition, the California courts have expansively defined the “practice of law” to include much more than court appearances.

As such, the “practice of law” includes:

 

People who are not licensed California lawyers but provide these kinds of services thus risk engaging in the illegal and unauthorized practice of law.

 

Consumers are tempted to use paralegals and legal document assistants as alternatives to California lawyers in order to save on legal fees, and rely on these alternatives to be honest as to the services they can and cannot legally provide.  The result is constant pressure on the line that divides the activities constituting the practice of law from the activities that do not.  Given that the unauthorized practice of law is illegal, however, it serves everyone’s interest to know exactly what constitutes the “practice of law,” and who may legally perform various law-related tasks.

They cannot act as counsel in the planning of pre-litigation strategy.

They cannot draft pleadings or court papers for third parties.

Morgan v. State Bar (1990) 51 Cal.3d 598, 603-04, 274 Cal.Rptr 8, 797 P.2d 1186 (preparing documents in dissolution of marriage)

Indeed, non-lawyers cannot even choose the forms needed for routine proceedings, or help a third-party decide how the forms should be filled out.  People v. Landlords Professional Services (1989) 215 Cal.App.3d 1599, 1608-09, 264 Cal.Rptr 548.

Unauthorized Practice of Law In California

Paralegals and Legal Document Assistants

 

Law Offices of Donald E Glass
$295 to $995 Flat Legal Fee Divorce Attorney
www.AttorneyPreparedDivorceForms.com
www.CaliforniaOnlineDivorceAttorney.com

(951)  326-8005