Beware of Legal Services at San Fernando Courthouse

Today I wanted to talk about some interesting things that are happening down at the San Fernando courthouse.

This is in regards to legal services standing around the courthouse and offering their services to folks that are representing themselves.

I kind of found out about this accidentally but I found out that a couple of clients call me that I sent down to, you know, to a hearing perhaps or to talk to a facilitator, coordinately we prepared their divorce paper for them and they had to go down there for some specific reason.

Generally, that’s not the case but these folks going down there, each of them started calling me and this started happening this week, called me and said, “Tim, this is very helpful paralegal outside the court.”.

Also said that she would be happy to review our paper work and then they kind of shuttled them over to an office nearby the courthouse.

And they called me after they had met with these folks and what they’re doing is essentially a legal services company, out there, as, I guess, a business model, out there standing on the sidewalk and trying to secure business for their legal services business, and helping prepare their paperwork.

I guess that’s not necessarily an illegal thing, they are on a public sidewalk, I don’t know if it’s a very professional way of obtaining business but the interesting thing is that if you’re one of my clients and you’re approached by one of these folks, what I’m hearing them say is that the paperwork is wrong.

That seems to be their tactic, is they’ll approach you, they’ll say “Oh, we’re happy to take a look at your paperwork”. They’ll look at it and they’ll try and point out some things that are wrong.

Now, I know they’re not wrong when they are my client because I professionally prepared their paperwork.

What they’re doing is they’re making things up to say ‘oh that’s wrong’, ‘that’s incorrect, we need to fix that, step into our office and for a small fee we’ll take care of that for you’.

So just beware if you are representing yourself. Your paperwork may not be wrong. Just know that these folks that are out there soliciting for business are telling you that you have things wrong with your paperwork even when it’s not.

I’ve had my clients approached and told that their paper is wrong when it’s not. So just beware of that; when being approached by these legal services companies.

I don’t know if it’s one or many that are doing these but they are out there.

In fact, I have an attorney that works in the same building as me and brought me a business card from one these legal services and said even he was approached and spoke to someone and again the same thing, asking if he was representing himself and if he needed assistance and so forth, and a free review of their paperwork. Interesting tactic!

The reason that I wanted to get this out there is if you’re my client, your paperwork is not wrong.

I had several people call me concerned because they said a paralegal is out there by the court is telling them their paperwork is all wrong. It’s causing a little bit of issues for me.

So I want to get this out there to you folks. Your paperwork is correct if I prepared it. It’s totally fine, ignore these folks and go on into the court.

My name is Tim Blankenship, divorce661.com.  661-281-0266.

Have a great day!