01-Article ID:   2009-Aug-01

Written by:  Beverly Gagliardi,   ACP, MBA, MSN, CN, Florida Supreme Court Family Law Mediator  

DO I NEED A LAWYER TO FILE FOR DIVORCE IN FLORIDA?

       That is a very good question especially in these times of economic crisis.  Thanks to the Florida Supreme Court the answer is quite simply NO. You may have your divorce documents prepared by a nonlawyer, thus you would be  representing yourself as a  pro se litigant.  Sometimes you may hear people refer to divorce nonlawyers as divorce paralegals.  The terms are not interchangeable because of the way The Florida Bar defines a paralegal.  However, most people refer to a legal helper for members of the public as a paralegal instead of  a "nonlawyer".  

         Now, back to your question.  Lawyers are expensive and can only represent one party.  You do not need to hire a lawyer for divorce proceedings.  An alternative  to hiring an attorney is hiring a "nonlawyer."  Typically, he or she will be able to assist you with these routine documents for a fraction of the cost.  So just call your local nonlawyer for routine contested or noncontested divorces in the State of Florida.  He/she may also be a Certified Paralegal who is certfied  by a national organization.  Just ask for credential verification.

        And finally, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have published multiple documents in support of giving people choices for legal services.  For more information visit www.afloridaparalegal.com  and read words with Bev for more detailed information regarding these published documents.

NOTE:   This article is intended to help you help yourself and save money in the process. Beverly Gagliardi is the President of Wisdom Consulting, Inc. Accent on Paralegal and Nonlawyers Services with offices located in Central Florida (Orlando, Lake Mary and Sanford, Florida).  She may be contacted at 407/324-5885 or  bev@afloridaparalegal or mediatorbev@gmail.com.  Her next article will be "DO I NEED A LAWYER TO FILE BANKRUPTCY?"

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02-Article ID:   2009-OCT-03

03-Article ID:   2009-Nov-01

Written by:  Beverly Gagliardi,   ACP, MBA, MSN, CN, Florida Supreme Court Family Law Mediator  

DO I NEED A LAWYER  TO MODIFY CHILD SUPPORT IN FLORIDA?

That is a very good question especially in these times of economic crisis. Thanks to the Florida Supreme Court the answer is quite simply NO. You may have your MODIFICATION documents prepared by a nonlawyer, thus you would be  representing yourself as a  pro se litigant.  Sometimes you may hear people refer to  nonlawyers as  "paralegals".  The terms are not interchangeable because of the way The Florida Bar defines a paralegal.  However, most people refer to a legal helper for members of the public as a paralegal instead of  a "nonlawyer".  

Now, back to your question.  Lawyers are expensive and can only represent one party.  You do not need to hire a lawyer for MODIFICATION OF CHILD SUPPORT.  An alternative  to hiring an attorney is hiring a "nonlawyer."  Sometimes the modification can also be prepared so that both of you sign eliminating the need to serve the other party.  

You will need to tell your nonlawyer what was the significant change in circumstances to support your request and why it would be in the best interest of the child(ren).   Typically, your nonlawyer professional will be able to assist you with these routine documents for a fraction of the cost.  So just call your local nonlawyer for routine modification of child support request in the State of Florida.  He/she may also be a Certified Paralegal who is certfied  by a national organization.  Just ask for credential verification.

Thank you for reading this article.  Please go to  www.afloridaparalegal.com to learn more about other services you may need. 

Good Luck with your legal matter.   Bev

NOTE:   This article is intended to help you help yourself and save money in the process. Beverly Gagliardi is the President of Wisdom Consulting, Inc. Accent on Paralegal and Nonlawyers Services with offices located in Central Florida (Orlando, Lake Mary  and Sanford Florida).  She may be contacted at 407/324-5885 or  bev@afloridaparalegal or mediatorbev@gmail.com.  Her next article will be "DO I NEED A LAWYER TO FILE A PROBATE  ACTION WITH OR WITHOUT A LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT?

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04-Article ID:   2009-Dec-06

Written by:  Beverly Gagliardi,   ACP, MBA, MSN, CN, Florida Supreme Court Family Law Mediator  

DO I NEED A LAWYER TO FILE A PROBATE  ACTION WITH OR WITHOUT A LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT?

Probate actions are either in the form of Summary Administration or Formal Administration.  It is a complicated area to proceed pro se or self-representation.  There are times when a nonlawyer  can assist you.

The preparation is very detailed and specific requiring some advanced training by the nonlawyer.  And finally, yes you can file a probate action with or without will after the passing of a loved one.