Legal Document Assistant
Important Notice
The staff of the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor's Office are forbidden by California
legal codes to practice law or provide legal advice; this prohibition includes
giving advice about what forms you might need or how you should fill them out.
What is an LDA?
A legal document assistant (LDA, also commonly known as "document technician," "legal document preparer," "legal technician," "online legal document provider" and "legal document clerk") in the United States is a non-lawyer authorized to assist with the preparation of legal instruments. Unlike a paralegal, legal document assistants do not work under the supervision of an attorney.
"Legal document assistant" means: Any person who provides, or assists in providing, or offers to provide, or offers to assist in providing, for compensation, any self-help service to a member of the public who is representing themselves in a legal matter, or who holds themselves out as someone who offers that service or has that authority. This shall not apply to any individual whose assistance consists merely of secretarial or receptionist services.
Registering as a Legal Document Assistant
- Complete registration form (available at the County Clerk-Recorder office)
- Provide all supporting documentation as requested in the application form
- Legal Document Assistant bond in the amount of $25,000.00.
- Different amount for corporations/partnerships dependent on number of employees
- Valid government-issued photo identification
- Pay all applicable fees
- $182.00 for the registration and ID card
- $14.00 for first page of bond, and $3.00 each additional page, to record the bond
- Visit the County Clerk-Recorder Office in person between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Wednesdays between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm with all required documents and valid form of payment for all fees.