Frequently Asked Questions

A Legal Document Assistant (LDA) is a state-registered professional who prepares legal documents for people who are representing themselves in legal matters. We are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, but we can prepare accurate, complete legal documents at your specific direction — at a fraction of what attorneys charge. Legal Paper Co. has been serving all 26 counties for over 25 years.

Yes. Legal Paper Co. is registered as required by California law. Our registration numbers are San Joaquin County LDA #85 and Los Angeles County LDA #2017018483.

An attorney can give you legal advice, tell you what to do, and represent you in court. An LDA prepares the documents you need once you have decided what you want. For straightforward, uncontested matters — like forming an LLC, preparing a trust, or filing an uncontested probate — many people find that an LDA provides everything they need at a much lower cost. If your situation is contested or complex, we will tell you honestly if we think you should consult an attorney.

We primarily serve San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County, Los Angeles County and surrounding communities, but we can serve clients throughout California. For matters that require in-person court filing or recording, we handle those directly in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Los Angeles counties and utilize e-file in all other counties.

Yes. You can book a consultation online through our website at legalpaperco.com. We are happy to explain what each of our services includes, outline the process, and go over our fees before you commit to anything.

Our Living Trust package includes the Revocable Living Trust document, a Pour-Over Will, a Durable Financial Power of Attorney, and an Advance Healthcare Directive. These four documents work together as a complete estate plan.

Yes — and this is something that sets us apart from many document preparation services. We prepare the Transfer Deed needed to transfer your real property into your trust, and we record it in person at the county recorder's office. We handle this personally for properties located in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Los Angeles counties. You will receive instructions to properly record your deed in all other counties.

If your home or other real property is not formally titled in the name of your trust, it will not pass through the trust when you die — it will go through probate instead, regardless of what the trust says. Funding the trust (transferring assets into it) is a critical step that is often overlooked. We make sure it is done.

A Will takes effect after death and must go through California probate court before your heirs receive anything. A Living Trust holds your assets during your lifetime and passes them directly to your beneficiaries after death — without probate, without public record, and without the cost and delay of a court proceeding. Most California homeowners benefit from having a Trust rather than a Will alone. Our Trust package includes a Pour-Over Will as a safety net for any assets not in the trust.

Yes. If your trust was prepared elsewhere and you need amendments, updates to your successor trustees or beneficiaries, or additional property deeds recorded, we can help with those documents.

Probate is a court-supervised process for distributing a deceased person's assets. In California, probate is generally required when a person dies with assets in their name alone — not held in a trust, joint tenancy, or with a named beneficiary — and the total value of those assets exceeds $184,500.

We handle the entire document process from beginning to end. We prepare and file the Petition for Probate with the appropriate court, prepare and publish the required legal notice to creditors, prepare all routine court filings throughout the process, and prepare the proposed court orders after hearings for the judge's signature. We handle all the paperwork and footwork — you attend the hearings and make the decisions; we take care of everything in between.

California probate typically moves through three phases. Phase 1 involves filing the petition, publishing the notice to creditors, and obtaining the court's order appointing a personal representative and admitting the will (if there is one). Phase 2 involves inventorying the estate's assets, managing creditor claims, and handling the estate's financial affairs during the administration period. Phase 3 involves filing the final accounting and petition for distribution, and obtaining the court's order distributing the estate to the heirs. We prepare the documents for all three phases.

A typical California probate takes 12 to 18 months from the date of filing to the final distribution order. The timeline depends on the complexity of the estate, the court's calendar, and whether any disputes arise. Creditors have a minimum of four months to file claims after the notice is first published, which is one reason the process takes as long as it does.

Yes, in many cases. A Revocable Living Trust, joint tenancy, and beneficiary designations on accounts and insurance policies are the most common ways to keep assets out of probate. If an estate is under $184,500, a simplified process using a Small Estate Affidavit (Probate Code §13100) may be available without a full court proceeding. We can help you identify which process applies.

A guardianship is a court proceeding in which a judge appoints a responsible adult (the guardian) to care for a minor child when the child's parents are unable to do so. It is not the same as adoption — the parents' rights are not terminated, and the guardianship can be ended by the court when circumstances change.

We handle the complete document process. We prepare and file the petition and all required forms with the court. Our fee includes all service by mail to the child's parents and other required family members. For any party who must be personally served — such as a parent — we provide you with clear instructions to have them served, then file the proof of service with the court on your behalf. We prepare all routine paperwork throughout the process and prepare the proposed court orders after hearings. You and the child attend the hearings — we take care of everything else.

Yes. California law requires that the child's parents be given notice of the guardianship petition. Service by mail to all required parties is included in our fee. If a parent must be personally served, we provide you with the instructions to get that done and then file the proof of service with the court for you. If a parent's whereabouts are unknown, there is a process for that as well, and we can explain how it works.

Yes. A relative, family friend, or any interested person can petition for guardianship of a minor. The court will consider the best interests of the child in making its decision.

A conservatorship is a court proceeding in which a judge appoints a responsible person (the conservator) to manage the personal care, finances, or both, of an adult who cannot fully care for themselves. There are two main types we handle: General Conservatorship, for adults who are seriously incapacitated, and Limited Conservatorship, which is specifically for adults with developmental disabilities and is designed to be as limited as possible while still protecting the person's well-being.

A Limited Conservatorship is for adults with developmental disabilities — such as autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy — who need assistance in specific areas of their lives but do not require the full level of oversight of a general conservatorship. A judge grants only the specific powers that are shown to be necessary. Many parents establish a Limited Conservatorship when their child with a developmental disability turns 18 and becomes a legal adult.

We handle the entire document process from start to finish. We prepare and file the petition and all required Judicial Council forms, serve all required notices to family members and agencies as required by law, handle all routine court filings throughout the proceedings, prepare the proposed court orders after hearings, and take care of all follow-up paperwork. You attend the hearings and participate in the court investigator's interviews — we handle everything else.

Yes. California law takes the proposed conservatee's rights seriously. The court appoints a public defender to represent them at no cost, and a court investigator will interview them privately before the hearing. If the proposed conservatee objects or expresses a preference for a different conservator, the court will consider that. The conservatorship must be designed to encourage the person's maximum self-reliance and independence.

Yes. Once a conservatorship is granted, the court does not simply close the case. A court investigator will review the case one year after appointment and every two years after that to confirm that the conservatee's needs are being met. We can prepare the required biennial reports and accountings as part of our ongoing services.

We prepare documents for Stepparent Adoptions and Adult Adoptions. These are the two adoption types that are handled through the Superior Court without involving the Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency.

A stepparent adoption is a court proceeding in which a stepparent legally adopts their spouse's child. Once complete, the stepparent has all the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent, and the child has full inheritance rights from the adoptive parent. If the other biological parent is living, they must either consent to the adoption or have their parental rights terminated by the court.

An adult adoption is a court proceeding in which one adult legally adopts another adult. This is most common when a stepparent wants to formalize a parental relationship with an adult stepchild, or when a person wants to legally recognize a long-standing parent-child relationship. Both parties must consent.

We prepare and file all required petition forms and court documents, coordinate the required service of papers, prepare proposed court orders after hearings, and handle all routine paperwork throughout the process. The parties appear in court for the final hearing — we handle the paperwork from beginning to end.

We prepare formation documents for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Corporations, Sole Proprietorships (DBAs / Fictitious Business Names), and General and Limited Partnerships.

We prepare and file your Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State and prepare your LLC Operating Agreement. We can also prepare an Employer Identification Number (EIN) application, initial meeting minutes, and any required county business license filings. If you need to register a DBA under your LLC, we handle that as well.

California does not legally require a single-member LLC to have a written Operating Agreement. Many business owners choose to have one because it documents ownership, establishes that the LLC is separate from personal finances, and is commonly requested when opening a business bank account, applying for a loan, or demonstrating the legitimacy of the business. We include the Operating Agreement in all our LLC formation packages.

Your LLC membership interest is an asset that needs a plan, just like your home or your bank accounts. Without estate planning in place, your business interest could be tied up in probate — a court process that can take over a year. Many business owners choose to hold their LLC interest in a Living Trust to ensure it transfers to the right person quickly and without court involvement. Ask us about combining your LLC formation with a basic estate plan.

Our fee schedule is listed on our website. As a general reference: LLC formation starts at $400, Trust packages start at $800 for an individual and $900 for a couple, Probate is priced in phases starting at $1,500 per phase, Guardianship and Conservatorship documents start at $800 and $900 respectively, and Adoption preparation starts at $500 for adult adoptions and $800 for stepparent adoptions. Prices do not include government filing fees, recording fees, or publication costs, which vary by county and matter type.

It depends on the service. LLC and DBA formations can typically be completed within a few weeks. Powers of Attorney can usually be prepared same-day or next-day. Trust packages are typically completed within two weeks or less. Court-involved matters like probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption are governed by court calendars and statutory waiting periods — these typically range from a few months to over a year depending on the matter.

We have three convenient locations in Tracy, Ripon, and Long Beach, and we encourage clients to come in so we can review documents together. For some services, particularly estate planning, meeting in person allows us to ensure everything reflects your intentions accurately.

This varies by service, but in general: bring any existing documents related to your matter (deeds, prior wills or trusts, death certificates for probate matters, prior court orders), names and contact information for the people involved, and any paperwork you have already received from the court or another agency. If you're not sure what to bring, just call us ahead of your appointment and we'll tell you exactly what you need.

No. As a registered LDA, we are not attorneys and are prohibited by law from giving legal advice. We can explain what a document is, what it does, and what the process involves — but we cannot tell you which option is right for your specific situation or predict how a court will rule. If your situation requires legal advice, we will tell you so and encourage you to consult a licensed California attorney.

If your matter becomes contested — meaning another party objects or files opposing papers — we will let you know. In many cases we can still handle the document preparation and paperwork even when a matter is contested, which can be helpful for clients who cannot afford an attorney. If your situation requires legal representation, we are happy to provide a referral. Most of the matters we handle are uncontested, which is why an LDA is appropriate for so many families.