The FALDP Docket

Volume 14 Issue 4; April 2024

Stay up to date, and in the know. We publish this for the benefit of FALDP members, legal document preparers, and friends. Published monthly since May, 2010

15TH ANNUAL FALDP CONFERENCE"UNITY IS STRENGTH"

SAVE THE DATE! We have scheduled our 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE for October 12th, in Daytona Beach, FL. Once again we will be holding it at our favorite little timeshare resort the..

Fountain_Beach_Resort_-_DB The resort has generously offered accommodations for attendees at only $89.00 per night. Conference registration will be available by May 1st on our website. Don't forget - space is limited. Conference fee : $120.00

*****CONFERENCE + RENEWAL BUNDLES WILL BE AVAILABLE!: Conference + Renewal Month of May $175 Conference + Month of June $185*****

Register early to make sure you're not left out. We have not yet set the agenda. We will release information on the website, in the private FB group, and in subsequent newsletters as soon as we can. We intend to have one or two guest speakers AND time set aside for an interactive workshop.

Membership Directory UPDATE: 📞Enhanced Member Directory Now Available:

Dear Members,

We are excited to announce significant updates to our Member Directory, making it easier than ever to connect with fellow members. Our directory, accessible through the Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers (FALDP) website, now offers two convenient ways to search:

By County: Ideal for localized searches, allowing you to find members within specific counties. All Members: Provides a comprehensive list of all members. For pinpoint accuracy in finding a specific member, use the Control+F (Cmd+F for Mac users) function to search by name or other details. Getting Started: To begin exploring the updated directory, simply:

Log in to our website at: faldp.org. Navigate to FIND HELP > MEMBER DIRECTORY. Choose your preferred search method: By County or All Member Directory. These enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to improve accessibility and foster connections within our community. We hope you find the updated directory useful for networking and collaboration.

Should you have any questions or need assistance navigating the new directory, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team.

💐 Ruth's Memoir has been posted to the very first page of our website. If you have not done so, please take a moment to read and remember our beloved friend and mentor.💐

RENEWALS

- Members who renew during EARLY RENEWAL for the month of MAY will pay $75.00 for membership.

- Members who renew during the month of JUNE will pay $85.00 for membership.

DEADLINE FOR ALL RENEWALS is June 30th.

***Members who renew from July 1st on will have to pay the full $166.00 membership fee to have their membership reactivated.

CONFERENCE + RENEWAL BUNDLES WILL BE AVAILABLE!: Conference + Renewal Month of May $175 Conference + Month of June $185

Visit us online to learn more about FALDP membership: MEMBERSHIP

!!ANNUAL TAX REPORT DUE MAY 1ST!!

If you operate your business as an LLC, don't forget to submit your annual report and payment BEFORE the May 1st deadline.

New Bundle Coming Soon! $179. + $166. = $300.

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We will soon be offering a special that includes new FALDP membership and our Quick Start Guide. We think it's a marriage made in heaven. New members frequently ask - What Now? The Quick Start Guide answers that question, and provides a wealth of information about next steps in getting their new business rolling.

When this bundle is ready to go, you'll find more details and sign up on our Online Course Page And, of course, feel free to call us with any questions. (941)237-0951. QUICK START GUIDE

Choose from 17 different online self-paced courses, varying in all different levels of experience in document preparation and areas of interest. Online Courses - Intro & Divorce Doc Prep

Avoid UPL! Course - REMINDER

Don't forget. If you haven't taken the Avoid UPL! Course since August 1 of 2023, you need to take it again. We require all members to take the Avoid UPL! Course each year. We add, or edit some content throughout the year, but make no effort to entertain members with all fresh and new information. We hope members will internalize the main points through repetition. In addition, you may discover something new that had not caught your attention before. We admit that some of the information seems trivial. Learn it anyway. Your goal is to Avoid UPL, you don't need to agree with all of the rules.

We literally designed this course to:

KEEP YOU SAFE IN THE MARKETPLACE

Zoom Meetings

Next Zoom Meeting: : "FAMILY LAW" Please save the date for our upcoming Zoom meeting scheduled for April 27th at 02:00 pm EST. We are honored to have Christine Marinkovich, our esteemed director and experienced family law document preparer at FALDP, as our host. Join us for a professional and insightful session where Christine will guide us through important aspects of family law. We look forward to your participation. Remember, our Saturday Zoom Meetings are one continuing education unit.

We email invitations in advance of each Zoom Webinar to all members. We also post the invitation inside our private Facebook Group. After our meetings we post information related to the meeting inside the Members Only area.

Legal Advice v Legal Information

Sometimes it's hard for people to fully understand the differences between legal advice and legal information. Information is fact. Advice is telling someone what they should or should not do. Seems obvious enough. However some general advice becomes not advice at all because it so general. For example, common knowledge advice. You should wear your seat belt while driving. Don't drink and drive. You should pay your income taxes on time. You should financially support your children. All of those statements are advice, and there are laws related to all of those statements, so does that mean those statements are “legal advice”, which is something that only a lawyer can give? >p>No, the very general nature of the advice, even though the subject is technically a legal matter, transforms these advisories into general advice.

But, it gets murky. I'm not an attorney. What if I said to a first time homeowner, you should apply for homestead exemption? Is that general advice? It's obvious to me, and common knowledge to me having lived in Florida most of my life and bought and sold more than one home. But what if the first time homeowner is not only a first timer, but also has recently moved to Florida? Is it legal advice?

Maybe. It might be better to send that person down to the county building to find out all about homestead exemption on his own.

I always identify myself to prospective customers as a legal document preparer. And, I then, explain that a legal document preparer can prepare legal documents, provide legal information, and explain procedure, but may not provide legal advice or representation. Although, most consumers say they understand, it still may not prevent them from asking legal questions which I cannot answer.

Legal document preparers may not select forms for their customers. But, many times the customer knows exactly what he wants to accomplish legally, but does not know the name of the form or process. For example, frequently an unwed father will call and tell me that the mother of his child will not allow him to see the child. Most of the time, the father is already paying child support. He is at the mercy of the mother's whims, and poor dad doesn't know why. So I tell him the name of the form.

The central form is called a Petition to Determine Paternity and Related Relief. And, I explain it in this way, “this is like a divorce but for parents who were never married and have a child together.” And I go on to explain that the purpose of the process is for him to receive a signed order from the court naming him as the legal father so that he will have just as much right to see the child as the mother. And this is exactly what happens, unless the mother proves that there was ongoing criminal activity in the household; child abuse or neglect; domestic violence in the parents' relationship; or some other reason that this father should not have paternal rights.

Reprinted from https://f-a-l-d-p.blogspot.com/ FALDP Blogspot aka Legal Sunshine

FALDP on Social Media and Beyond

Follow FALDP on Instagram. Our Instagram account is relatively new, and not a lot of followers. Help us solve that by following us and liking our posts.

Instagram - FALDP 2010 Please visit our FALDP Facebook Page We regularly post content and accept member submissions. Also, please like and follow.

And, we regularly create our explainer and marketing videos which first appear on our FALDP on YouTube channel FALDP members are permitted to share our video content to your site and social media. We only ask that you refrain from editing our videos, and be sure to provide proper attribution. And, don't forget to subscribe!

WE NOW HAVE OVER 100 YOUTUBE FOLLOWERS

THANK YOU!

FALDP Private Facebook Group

About one third of our membership has joined the FALDP private Facebook group. We created it to make it easier to interact with each other. So far, people have given work referrals to one another; asked questions to the group; received help in locating a form; and discussed various issues. If you're working toward FALDP Certification, you earn one CEU just by joining the group. So, what are you waiting for? Look for the private group after going to the official FALDP Facebook page at FALDP,LLC on Facebook.

Spanish & English Parenting Course

Following the passing of our esteemed instructor Ruth, we faced the challenge of updating our course content and instructor information for DCF's review. Thankfully, Christine, with her extensive qualifications, stepped up to revitalize the course and now leads as the current instructor. Her dedication was pivotal in ensuring our course not only met but surpassed DCF's rigorous standards.

This achievement reaffirms FALDP's status as a trusted source for this vital resource, praised by consumers and pro se litigants alike for its invaluable support during divorce proceedings.

We are immensely grateful to Christine for her contributions and to all of you for your continuous support. Together, we keep making a significant difference in the lives of those we serve.

Did you know that FALDP members can receive $3.00 for each referral to either version of the Parenting Course?

Prices are: $32.99 and $17.99 for low income. Here's the link directly to the Spanish version -

spanish parenting course And here it is for the English version Parenting Course

Parental Education and Family Stabilization Course is mandatory for all divorcing couples who have children; and all people seeking a paternity action.

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Member's Announcements & Contributions

Have something to share?

If you would like to write an article, editorial, opinion piece, or web page please let us know. We are always in need of fresh information and insights.

FALDP Contact Information:
Main number – (941)237-0951
Toll free - (800)515-0496
Email – staff@faldp.org