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FALDP Disclaimer

Florida Association of Legal Document Preparers,LLC (FALDP) is not a law firm, and FALDP is not acting as your attorney. FALDP’s legal document service is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

FALDP cannot provide legal advice and can only provide self-help services at a consumer's specific direction. FALDP is not permitted to engage in the practice of law. FALDP is prohibited from providing any kind of advice, explanation, opinion, or recommendation to a consumer about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, selection of forms or strategies.

This site is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship, and by using FALDP, no attorney-client relationship will be created with FALDP. Instead, consumers are representing themselves in any legal matter undertaken through FALDP legal document service. None of our members are practicing Florida attorneys.

SPECIFIC DOCUMENT PREPARATION POLICIES

We refer consumer inquiries to FALDP Members for document preparation. FALDP members' document services may include a review of your answers for completeness, spelling and grammar, as well as internal consistency of names, addresses and the like. At no time do our members review your documents for legal sufficiency, draw legal conclusions, provide legal advice or apply the law to the facts of your particular situation.

In some cases members will send you a copy of the questionnaire detailing the information you have given prior to preparing your documents. At that time you will have an opportunity to check the information you have given for accuracy.

It is the consumer's ultimate responsibility to proofread their documents thoroughly. Once you have reviewed and approved your information for accuracy your document preparer will go to the next step and prepare your documents. Members always correct typing errors at no additional charge. If you approve the information and then make changes, there may be additional charges. Whether or not a document preparer charges you for correcting your incorrect information is generally at the preparer's sole discretion.

Document preparation fees include the documents required for your Florida legal proceeding. We recommend that FALDP member document preparers use Supreme Court approved forms whenever they are available. These are primarily family law forms and some real estate forms. Some circuits may require different or additional forms than those published and approved by the Florida Supreme Court and/ or the Florida Bar; or may have their own local forms.

When there is no Florida Supreme Court approved form available, members are required to intake consumers' information in writing. Your document preparer may use a workbook, questionnaire, or software to intake your information.

If you find that you need additional or different forms than the forms we prepared, please contact your document preparer.

When purchasing document preparation services from a member document preparer, you may be assisted face to face or virtually (over the phone and over the internet). If receiving virtual services, your completed documents will generally be emailed to you. Or, If you request, your document preparer will usually send your documents via U.S. mail instead.

Although our members make every effort to complete documents as accurately as possible, there may be mistakes or clerical errors, despite best efforts. FALDP will not be held responsible for errors or clerical mistakes. Proofreading is the consumer's ultimate responsibility.

Referrals to Member Document Preparers

We refer consumer requests for assistance to a member document preparer who prepares the type of documents the consumer needs, and is in close proximity to the consumer. When a consumer requests assistance by submitting a contact form, that contact form is forwarded to a single member document preparer. When a consumer requests assistance by calling in, we provide that consumer with the names and contact information of up to three members.

Our members are obliged to abide by our Pledge, but we do not supervise them directly. We make no warranties or guarantees as to the work of our member document preparers beyond what they promised in agreeing to abide by our Pledge; and the criteria for joining our association. We make educational materials, courses, and seminars available to our members; and provide one on one coaching, member to member, when requested. We expect competence from our members, but cannot guarantee it.

FALDP is not responsible for the actions, omissions, errors, mistakes, business practices, etc. of any of the third parties listed on this site, including, but not limited to, FALDP members. FALDP members write and submit their own information for their Member Directory listings. Copy for members "mini-page" sites is also submitted by the member. We, FALDP, write the listing for the All Member Directory, using the information provided on the member's application for membership. FALDP makes a reasonable effort to monitor the truthfulness of claims in member's advertising on this website; but will not be held responsible for any statements or representations made by any member.

If we notice that a member's website includes information or content that may be confusing or misleading to consumers, we bring it to the member's attention. However, FALDP will not be held responsible for any claims, statements, or content on a member's external site, even if that site is linked to ours.

FALDP reserves the right to edit the content of member submissions for their Members Directory or Mini-Page on this site. At FALDP's sole discretion, FALDP may omit or edit language that could be interpreted as misleading, inflammatory, or illegal. FALDP will not be held responsible for content uploaded by a member document preparer. However, we make every effort to monitor member submissions for the appearance of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. Likewise, FALDP makes reasonable attempts to monitor FALDP members' websites for language that could be misleading, inflammatory, or illegal. However, FALDP will not be held responsible for any language on a member's website whether it be misleading, damaging or misleading.

Membership

Membership Fees & Renewals:

The initial membership fee is $166.
Members who renew during May will pay $75. early renewal. Members who renew on June 1 and thereafter will pay $85. for membership.
All FALDP members are required to take our online course "Avoid UPL" annually.
FALDP holds one annual membership drive for new members and offers membership discounts. New members can join between January 1 and February 28 for only $97.50. On March 1, the membership fee reverts to $166.00.
New members who join in March, April or May will not need to renew their membership that year.
All memberships renew on June 1, with a ($10.00) discount for early membership renewal in May. Membership renewal extends through July 31. Membership fees are not pro-rated.
Renewal notices are sent out via email, and renewal date reminders are posted on this site and in our monthly newsletters. Members who have not paid their membership renewal fee and who have not made or kept payment arrangements will be dropped from the membership roster in August.

FALDP logo and display:

Members may request an FALDP video logo to be used online, in online advertising, their websites, and in social media.
We expect our members to use good judgment in displaying the FALDP mark, logo, and video logo on social media.
FALDP Members in good standing are specifically authorized and encouraged to display the FALDP logo in any and all of their advertising, including flyers, websites, business cards, etc. Members who have a website are required to display the FALDP logo on their site.
Document preparers who fail to renew after August 1, must remove the FALDP logo from all advertising materials immediately. The FALDP logo is a registered mark. Document preparers who display the FALDP logo and are not FALDP members in good standing are infringing on a registered mark, and are subject to liquidated damages up to $5000.

Background and Ethics:

FALDP reserves the right to prohibit or terminate membership for cause; including but not limited to consumer complaints, price gouging, unethical business practices, illegal activity, poor character, unauthorized practice of law violations, and any other reason that may discredit this association.
Members of the Florida Bar are not suited for membership in this association.
Retired attorneys, attorneys from other countries, and attorneys from other states who are not members of the Florida Bar are welcome to apply for membership. Attorneys practicing law in Florida are not suited for membership in this association.
Members may work for attorneys as paralegals while maintaining active FALDP Membership. However, FALDP members may not have a business partnership with an attorney.
FALDP promotes and supports the legal document preparation industry. Specifically we support businesses and individuals that provide document preparation assistance directly to consumers. Businesses that sell blank forms and form packets; and do not prepare those forms for consumers are not suited for FALDP membership.
Businesses and individuals that provide online services only for automated document preparation services are generally not suited for FALDP membership.
Non-profit corporations are generally not suited for FALDP membership.
We do not accept members who are physically in another state. At one time, we accepted members located in other states, provided the member maintained a business presence in Florida, such as registration of a foreign LLC; a Florida LLC; or a Florida DBA. That policy has ended.
Certain types of prospective member's prior or current business activities may cause us to research your background. Your membership application which you submitted to us, is your authorization to conduct a background check if required. If we find: that you are a disbarred or suspended attorney; have charges, convictions, or allegations of fraud or crimes of dishonesty; are engaged in business activities which legal document preparers are specifically prohibited from engaging in, including but not limited to "medicaid planning", and "immigration consultant". We may decline your membership. You agree to forfeit up to $50 as payment for your background check as payment to FALDP for conducting that background check. We will refund the balance.

Miscellaneous:

All memberships are considered "premium" memberships. At one time we had two tiers of membership, basic and premium. We may reinstate a second tier of membership in the future.
As of January 2021, we require prospective members to pass the Entrance Exam prior to submitting an Application for Membership.
FALDP is not a lead provider. We are a trade association. We refer consumer leads to our members as they come in. We match the consumer to a member document preparer who may be able to prepare their documents. We make no promises as to the quantity of referrals you'll receive.
Members agree to refrain from soliciting other members to purchase anything including but not limited to products, software, systems, and affiliate programs which have not been endorsed and approved by FALDP.

Updated 8/4/2022

Courses

The information provided in our online courses is not exhaustive. Consider our courses as a foundation for future learning and research. Most of our courses include forms associated with that type of document preparation. We make every effort to keep the course information and forms up to date. However, we make no guarantees that the information is up to date; and make no guarantees that the forms are up to date. Most, but not all, of our courses include form templates or downloads. And although we make every effort to ensure that the information in our courses is correct and valid, we make no guarantees that this is so.

Our courses are not transferable. You agree to use the course for your own personal and business needs; and refrain from sharing the course link or information with anyone. The fact that you completed any of our courses only applies as Continuing Education if you are an FALDP member. After successfully completing a course, passing the test or exam, it is your responsibility to complete the Course Completion Survey. The survey requests feedback and ways to improve our course; and allows you to request a Certificate of Completion. We issue your Certificate of Completion within 10 days and email it to the address you designate.

Course fees are not refundable. You will automatically be redirected to the first page of the course when you submit payment through our site. After you submit payment we assume that you have successfully arrived at the first page of the course. If you do not arrive on the course (usually due to your computer settings, pop-up blockers) we will gladly send you the course link after you have paid. Once you receive the course link you will be able to access your course at any time. Even when we add new information, update forms, and change the course price, your ability to access the course remains. We recommend that you save the course link as a bookmark, or save the email you received when we sent you the link.

Ongoing availability. As a matter of policy, our courses remain available to those who take our courses on an ongoing basis. Once you have paid for a course, you can access the course at any future time. The course link will not ever change as far as we know. Once you receive the course link, you will not be entitled to a refund; and you will not be able to transfer your course fee to another course. Choose wisely.

However, FALDP, LLC will not be held responsible if the website crashes for unknown reasons, the hosting company goes out of business, or if any other unforeseen event causes the website or course to become unavailable.

Completing any of our courses does not mean that you are trained in that area. And it also does not mean that you are an expert in that area. Completing any of our courses means that you should have learned the fundamental facts about that type of document preparation; and, if you are an FALDP member, you have earned CEUs which can be applied towards your FALDP Certification.When you complete each course, you will then submit a Course Completion Survey where you can request your Certificate of Completion. The Certificate of Completion is exactly that, it only states that you have completed our course and does not mean that you have formal certification through our association.

If you take any of our courses, you agree to hold FALDP, LLC harmless from any possible, potential, or, unintended harm that the information in and forms in our course may cause. Our courses are not a substitute for legal advice.

Our courses are protected by copyright as soon as they are posted on our site. You specifically agree to refrain from posting, publishing, or sharing the course content, information, and course link; with any third party, including publishing online. Once you have paid for a course, you are allowed to print pages and forms for your own personal use.

You also specifically agree to pay to FALDP, LLC $5000. as liquidated damages per incident for any violation of our policies regarding sharing of our content and course link.

Not Legal Advice

FALDP and its services are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. If you need legal advice for your specific problem, or if your specific problem is complex, you should consult a licensed attorney in your area.

FALDP is not responsible for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage related to your use of this site or any site linked to this site, whether from errors or omissions in the content of our site or any other linked sites, from the site being down or from any other use of the site. In short, your use of the site is at your own risk.

FALDP provides this website as a service.

While the information contained within the site is periodically updated, no guarantee is given that the information provided in this website is correct, complete, and/or up-to-date.

The materials contained on this website are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other professional advice on any subject matter. FALDP does not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site.

We host the "Ask the Members" forum. We are not responsible for wrong or erroneous information posted by third parties as questions or comments. We accept anonymous comments and questions and do not attempt to verify IP addresses in any way. We delete and/or ban questions and comments that are inappropriate or obvious spam. Members may post their contact information, including web address, email address, and telephone number. We delete contact information posted by consumers. Furthermore, we reserve the right to edit questions and comments for grammar and clarity.

Permission is given for the downloading and temporary storage of one or more of these pages for the purpose of viewing on a personal computer. The contents of this site are protected by copyright under international conventions and, apart from the permission stated, the reproduction, permanent storage, or retransmission of the contents of this site is prohibited without the prior written consent of FALDP.

Some links within this website may lead to other websites, including those operated and maintained by third parties. FALDP includes these links solely as a convenience to you, and the presence of such a link does not imply a responsibility for the linked site or an endorsement of the linked site, its operator, or its contents.

This website and its contents are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Reproduction, distribution, republication, and/or retransmission of material contained within this website are prohibited unless the prior written permission of FALDP has been obtained, except for sharing specified pages on social media. Sharing any content of any FALDP online course is strictly prohibited. Improper use of the FALDP logo/ service mark is strictly prohibited. Members in good standing may display our FALDP logo/ service mark on their website and use in any of their advertising so long as the member remains in good standing. Good standing means that the member is current on membership fees and is in compliance with FALDP policies.

Third parties (non-members) may link to our site, but may not display our FALDP logo/ service mark without permission.

Updated 10/2/2020