Course Contents

Course Title: Certificate in Legal Technician Management

Course Description: This is an intensive 4 day seminar in every thing you need to know to management and own a successful legal document preparation business. Specially designed course materials provide the basis of an "Operating Manual" that you can use to train other staff members and use as a reference to operate your business.

Who Should Enroll:

This intensive seminar is designed for managers and owners of legal document preparation businesses and their staff. At the end of this course you will receive a Certificate as a Legal Technician Manager. A section of the course is devoted to how to use Rapidocs technology to power your business using the Rapidocs DirectLaw Document Service. However, this is only one unit in a comprehensive course which trains you in every aspect of running your business. By the end of this course you will have all of the information you need to either create or revise your business plan so that you incorporate all of the latest “best practices” and “ market trend” intelligence plus detailed information that you can use to train other staff members. This 4 day is a complete introduction to the legal document preparation business.

Class size is limited to facilitate ample opportunities for questions and dialogue. By the end of the 4-day session you will have sufficient knowledge to create your own detailed business plan.

Course Description

This is an intensive 4 day seminar in every thing you need to know to operate a successful legal document preparation business.

Who Should Enroll

This intensive seminar is designed for managers and owners of legal document preparation businesses and their staff. A section of the course is devoted to how to use Rapidocs technology to power your business using the Rapidocs DirectLaw Document Service. However, this is only one unit in a comprehensive course which trains you in every aspect of running your business. By the end of this course you will have all of the information you need to either create or revise your business plan so that you incorporate all of the latest “best practices” and “ market trend” intelligence plus detailed information that you can use to train other staff members. This 4 day is a complete introduction to the legal document preparation business.

The fee for the full 4 day Certificate in Legal Technician Management is $3,975.00 which includes extensive, specially prepared seminar materials, coffee breaks and lunches daily, except Friday, when the session ends at 12:00 p.m. (Breakfast/dinner are on your own).

Registration fees for those wishing to enroll in only portions of the program are:

See Costs and Fees for additional details

Part I: Creating and Operating Your Legal Document Preparation Business (Module 1- Two Days)

Unit I: Background and History of the Document Preparation Industry

• Current Regulatory Issues
• The difference between legal advice and legal information
• The difference between a “Legal Technician” and a “Paralegal”
• Paralegal Associations: A Map of the politics of the paralegal profession.
• What you can do and what you can’t do
• Unauthorized Practice of Law issues

Unit 2: The Economics of Operating a Document Preparation Business

Cost Structure
 

• Document Production costs
• Facility Costs
• Personnel Costs
• Marketing Costs
• Other costs
   

Revenue Sources

• Document Products
• Complementary Products and Services
• Other Products You Can Offer from Your Retail Space
• Targeting a Niche
• The Role of Lawyers in Your Business
• How to recruit a referral network of lawyers
• How to pay referral fees to lawyers without violating referral fee or split fee rules

Developing Your Business Plan

Unit 3: Marketing Your Business

• Positioning Strategy
• Marketing without Advertising
• Marketing on the Internet
• Developing A Web site for Your Business
• Yellow Page Advertising
• Classified Advertising
• Distribution Agreements
• Radio Advertising
• TV Advertising
• Pubic Relations Strategy
• Other forms of Promotion
• Developing Your Marketing Plan

Unit 4: Operational Issues

• Finding a retail site
• Office location or retail store?
• Interior Design
• Capital Requirements
• Insurance issues
• Consumer Best Practices: The Agreement Between You and Your Customers
• Suggested Best Practices

Unit 5: Recruiting and Managing Your Staff

• Where to find staff
• Bi-Lingual capability
• Managing and compensating your staff
• Staff training
• Customer Support
• Managing the Counter
• How to work with a customer using the Questionnaires

Unit 6: Technology

• How to Use the Rapidoc’s DirectLaw Service
• What you need to know about Rapidocs and Rapidocs file types.
• How to export a Rapidocs file to Word or Adobe .pdf.
• What you need to know about Adobe .PDF file types
• How to use Adobe Acrobat or Scan Soft .pdf Convert to fill in and save information in Adobe forms
• What software programs do you need in your office?
• Other software applications that you can use in your office to expand your product line.

Unit 7: Creating or Revising Your Business Plan: Y0ur Working Document

Part II. Legal Products and Substantive Law  (Model 2- 2 days )

Unit 1 : Delivering Legal Information to Customers

• How to deliver legal information without violating UPL
• How to research the Net for legal information
• Other research services you can provide.

Unit 2: Divorce

• How to sell divorce products.
• What you need to know about uncontested divorce.
• What you need to know about our Rapidocs divorce forms products.

Unit 3: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

• How to sell Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
• Requirements of the new Bankruptcy Reform Act
• How to satisfy the new requirements
• Regulatory issues revisited
• How to use the Bankruptcy Questionnaire, supporting materials, and Bankruptcy Software that is included with your DirectLaw Service.
• Issues in Preparing Chapter 7 Bankruptcies Documents.

Unit 4: Incorporations and LLCs

• How to package your incorporations and LLC’s for maximum profit
• What should be in the Incorporation or LLC package
• Checklist
• How to use your state’s incorporation site.

Unit 5: Wills, Powers of Attorney (Durable and Financial), Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney

• Why every customer needs all of these documents.
• How to sell a will document package.
• What you need to know about the Rapidocs Will’s products and the other supporting document products.
• How to provide legal information about complex estate planning issues.

Unit 6: Living Trusts

• What is a Living Trust?
• Living Trust supporting materials.
• Living Trust Checklist.
• Funding the Living Trust
• Packaging the Product for Your Customers

Unit 7: Consumer Document Services

• Credit Repair Services
• Complaint Letters
• Identity Theft Solutions

Unit 8: Small Business Documents

• Trademark and Copyright Services
• Agreements and Contracts
• Human Resource Documents
• The Employment Manual Product
• Other Small Business Services You Can Provide.

Unit 9: Name Change Products

• Issues in Name Change Forms and Procedure
• Issues in Name Change for a Minor

Unit 10: Service of Process,  Notarization and Other Services

• What is service of process?
• Filing Documents.
• Fees you can earn through Service of Process and Filing.
• Notary Services.
• Tax Preparation Services