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Hi, and welcome to my real estate blog site. I hope you find the information here useful, informative, thought provoking, and perhaps good for even a chuckle or two. Please feel free to join in and participate by leaving a comment, suggestion or question. On the right side column navigation panes you will find areas for getting around on this site and some helpful links as well. To search my blog site for a topic of interest to you either use the search box in the upper left hand corner menu bar or use the blog archive on the right side column pane. Thanks for stopping by... And if you, or someone you know, is looking to buy or sell a property in Northern Virginia, please contact me or call at (703) 615-1036.

Paralegal Services



As a Certified Paralegal, I can perform or assist with any of the following professional services for you listed below that do not entail or involve providing "legal advice"; but are routine administrative or ministerial acts which do not require the exclusive services (and much higher costs) of an attorney or lawyer.  If "legal advice" or legal counsel is sought I cannot, as a Paralegal, engage in the unauthorized practice of law for which only a licensed attorney or lawyer can provide.

There are, however, a myriad of legal or quasi-legal governmental and bureaucratic forms and procedures that affect one's everyday life which one may not be familiar with or have an understanding about which a Paralegal, with knowledge and experience in a particular area, can assist a person with at a fraction of the cost of what an attorney or lawyer would charge. Depending on the geographic area or realm of the law, attorney or lawyer legal fees can cost $200/hr or more.

Here are some benchmark attorney fee figures for the Washington-Baltimore MSR (Metropolitan Statistical Region) as published and developed by the Laffey Matrix.  As you can see, the hourly par value rate for a Paralegal ($175 / hr) is significantly lower than that of an attorney fresh out of law school with little to no experience ($320 / hr). 

 

Often the work of an attorney or lawyer is actually performed by a Paralegal or Legal Assistant working in the attorney or lawyer's office under their supervision.  The attorney or lawyer charges you his/her rate, then most of the work is often performed by a Paralegal or Legal Assistant which the attorney/lawyer pays significantly less for. 

A Paralegal is someone who has the Certification of completing an academic curriculum of study in certain core areas of the law, as well as real world working experience in certain areas of the law. A Paralegal is someone with knowledge of legal principles and concepts to interpret and apply, or explain to others, the application of a body of law, regulation(s), precedent(s) or practices involved in various types of legal actions or areas of the law; and who also possesses knowledge of legal research methods and skills necessary to analyze both issues of fact and issues of law.    

Before going to see an attorney or lawyer, I may be able to help you at a fraction of the cost and can also provide an initial consultation to determine whether one is really needed or not.  If the issues are overly complicated or involve providing legal counsel or advice, I can also assist you with finding an attorney or lawyer who specializes in the area(s) of law that you are affected by.

My professional Paralegal Services include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Perform Computer-Assisted Legal Research (CALR) for legal case law and legal precedents, Federal Regulations, state level statues, local or municipality ordinances, etc. Legal case citation checking, verification & Shepardizing.
  • Revocation of Last Will & Testament (and drafting new Will).
  • Self-Proving Affidavit for a Will (Testator & 3 witnesses sign in presence of Notary Public to authenticate or legalize it).
  • Simple or Initial Estate Administration or Probate.
  • Credit, Collections and simple Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 - no assets).
  • Borrowing and Lending (including mortgages) and Security Interest Agreements.
  • Smalls Claims & Civil Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation.
  • Business Entity Formation & Business Ventures - Partnerships, Joint Venture Agreements (JVA), Limited Liability Company (LLC), Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), Family Limited Partnership (FLP), Professional Corporation (PC), Doing Business As (DBA), Sole Proprietor.
  • Real Estate Property Sales and Lease Transactions: Landlord-Tenant issues, Home Owners' Associations (HOA's) & Condominium Unit Owners' Associations (UOA's), Military Housing & Relocation, International real estate transactions, real estate investor issues; neighbor(hood) and community relations issues.
  • Immigration forms, documents, filings, applications & petitions - non-immigrant travel, business & visitation Visas; immigrant Permanent Resident (“PR” or “Green Card”).
  • Firearm sales and transfers. (I do not have a FFL license but can nevertheless assist you in firearms sales transactions; concealed carry (CCW) permits/applications, hunting/fishing regulations & licenses, firearms & hunter safety education, Second Amendment issues.
  • Consumer Advocate: problems that arise from sales and/or services rendered by merchants, trades or professions; consumer finance, service contracts for the sale and lease of personal property, or for other retail or commercial services performed, etc. 
  • Federal and State Income Tax Preparation for Individuals, sole proprietors and small businesses; W-2, 1099, Schedule A (itemized deductions), Schedule B (Interest & Ordinary Dividends), Schedule C (Net Profit or Loss from Business), Schedule D (Capital Gains & Losses), Schedule E (Supplemental Income & Loss - rental real estate, partnerships, estates, trusts), Business Use of Home (Form 8829), etc. 

Achievements & Accomplishments:
  • Helped many clients in avoiding the more costly legal fees of an attorney or lawyer by assisting them in representing themselves (pro se).
  •  Assisted a client who was wrongfully arrested & charged with a DUI in getting an acquittal and having the wrongful criminal arrest record expunged.
  •  Assisted a client who was wrongfully arrested & charged with drunk in public in having the case dismissed by the prosecutor (nolle prosequi or nol pros) and having the wrongful criminal arrest record expunged.
  • Assisted a client in having a wrongful conviction for domestic assault vacated, set aside or dismissed. 
  • Assisted a client who was wrongfully denied a Concealed Handgun Permit in Fairfax County, VA in having his handgun permit application approved on appeal through an Ore Tenus Hearing. 
  • Assisted several clients who were wrongfully denied a U.S. Federal Government job security clearance in obtaining their security clearance on appeal. One such successful appellant required the involvement of his Congressman.  Assisted the clients in writing letters, presenting their evidence, and putting forward their appeals.
  • Assisted many clients in issues or problems with real estate; Landlord-Tenant, evictions, sales contracts, agency representation & brokerage firm agreements, home inspections, et al.
  • Assisted many clients with consumer finance and credit issues, and automobile purchase transaction issues.
  • Assisted a client with an immigration matter involving the sponsorship, IR-1 travel Visa issuance, and obtaining permanent resident status (I-551) of one of his immediate relatives to legally & lawfully immigrate to the U.S.
  • Assisted a client, who was wrongfully being discriminated at work and denied advancement opportunities, in filing a grievance under Title VII Civil Rights Act & Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
  • Assisted a client in reaching a settlement with an auto insurance company for their auto accident personal injury and was able to get the client more money for their damages than the previous 3 attorneys the client had worked with was able to get. 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's) & ANSWERS
Q:  Do you need to have a professional license to be an Independent Paralegal in Virginia? 

 A:  NO, while the Virginia Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation (DPOR) does require a license for most professionals and occupations, licensure in Virginia is not required of Paralegals.
Q:  Don't you have to be working for a law office or under the direct supervision of a lawyer? 

 A:  NO  
Q:  Can you really be an "Independent Paralegal" in Virginia?

 A:  YES
  •  In 1994 the Virginia Alliance of Legal Assistant Associations developed and proposed to the Virginia State Bar educational standards and professional responsibility guidelines for legal assistants.These were adopted by the Virginia State Bar in March of 1995. http://www.skewedperspective.com/vapa/educational.html  
  • Virginia - On March 8, 1996, the Virginia State Bar Standing Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law adopted a resolution stating that a "legal assistant" working under direction of a member of the Virginia State Bar in conformance with the Standards and Guidelines would not be engaged in the unauthorized practice of law and that the employment or supervision by a Virginia State Bar member of "legal assistants" who conform to the Standards and Guidelines would be in the best interest of the public.  (NOTE:  "Paralegal" is NOT defined)
    The resolution recommends that members of the Virginia State Bar make all reasonable efforts to encourage all "legal assistants" to subscribe and conform to the Standards and Guidelines. This resolution adopts the following definition of a "legal assistant":
    "as one who is a specially trained individual who performs substantive legal work that requires a knowledge of legal concepts and who either works under the supervision of an attorney, who assumes professional responsibility for the final work product, or works in areas where lay individuals are explicitly authorized by statute or regulation to assume certain law-related responsibilities." (NOTE:  "Paralegal" is NOT defined)

  • “Independent Paralegals” (sometimes called “Legal Document Assistants”) provide legal services directly to the public, without lawyer supervision. They don’t have a law degree or a license to practice law, but many of them have experience working in law firms and some have attended paralegal school.  
  • It should also be noted that, the Federal Government Office of Personnel Management (OPM) classifies and maintains qualification standards for Paralegals (Occupational Series 0950), Legal Assistants (Occupational Series 0986), Legal Administrative Specialists (Occupational Series 0901), Legal Instruments Examiners (Occupational Series 0963), among others, to perform a variety of legal job functions and to support various legal activities. These positions do not report directly to a supervising attorney or chief counsel, but are performed directly at the Federal Agency level.  This is further support of the use of "Independent Paralegals", "Legal Document Assistants", or "Legal Instruments Examiners" 
 
Q:  Are you bound by or do you adhere to any form(s) of Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice?

 A:  Great question, thanks!  Yes, I generally follow the Model Code of Ethics & Professional Responsibility as established by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations.









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