LEGISLATION AFFECTING THE LEGAL DOCUMENT ASSISTANT PROFESSION
Most of the laws concerning Legal Document Assistants and Paralegals are set forth in California Business and Professions Code: §6400 through 6456, enacted on January 20, 1998 and amended many times thereafter.For your convenience, we’ve linked to the current California codes for you to read. It would be extremely wise for you to read through these codes as they define what is legal and not legal for LDAs.
California Business and Professions Code:
| CHAPTER 4. ATTORNEYS |
| Article 7. Unlawful Practice of Law |
§6125–§6140.5 |
| CHAPTER 5.5. LEGAL DOCUMENT ASSISTANTS AND UNLAWFUL DETAINER ASSISTANTS |
| Article 1. General Provisions |
§6400-§6401.6 |
| Article 2. Registration Procedures |
§6402-§6407 |
| Article 3. Conduct of Business and Prohibited Acts |
§6408-§6415 |
| CHAPTER 5.6. PARALEGALS |
§6450-§6456 |
The following listings are Assembly Bills which have helped to create or modify the Business and Professions Codes above. It is not necessary to read them, as the most current law for LDAs, UDAs, and Paralegals is already listed above. But, if you’re interested in seeing how the law has evolved since 1998, then this is a good resource.
2000 Legislation:
- AB 1761 A subset of B&P section §6450 above
- AB 2810 This modifies section §6402 above
- SB 1927 Another change to the B&P code above
2001 Legislation:
- AB 158 A modification to §6406
- AB 1083 A change to §6450-6451 of the code
2002 Legislation:
- AB 1698 – This defines B&P Code §6400 (Chapter 5.5)
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Other Legislation Legal Document Assistants should be aware of:
| It is always best to consult an attorney if you are unsure about how the law may apply to you. CALDA’s attorney specializes in issues related to legal document assistant compliance and the unauthorized practice of law, and you should consider engaging his services when designing your business model. He may be contacted at Richard Lubetzky, Esq., 1875 Century Park East, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (310) 407-5350.
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