Open Remote Office

These are the basic steps to open a remote office for Bakersfield Paralegal.

First, the business needs a webpage and a phone number.

If you would like to answer phones and do intake, the phones will be forwarded to you.  If you like to play with web design, you can create the page yourself.  Otherwise, it takes me about a day to make a page.

Second, the business needs an address.  If this is an office address, it will be listed, and people will come to you.  If it is a home address, it will only be used for verification purposes, and no one will come to your location.   The address must be in the service area (Sacramento).

Third, you need a Gmail account.  If you don’t have one, you can set it up at Gmail.com.

Fourth, the business must be verified with Google, which can be done with this link.  Read the instructions carefully because it sometimes gets tricky.  Basically, you will have to make a video that shows (a) the street address, (b) a sign with the business name, and (c) computer equipment.  They may ask for more, such as business cards, a business license, etc.  I will buy whatever is needed.

Fifth, if Google does not accept the pictures and other evidence as sufficient, the business will be suspended.  To fix a suspended business, collect more evidence, such as a business license.  Then you will have to attempt to unsuspend the business from your e-mail. If you do not have control of the Google listing, request control from VVeVea@gmail.com.

As soon as it is Google verified, I will send you $200.  After that, you decide whether you want to answer calls or just to do the process service.  If you want to answer calls, we will teach you how to do so.  Intake generally pays 5% and process service generally pays $60 if the location is close to you.

Sixth, make Victor a manager of the account so we can buy ads.  VVeVea@gmail.com.

Seventh, start making money.  I will buy you business cards.  I will print signs and flyers for you.  I will buy advertising for you.

 

Note: Many pages are password-protected to keep Google from indexing the pages.  Additions are in red for the first week or so.

Concept

We have Licensed Document Assistants in Bakersfield, California.  Intake Specialists at other locations in California answer calls and help clients retain the paralegals.  We have skilled document specialists in India and receptionists in Mexico.  From time-to-time, the these people also do odd jobs, such as collecting signatures from clients and delivering papers to court, but most work is done by the paralegals through e-mail, docusign, and other remote methods.  Eventually, we hope to bring on the Indian and Mexican workers full-time.

Resources

The California court system has step-by-step instructions for the types of cases you will be assisting with.  https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/    This one page contains 75% of what you need to know about cases.

We provide one or more web pages for each Intake Specialist, Google listings, advertising, and more, including specialized language sites, such as:

We also have area-specific sites, such as:

We also have service-specific sites, such as:

A list of pages we own is here: DaddysWebpage.com/about.  If you see an unused site and have ideas of how to use it to make money, let Victor know.

We have multiple training videos.  Videos suggested for remote workers are marked *** but you are welcome to watch any videos.

Phone procedures.

  1. Make sure your voicemail says something simple like, “Document Services, please leave a message and we should get back to you within half an hour,” “Legal Support Services…,” or something that indicates the number is ringing to a business.
  2. You cannot use the title Paralegal, Legal Assistant, or anything similar unless you have met the statutory requirements to do so.  Introduce yourself as Intake Specialist, Answering Service, Secretary, Receptionist, or something similar.
  3. Make sure the client knows that we are NOT a law firm, we do NOT go to court with the client, and we only prepare paperwork under their direction.
  4. Current prices are listed here.  If you can’t see them, let me know so I can grant access.  Prices are lower for Bakersfield because it is a smaller market.  If the client wants a service that is not on the list, take a message and contact Victor (661-303-8806) or the Bakersfield Office (661-873-4423)
  5. Encourage the client to retain by filling out an intake and taking payment.
  6. Payment methods are at 661Justice.com/money
  7. You may have to explain that we share intake and payment systems with other companies so that we don’t each have to pay the cost of these services.
  8. If the client wants to pay court using a credit card, add 5% because we pay steep credit card processing fees.
  9. Ask if the client possibly qualifies for a fee waiver.  Generally, they qualify if they are on public assistance or are otherwise very poor.  We do not charge to prepare fee waivers, but make sure they know the fee waiver does NOT waive our fee.
  10. Someone is generally at our main office from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Pacific time.  (Tijuana is in the same time zone, India is 13.5 hour ahead) Victor, Rachel, Sharae, and Hilda can answer most questions.  If you have to turn a client over to the main office for intake, you will still be paid for finding the client.

Sample Phone Script

  • Document Services, may I help you?
    • Do you do xxxx?
  • Let me check… [Checks the list to see if we do and what the price is].  Yes, we charge xxxx for xxxx.
    • Does that include xxxx?  What steps are there?  How long will it take?  Let me tell you a long story about my problem…
  • Let me get someone who is more qualified than I am.  I’m fairly new and you deserve the help of a Licensed Document Assistant.  Let me get some basic information from you and have a paralegal look at your case and get back to you.

Types of Cases

General procedures for some types of cases can be found using these links.  More will be added soon.

How We Get Money

We accept:
  • Checks and money orders payable to Legal Research Services (our parent company)
  • Zelle: 661-303-8806
  • CashApp: $661Justice
  • Venmo: @LegalResearchServices
  • PayPal: Vvevea@gmail.com
  • Credit cards
  • Cash

Note: Credit card and PayPal payments must include a 5% premium because we are charged twice – once by the bank and then again when we pay court filing fees.  Clients can pay with a credit card using the link on the bottom of this page: 661Justice.com/money

How You Get Money

You will be paid at one of the following levels based on the amount the client pays:

  • 5%    Complete intake sheet and contract in English or Spanish. (Non-US)
  • 5%     Complete all required forms. (Non-US)
  • 10%    Complete intake sheet and contract in English or Spanish. (US, outside main office)
  • 10%    Complete intake sheet and contract in Hindi or Punjabi. (Non-US)
  • 15%     Complete intake sheet and contract for other languages (US).
  • 20%    Translate for client and LDA through completion of case (US).
  • 30%     Complete intake sheet, contract, and all required forms (US, outside main office)

You will be paid a fair rate for process service based on the type of service and the distance.  The rates are generally:

  • $40  Post notices
  • $60  Personal service (each person)
  • $50  Declaration of Due Diligence (prepared when there are three unsuccessful attempts to serve.)
  • $30  Service on District Attorney, Sheriff, Law Office, etc.

You must provide us with a way to get money to you.  We currently have Wave, Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, PayPal, MoneyGram, Cash, and Check.  Some of these services charge substantial fees for international transfers.

Contracts

Each client must sign a completed contract.  The contracts are long and repetitious.  We did not write the contracts.  Each is a required form provided by the State of California.

Intake Forms

We have intake forms for most types of cases.  Not all information on the forms applies to every case.

  • BPL Disso Intake  – Use this intake form for divorce or response to divorce.
  • BPL RFO Intake – Use this intake form for family law request for order, such as child custody or child support.
  • BPL Eviction Intake – Use this form for evictions
  • BPL Trust Intake – Use this form for Trusts, Deeds, Power of Attorney, and other estate planning matters.
  • BPL Conservatorship Questionnaire   gc348 – Use these forms for Conservatorship (a person is trying to get custody of a disabled adult.
  • BPL Guardianship Intake – Use this form for guardianships (a person other than the parent is trying to get custody of a minor.
  • Additional intake sheets will be created as needed.

In addition to the intake sheet, write a brief explanation of what the client wants to do and why, such as:

  • Mr. Smith wishes to evict Ms. Jones because she is damaging the property.
  • Mrs. Smith wants to divorce her husband but keep the house and the kids because he is violent.
  • Mrs. Singh wants conservatorship over her mother because the mother has dementia.

E-mail all forms to PLBakersfield@GMail.com and Victor@661Justice.com.