Another website is testing the boundaries of what constitutes “legal advice” – in much the same way your friends criticize you and then walk it back with, “Just sayin’.”

Pro Se Planning Inc. operates websites where non-lawyers can fill in some forms and get customized legal paperwork. Except that allegedly, they don’t always work. Latoisha Van Buren is suing Pro Se Planning in Louisiana, Courthouse News Service reports, because “the company is not licensed to practice law in Louisiana and any contracts for legal services with nonlawyers in the state ‘are absolutely null.’” (An employee with Pro Se Planning declined to comment to CNS about the suit, which seeks class certification and an injunction.)

Is There an Attorney in the House?!

Pro Se Planning or LegalZoom (which has already gotten into hot water with state regulators) shouldn’t be blamed for using the do-it-yourself business model. A lot of people have very simple legal needs – like needing a will or a rental agreement drafted – but don’t go to a professional because the prices can be quite high for simple legal questions. “Form” websites will do for these situations.

A problem arises when, as former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously put it, there are “unknown unknowns.” In the fields of probate and family law, things can get complicated, especially so in community property states, and non-lawyers may not know when, for example, they’re in a Moore/Marsden scenario, and what’s more, won’t even think to ask.

Suddenly, a “simple” divorce settlement isn’t really an option anymore, but non-lawyers filling in forms don’t know that. This is when an attorney’s expertise comes in handy, and why the real problem with a website like Pro Se Planning – which does have some comprehensive answers – is that it can lead someone to believe it will answer all their questions, even though it won’t.

Related Resources:

  • The Dangers of DIY Estate Planning (U.S. News & World Report)
  • Mall Lawyers Offer Advice, Discounts to Clients in Need (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • How Many Clients Will You Lose to Do-It-Yourself Legal Sites? (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • Spend more time developing practice skills and less time advertising. (FindLaw Lawyer Marketing)

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