Affordable Legal Document Preparation Svcs

10/12/2018

One of our Reviews on Yelp:
"After having been in a deleterious marriage, I finally found the courage to leave and put it to an end. I first tried obtaining all of the forms myself and immediately became confused and dumbfounded and knew this wasn't going to be as easy as I naïvely anticipated, so I decided to seek out help. Feeling scared, alone, and overwhelmed, I navigated the streets of Hayward, a town I'm not familiar with at all, to find Marcel's office. I arrived early, so I sat outside of his office, waiting for him to arrive. When he did show up, he had such a calm demeanor that it made me feel less scared and I began to ease up about the situation. He was very clear in explaining my options to me and explaining the entire process, he was up front about the costs, the future appointments, which documents required a notarized signature (one was on-site, which I used and would recommend), when documents would be filed with the court, literally everything to expect for an otherwise confusing and long legal process. He even answered questions many months later when I called his office after receiving additional papers from the court. Now, almost a year later, I've received my judgment of divorce and have a new lease on life. I can't thank Marcel enough for the services he provided for me and would recommend him to anyone and everyone."

10/10/2018

Affordable Document Preparation Services
Formerly Affordable Paralegal of Hayward
Serving all cities in the Bay Area.
Affordable Document Preparation Services is a self-help Legal Document Assistant Company (formerly known as Affordable Paralegal of Hayward) established in March of 1991. We offer top-quality legal document preparation services and give our client an affordable legal alternative to access the courts.

We are headquartered in Hayward, and are able to assist you anywhere in the Bay Area and the State.

We specialize in completing legal documents following our client's specific directions. Our services include:

Divorce
Child Custody
Child and Spousal Support
Legal Separations
Annulments
Restraining Orders
Petitions to Establish Paternity
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO's)
Dissolution of Domestic Partnership
Name Changes
Small Claims
and other legal matters
We provide assistance with filing the necessary documents within the appropriate court. We also serve the documents to the other party, all at an affordable cost.

Marcel A. Neumann, our senior Legal Document Assistant (LDA - Formerly Independent Paralegal) and owner of the company, is a member and Past President of the California Association of Legal Document Assistants (Calda.org). Marcel is professionally registered and holds an LDA bond in compliance with California Law.

With more than 26 years of experience, Marcel can provide affordable, professional, and valuable self-help services to those clients who choose to approach our legal system without an attorney, as defined by the Business and Professions Code.

As a family owned and operated company, we approach each clients's unique situation with compassion, experiences, and care.

02/27/2018

How to Behave in Court
A real courtroom is NOT like a TV courtroom. When you handle your own case, you are expected to act professionally and courteously toward the judge, jury, other parties, and their attorneys. Be prepared, and present your case according to the rules.
If you are observing court proceedings or waiting for your case to be called, sit quietly and be respectful of the court proceedings. Please enter and exit the courtroom quickly and quietly. Eating, drinking, and reading are not permitted while the court is in session. Cell phones must be turned off and should remain silent while in the courtroom. If you have questions, please wait for the courtroom to recess to ask the bailiff, court attendant, or court clerk. (Alameda County Superior Court)

11/08/2017

Children and divorce
Research tells us that children of separated or divorced parents do better if both parents stay actively involved in their children's lives.

Remember: Conflict is not good for your children. The way you and the other parent act affects them. The more you and the other parent can deal with each other without conflict, the better it will be for your children.

Here are some suggestions to ease the transition for your children:
Tell your children about the separation together, if possible.
Answer your children's questions honestly, but avoid saying things they don't need to know.
Reassure your children that they are not to blame for the separation.
Tell your children you and the other parent loves them very much and will take care of them.
Include the other parent in school and other activities.
Encourage a relationship between the children and the other parent.
Be consistent and be on time to pick up and return the children.
Develop a parenting plan that gives your children time and access to both parents.
Try to never cancel plans with your children.
Make two homes for your children with two fully involved parents.
Encourage your children to have a loving, satisfying relationship with the other parent.

Please do not:
Ask your children for information about the other parent.
Try to control the other parent.
Use your children to carry messages back and forth.
Argue in front of the children.
Discuss child support issues with the children.
Speak negatively about the other parent.
Put your children in the position of having to take sides.
Use your children to hurt the other parent.
(Source: Alameda County Superior Court)

10/31/2017

CHECK OUR NEW WEBSITE

We want to help you go through your divorce as quickly and as effortlessly as possible, so that you can put your mind at ease and resume your life.

07/27/2017

WASHINGTON - Lawful permanent residents who file the online Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, without assistance from an attorney or accredited representative, can now file their form and upload evidence entirely on a mobile device. The redesign of the online Form I-90 also allows lawful permanent residents to navigate the site more easily, making the process of renewing or replacing Green Cards more convenient.

The new mobile-responsive design provides an intuitive method for answering questions, navigating through sections, and uploading evidence on a mobile device. Instructions for filing Form I-90 require providing certain evidence, such as a copy of government-issued identification. For those filing through a mobile device, it may be easier to take a photo of the evidence and upload it directly from their mobile devices. The redesigned online form also provides a more personalized experience, as users are directed to answer only those questions specific to their case.

There are no substantive changes to the policy or content of the form, and the online version has parity with the questions and content on the paper form.

Applicants can access the online Form I-90 through myUSCIS by creating a USCIS online account at https://myaccount.uscis.dhs.gov/. There is no cost to set up an account, which offers a variety of features including the ability to track the status of an application and to communicate with USCIS through a secure inbox.

Customers who wish to file Form I-90 with the assistance of an attorney or accredited representative will continue to use the previous version of the online Form I-90.

Additional information about Form I-90, including guidance on the application process, is available at uscis.gov/i-90.

For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (), YouTube (/uscis) and Instagram (). (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Department of Homeland Security ).

Citizenship and Immigration Services

07/10/2017

Types of custody
There are 2 kinds of custody: legal and physical.

Legal custody:
Legal custody means who makes the decisions about the children’s health, education and welfare. This includes deciding where the children go to school or whether they should get braces on their teeth. If the parents share joint legal custody, both parents can ask schools and doctors for information about the children. It is important to be clear about who makes which decisions so that there is no disagreement later on.
Physical custody:
Physical custody refers to the time the children spend with each parent on a regular basis. For example, the children may be with one parent on school days and the other on weekends plus a mid-week dinner visit. The parents can split the holidays and vacation periods. Sometimes, if the parents live near each other and they get along as parents, the children go back and forth without an exact schedule.
Most parents need a schedule. Joint physical custody is a good choice for parents who can agree on a plan on their own or with a mediator’s help. It requires cooperation, flexibility and good communication between the parents. Sometimes, a judge gives both parents joint legal custody but not joint physical custody. This means both parents have equal responsibility for important decisions in the children’s lives. But, the children live with one parent most of the time. The parent who does not have physical custody usually has scheduled time with the children. (Source: Family Law Court - Alameda County)

06/28/2017

How to reduce custody-related conflict between parents
Remember:
The way you and the other parent act affects your children. Here are some tips on how to talk to each other:

Be polite, just like you would be at work. Do not use bad language or call each other names.

Stay on the subject. Don’t talk about other issues.

Focus on doing what is best for your child.

Control your emotions, just like you would do at work. If you can’t stay in control, agree to talk at another time.

Be clear and specific when you talk to the other parent. Write things down and keep businesslike records of your agreements and appointments.

Do not change plans without first discussing the change with the other parent.

To be sure each parent has the same information, write down what you have talked about and send a copy to the other parent.

Keep your promises. Your children need to be able to trust and rely on you. This is very important right now.

Do not talk about custody problems if one of you is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Do not talk about custody if the children are around.

When you pick up or drop off the children to the other parent, say only "hello" and "good-bye".

Do not send messages to the other parent with your child.

Try to talk to teachers, doctors, or other involved professionals together. This can help resolve differences of opinion about what is best for your children.

If the child is with you, you are responsible for the child’s daily care. But, do not make any important changes in the child's educational or medical care without first discussing it with the other parent.

Above all, try to work with the other parent for the good of your children. Do this for your children's happiness and success in life. They will feel more comfortable and secure and know that you both cared enough about them to make their life free of conflict. (Source - Family Law Court Alameda County)

06/24/2017

10/24/2016

All Alameda County courthouses, with the exception of the Wiley W. Manual courthouse in Oakland, will be temporarily closed from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3 to reduce costs.

10/05/2016