Document prep is not legal advice

What doc preparers can actually do

Depending on the state, a registered legal document preparer or legal document assistant can type information you provide word-for-word into blank legal forms. That's the entire scope of permitted work. They cannot:

• Tell you which form to use.
• Explain what a form means or how it will affect your case.
• Recommend a strategy — "you should file for X" is legal advice.
• Draft or edit language on your behalf.
• Represent you in negotiations, hearings, or filings.

Where the line gets crossed

• Divorce mills that "handle everything" — including custody strategy.
• Bankruptcy preparers that decide between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
• Eviction defense services that draft answers and motions.
• LLC / small-business services that draft operating agreements or contracts.
• Estate-plan services that pick trust structures or beneficiaries.

What went wrong for most victims

The paperwork looked professional. It just didn't work. Cases were dismissed for using the wrong form, missed hearings because no one told them a court date existed, or lost rights they didn't know they had. By the time they figured it out, the doc-prep business had already been paid and moved on.

What you can recover

• Refund of fees paid.
• Damages under UPL and state consumer-protection laws.
• Coordination with a licensed attorney to try to fix the case.