Comments on: LegalZoom and the future of lawyering http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/ news, views and info on self-help law and pro se litigation Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:11:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Craig Young http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-1975 Craig Young Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:40:27 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-1975 While the concept is good and their website is very slick, I found their customer service to be terrible despite the claims. A mistake was made on my application and rather than just provide a simple fix, they demanded a complete new application and fee. They are obviously bottom line driven and not serious about providing customer service. While the concept is good and their website is very slick, I found their customer service to be terrible despite the claims. A mistake was made on my application and rather than just provide a simple fix, they demanded a complete new application and fee. They are obviously bottom line driven and not serious about providing customer service.

]]> By: shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » Cisco turns to legal self-help and unbundling http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-593 shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » Cisco turns to legal self-help and unbundling Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:48:09 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-593 [...]     As shlep demonstrates daily, technology has been helping the poorest members of our society to solve more and more legal problems without lawyers.  Now, clients with the most clout (and money) — such as Cisco — are taking advantage of information technology to become do-it-yourselfers, and to unbundle legal services, while insisting that law firms provide far better value.  Perhaps, then, we can hope that the vast, soft mid-section of the legal profession — those who serve the everyday needs of the average American, usually at unaffordable hourly rates -- will soon embrace the benefits of the digital age and pass savings on to their clients.  As Rick Georges suggests, such lawyers may find themselves at a great disadvantage if they do not figure out a way to offer far greater value to their clients (in service, results and price), including the use of document-creation technology (see our prior post). [...] [...]     As shlep demonstrates daily, technology has been helping the poorest members of our society to solve more and more legal problems without lawyers.  Now, clients with the most clout (and money) — such as Cisco — are taking advantage of information technology to become do-it-yourselfers, and to unbundle legal services, while insisting that law firms provide far better value.  Perhaps, then, we can hope that the vast, soft mid-section of the legal profession — those who serve the everyday needs of the average American, usually at unaffordable hourly rates – will soon embrace the benefits of the digital age and pass savings on to their clients.  As Rick Georges suggests, such lawyers may find themselves at a great disadvantage if they do not figure out a way to offer far greater value to their clients (in service, results and price), including the use of document-creation technology (see our prior post). [...]

]]> By: shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » filling in a Quicken Will for a nonagenarian is UPL in S.C. http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-581 shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » filling in a Quicken Will for a nonagenarian is UPL in S.C. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:04:44 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-581 [...]   In July 2004, South Carolina insurance agent Ernest B. Chavis made a social visit to his former neighbor Annie Belle Weiss, who was then 91-years old.  Because she trusted him to be “objective” (having also had business dealings with him), Ms. Weiss asked “Can you help me make a will?”  Chavis agreed to help her with a simple will and ”she directed [Chavis] as to how she wanted her property divided.”   His good deed resulted in a lawuit by her disgruntled heirs and, this week, in a finding that Chavis had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law [UPL”].  See NYTimes/CNET, “Police blotter: Heirs sue over will-making software,” by Declan McCullagh, for News.com, Jan. 24, 2007; via Howard Bashman and Orijit Ghoshal) [...] [...]   In July 2004, South Carolina insurance agent Ernest B. Chavis made a social visit to his former neighbor Annie Belle Weiss, who was then 91-years old.  Because she trusted him to be “objective” (having also had business dealings with him), Ms. Weiss asked “Can you help me make a will?”  Chavis agreed to help her with a simple will and ”she directed [Chavis] as to how she wanted her property divided.”   His good deed resulted in a lawuit by her disgruntled heirs and, this week, in a finding that Chavis had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law [UPL”].  See NYTimes/CNET, “Police blotter: Heirs sue over will-making software,” by Declan McCullagh, for News.com, Jan. 24, 2007; via Howard Bashman and Orijit Ghoshal) [...]

]]> By: shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » resources at Illinois Legal Aid Online http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-580 shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress » Blog Archive » resources at Illinois Legal Aid Online Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:26:36 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-580 [...] The development of Automated Forms Online for Legal Aid and Pro Bono Attorneys is also discussed in the eNewsletter, with links to the materials.  The forms, pleadings and documents can be found on www.IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org and www.IllinoisProBono.org. “Automated forms make it easier and faster to draft documents because the user is presented with only a series of questions to answer using a computer. When all of the questions are answered the user clicks a button, and the completed forms appear on the computer screen and can be saved or printed.” The first forms for attorney users are now live on the websites:  Power of Attorney for Health Care; Power of Attorney for Property; Resignation of Agent for Power of Attorney; and Notice of Revocation of Agent for Power of Attorney. Divorce pleadings, adoptions forms, and eviction defense forms are expected to be online soon. Note: We discussed document assembly online in a posting last October, where we described the National Public ADO (Automated Documents Online, or NPADO), which can be used by individual consumers or their advocates, and is ”a proven facility for delivering interactive interviews and document generation to self-represented individuals and advocates alike, from a web-connected browser, anywhere and anytime, using industry-standard software” — for free!  For more on automated document services, see yesterday’s posting about LegalZoom. [...] [...] The development of Automated Forms Online for Legal Aid and Pro Bono Attorneys is also discussed in the eNewsletter, with links to the materials.  The forms, pleadings and documents can be found on www.IllinoisLegalAdvocate.org and http://www.IllinoisProBono.org. “Automated forms make it easier and faster to draft documents because the user is presented with only a series of questions to answer using a computer. When all of the questions are answered the user clicks a button, and the completed forms appear on the computer screen and can be saved or printed.” The first forms for attorney users are now live on the websites:  Power of Attorney for Health Care; Power of Attorney for Property; Resignation of Agent for Power of Attorney; and Notice of Revocation of Agent for Power of Attorney. Divorce pleadings, adoptions forms, and eviction defense forms are expected to be online soon. Note: We discussed document assembly online in a posting last October, where we described the National Public ADO (Automated Documents Online, or NPADO), which can be used by individual consumers or their advocates, and is ”a proven facility for delivering interactive interviews and document generation to self-represented individuals and advocates alike, from a web-connected browser, anywhere and anytime, using industry-standard software” — for free!  For more on automated document services, see yesterday’s posting about LegalZoom. [...]

]]> By: OGhoshal http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-578 OGhoshal Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:58:56 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-578 Interesting article here concerning Unauthorized Practice of Law in cases involving computer-generated legal forms. Basically the individual who created the forms through a program for a will for an elderly woman could be determined to be illegally practicing law. Thanks to Michele Snowberger for pointing me to the story. http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1030_3-6152761.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Interesting article here concerning Unauthorized Practice of Law in cases involving computer-generated legal forms. Basically the individual who created the forms through a program for a will for an elderly woman could be determined to be illegally practicing law. Thanks to Michele Snowberger for pointing me to the story.

http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/CNET_2100-1030_3-6152761.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

]]> By: Joan Baumeister http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Joan Baumeister Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:17:56 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/shlep/2007/01/23/legalzoom-and-the-future-of-lawyering/#comment-577 Congrats on your web page. I really liked this aritcle as I was harrassed by lawyers and Courts for not wanting to sue. Many Blessings Joan Baumeister Congrats on your web page. I really liked this aritcle as I was harrassed by lawyers and Courts for not wanting to sue.
Many Blessings
Joan Baumeister

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