California Association of Legal Document Assistants urges support of AB 699 and AB 1305

May 5, 2011 - PRLog -- The California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA), the time-honored nonprofit organization committed to promoting public awareness of Legal Document Assistants as an integral partner in the delivery of timely and cost-effective legal services to the self-help litigant, is supporting the passage of two bills currently pending in the State Assembly that would simplify probate, or death transfer procedures, as well as make them less costly for homeowners.

Assembly Bill 699, (“Revocable Transfer on Death Deed” or TOD), would transfer real property on the death of its owner without a probate proceeding. The TOD Deed would eliminate the need for doing a costly living trust for many individuals, who would be able to designate a beneficiary who could inherit their home free of probate.

Assembly Bill 1305 (“The Small Estate Bill”) would raise the thresholds for collecting on a small estate from $100,000 to $200,000. Several small estates whose families do not have a lot of money will be easily and cost-effectively distributed under these new rules.

“The CALDA board of directors supports these two bills and encourages its members to contact their Assemblypersons and state Senators to support their passage,” said Ian Duncan, CALDA’s Legislative Chair and owner of California Document Preparers in Northern California. “Each consumer-friendly bill would simplify the area of law it covers, giving an easier option for more people, especially those who do not have or cannot afford a living trust.”

AB 699 (TOD) in particular is an easier option for those consumers who try to avoid probate by creating an ill-advised joint tenancy, which may cause additional potential hazards, including tax problems, and unintended consequences. All of which would be prevented by the TOD deed, according to Duncan.

“CALDA members are highly trained and bonded Legal Document Assistants who can assist the self-help litigants with preparing, notarizing and recording Transfer on Death Deeds and Small Estate Bill,” said Marcel Neumann, CALDA’s President and owner of Affordable Document Preparation Services in Hayward. “In these times of economic uncertainty, AB 699 offers a low-cost legal alternative to homeowners who wish to secure the economic status of a partner, friend or child who is not the homeowner.”

Duncan also added that the TOD is not for everyone. “If homeowners are unsure whether they should choose a TOD or a Living Trust, Legal Document Assistants can provide attorney approved materials to help them decide which options are best for the homeowner’s situation.”

For more information about CALDA including updates on their 24th annual conference, “The LDA: A Decade of Service to the Self-Help Litigant,” on October 14-16 in Ontario, California, please visit www.calda.org.

About CALDA
Established in August 1986 and formerly known as the California Association of Independent Paralegals (CAIP), the California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) is a non-profit corporation setting the standard in education, ethics and excellence in the legal document assistant profession and dedicated to promoting the Legal Document Assistant profession in its continued efforts to help the self-represented consumer. (www.CALDA.org).

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The California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) is a non-profit organization setting the standard in education, ethics and excellence in the legal document assistant profession. (www.CALDA.org).