Paralegal Advantage News

Paralegal Advantage, LLC News is provided periodically for your information by Paralegal, Linda M. Wiedenhoff.

eNotarization

Effective January 20, 2005, Notary Public Linda M. Wiedenhoff was approved by the Colorado Secretary of State to notarize documents for electronic filing. With this procedure, it will not be necessary to file or record the actual document containing the original signatures of the signors and the Notary Public. However, it will still be necessary for the signors to execute in the presence of the Notary Public. E-filing can save valuable time in meeting a filing or recording deadline.

A seminar for eNortorization was also recently attended. The seminar was sponsored by the National Notary Association in response to the recent revisions of the Colorado Statutes to provide for Electronic Notary Publics in the State of Colorado.

RMPA Probate Section Meeting

Linda Wiedenhoff attended the January 2005 monthly Probate Section Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association. Merry Balson was present from the Statutory Revisions Committee (SRC) of the Trust & Estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association that studies new legislative proposals and reviews pending and proposed legislation affecting the trusts and estate practice. Merry spoke on 2004 Bar sponsored new legislation including the Disaster Response and the Beneficiary Deed measures. She also spoke on SRC approved Measures which will likely be introduced during the 2005 Colorado legislative session. These measures include proposals involving Public Administrator Residency Requirements; Technical Corrections to the Disposition of Last Remains Act; Amendments to the Uniform Principal and Income Act; and Amendments to Claims Statutes to address the holdings in Estate of Ongaro and DeAvila v. Estate of Deherrera and to clarify the manner in which claims may be presented. Finally, Merry spoke on current SRC projects including the Uniform Trust Code; the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interest Act; Rule Against Perpetuities; Real Estate Section Proposed Amendments pertaining to community property existence in Colorado; the Uniform Estate Tax Apportionment Act; Amendment to definition of "Resident Trust" for Colorado Income for Tax Purposes; and the Revised Uniform Power of Attorney Act.

Microsoft Word for Legal Purposes

In order to become more efficient in the use of Microsoft Word for the preparation of documents, Linda M. Wiedenhoff attended a day-long session at the Colorado Bar Association offices to become more knowledgeable in the many innovative ways that Microsoft Word can be utilized. The course was designed specifically for use in the legal field and Linda looks forward to using her newly discovered tips and tools in finalizing documents for her clients.

Colorado Freelance Paralegal Network

Colorado Freelance Paralegal Network ("CFPN"), is a group of freelance paralegals who have joined together to promote their legal expertise and services to the Colorado legal community. Each of the members of CFPN are also members of the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association. Linda Wiedenhoff is proud to be a new member of CFPN for 2005. Together, CFPN members offer assistance in numerous fields of legal specialty with many years of background and experience. Please take a few moments to review the CFPN website located at www.paralegalsfreelance.com to educate yourself with the CFPN members available to assist you and your firm. Also, watch for the CFPN advertisement in upcoming issues of the Colorado Lawyer.

Notary Public Commission

The Colorado Notary commission for Linda M. Wiedenhoff was recently renewed by the Colorado Secretary of State through December 16, 2008. In additon, Linda recently became a member of the National Notary Association.

Colorado Secretary of State Commenced On-line Filing

In 2004 the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office commenced on-line filing of numerous documents and continues to add more documents to the list of those which may be E-filed. Linda Wiedenhoff attended a seminar to obtain instructions on the use of the Secretary of State’s up-dated website and new filing techniques. This innovative filing method makes it easier and more economical to file documents with the Secretary of State. In addition, on-line filing is currently only 99¢ per document! Further, the need for expedited service will be virtually eliminated as the filings are instantaneous. For instance, under the previous system, the cost of filing Articles of Incorporation was $50 and it was an additional $50 for 24-hour expedited service, compared to the same, dual service now for only 99¢. Annual Reports may also be E-filed for 99¢ compared to a paper filing of $25. Thus, E-filing with the Colorado Secretary of State results in a huge savings in filing fees.

Paralegal Advantage, LLC Qualified To Do Business in Louisiana

Paralegal Advantage, LLC obtained authority to transact business in Louisiana. Currently, Paralegal Advantage, LLC is authorized to transact business in Colorado and Louisiana. However, if you are from another state and require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Paralegal Advantage, LLC to discuss whether authority is required in your state. It is usually a simple process to file an Application for Authority, if necessary.

Do You Need Your Legal Documents Converted from Word Perfect to Word or Visa Versa?

Do You Need Your Documents Formatted with AutomaticParagraph Numbering and/or Automatic Paragraph Referencing?

Are You Having Trouble With Your Table of Contents?

If so, you should contact Paralegal Advantage, LLC to assist you in formatting your documents and forms in order to insure that they are expert in appearance and will take less time to finalize for your clients. I have many years of experience in working with legal forms and documents and I believe they should be presentable for the client and easy to complete for the drafting attorney or paralegal. The preparation time can be substantially reduced if your documents and forms are in good format. In addition, if you are billing a flat fee, the less time spent on document preparation means a more profitable outcome!