Legal Document Assistant Bond

What is a Legal Document Assistant Bond?

A legal document assistant bond (aka Paralegal Assistant Bond) is a surety bond required for an individual wishing to be a licensed legal document assistant. This bond must be maintained for as long as the individual holds the legal document assistant license.

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Who Needs a Legal Document Assistant Bond?

A legal document assistant is required to post a legal document assistant surety bond in order to obtain their license, in the state of California and Nevada. Legal document assistants are individuals who are responsible for preparing, providing and filing of legal documents on behalf of their clients. The bond is also required for those who provide, assist in providing or offer legal assistance to those choosing to represent themselves in legal matters.

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Why do I need a Legal Document Assistant Bond?

Because a legal document assistant bond achieve three goals

Filter out disqualified individuals/companies from becoming a legal document assistant (i.e., those with low credit scores for whom the surety company will not issue a bond)
Provide a financial guarantee to the general public (specifically the customers of the legal document assistant) that a legal document assistant will meet rules of regulations of the legal industry
Discourage certain undesirable behaviors from the legal document assistant, such as overstepping their authority, selling client confidential information, etc.

How does a Legal Document Assistant Bond Work?

Each legal document assistant bond is a legal contract binding three parties together.

The principal is the legal document assistant
The obligee is the state agency that requires the bond
The surety is the insurance company who issues the bond.

If a legal document assistant conducts fraudulent activities (i.e., overstepping their authority, selling client confidential information), the obligee can seek reimbursement by filing a claim against the legal document assistant bond. If a claim is prove to be valid, the surety will pay for the claim up to the bond amount. Then, the surety will require reimbursement from the legal document assistant

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How much does a legal document assistant bond cost?

The cost of a home improvement contractor bond varies, depending on the bond amount and credit score. The higher the bond amount, the more expensive your bond. The lower your credit score, the more expensive the bond.

California bond costs $299
Nevada bond costs $200

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