Why We Are Different
Compare the difference between an on-line legal forms site,
a paralegal documentation preparation web site,
 and our virtual law practice:
 

We are not just a document preparation web site. We are a Maryland law firm offering limited legal services to Maryland residents in family law matters.

A legal forms web site is not a law firm and cannot provide true legal services, such as legal advice.  Maryland Family Lawyer gives you true legal guidance from a Maryland law firm.

We are different from a legal forms site because:

• We stand behind and guarantee our work.  If you go to a non-lawyer document preparation service, any guarantee is limited or non-existent.

• As lawyers, we must keep any communications between us confidential, and we are required to avoid any conflicts of interest. We use the SSL protocol which is the most secure method of transmitting information over the Internet. You can be assured that our services are trustworthy, private, and secure.

• We must comply with all of the Professional Rules that apply to members of the Maryland Bar. The services that we provide are regulated by the Maryland State Bar. A legal forms web site offered by a non-law firm is not regulated in any way. If there is a problem, you have no recourse.

• We offer a 100% Guarantee. If you are not satisfied with our services for any reason, we will give you a full refund.  Review our Refund Policy.

• We comply with the American Bar Association's "Best Practice" Guidelines.  The American Bar Association House of Delegates recently approved "Best Practices" Guidelines for Legal Information web sites.  These guidelines also apply to law firms.  They serve as recommendations for how legal information web sites should publish legal information for use by the general public in order to increase the reliability and quality of the legal information and services provided. We support these guidelines and attempt to surpass them whenever we can.

We are different from a typical law firm because:

• We are virtual.  We communicate with you solely over the Internet by e-mail and also by telephone. You don't have to give up time away from work to come to our offices. By providing our services "virtually", we are able to keep our fees low and make it convenient for you.  You have the ability to send us an e-mail or complete our on-line questionnaires at a time that is convenient for YOU.

• We do not impose a costly retainer agreement or up-front fees: You buy only the legal services that you need - at a fixed price per task. 

• You know what you will pay.  No hourly rates or hidden charges - just a simple fixed and reasonable fee.

• We do not have fancy offices.  We are a virtual law firm and provide our services via the Internet. We do not maintain expensive, physical offices.  We conduct most of our business by
  e-mail and via the Internet; therefore, personal meetings are generally not needed.  This gives us the ability to pass those savings on to our clients.

• We give you state-of-the-art document assembly technology.  We use a world-class state-of-the art document automation technology called Rapidocs.  This technology enables us to generate your documents more efficiently, thereby allowing us to pass savings on to you.

• We do not handle any litigation.   This keeps our malpractice premiums low.

• We guide you through the process of representing yourself.  We support the concept of "self-help law". Self-help law, also known as "pro-se" representation, is the process of filing your own documents and representing yourself in court.  This is a very effective method of saving on legal fees because you do part of the work yourself. Our role is to prepare your documents for you; give you the legal advice you need; and prepare you to represent yourself so that you can avoid making any crucial mistakes. We will also advise you as to whether or not you are a candidate for the "Self-Help" approach. 

• We recently received a Meritorious Recognition Award for the 2005 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access in recognition of this web site's contribution to the advancement of alternative legal service delivery mechanisms.
   

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