MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – If you are one of the hundreds of people who have been putting off completing your estate plan, it has just become easier to mark that off your list.

Debbie Smith, a certified legal document assistant, has opened an office in downtown Middletown.  Pioneer Document Service offers a low-cost alternative to an attorney's services for preparing legal paperwork.
 
Smith offers more than the degree of legal expertise needed to accomplish these essentials. She is adept at guiding those who know little about the requirements through the necessary paperwork, making it a great deal easier. Home visits can be arranged.
  
She has more than 40 years’ experience in the legal profession, both working under the supervision of attorneys and as a legal document assistant assisting the public in preparing and filing their own legal documents. 

California law SB1418 authorizes non-lawyers to prepare legal documents for the general public according to their specific instructions without the assistance of an attorney.
  
Under the law, legal document assistants are required to register with the county in which they work, post a $25,000 bond and complete a minimum 15 hours of continuing legal education  every two years.
 
Debbie is a member of California Legal Document Assistants, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of legal document assistants, while encouraging high standards of ethical and professional conduct among its members.

Pioneer Document Service focuses mainly on estate planning services – wills, living trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives.
 
Pioneer Document Service is located at 21130-A Calistoga Road in Middletown. Current hours are by appointment only, which includes evenings and weekends.  
 
Contact Pioneer Document Service by phone at 707-987-1083 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit www.PioneerDocumentService.com .