united-states software california small-claims-court
Is it legal to create a service that help people filling up small claim court forms?
<p>I have an idea of an online service that prepares forms and letters for small claim courts. The service would take an input from a user, analyze it and output documents required to file a small court claim and instruction for a user.</p>

<p>Is such a service legal in California? I'm a software engineer, not a certified lawyer.</p>

<p>It depends upon how the service works.</p>

<p>A "scrivner" is permitted, but "legal services" are not. If, for example, it asks you the questions on a state approved form and asks you to fill in answers and the compiles the answers into a complaint with the proper typesetting, this would be permissible.</p>

<p>It could also have "educational materials" which you could read that could discuss small claims court.</p>

<p>But, if it provides individualized assistance on a case by case basis on how to answer the questions, for example, prodding you to say something about each element of a cause of action if you fail to do so, this might very well constitute the practice of law and be illegal.</p>
