Understanding Our Payment and Refund Policies

        GOVERNMENT AND THIRD-PARTY FEES

Fees quoted for my services do not include court filing fees, governmental fees, or third-party costs.  Third party costs include, but are not limited to, fees charged for the service of obtaining official records or obtaining certified copies of court documents. This also includes recording and re-recording (if necessary) with the recorder's office.

FILING FEE WAIVERS

If you have a limited income, you may be eligible to have your filing fees waived by the clerk of court in your county. 

 POSTAGE

I will cover the cost of postage associated with your project with the understanding that we exclusively use USPS First Class and Priority Mail for domestic mailings.  USPS does not offer a guaranteed overnight service.  If you need overnight shipping via FedEx or UPS, I will invoice you to prepay the cost.

 TRAVEL

Any expenses I incur by traveling to and from a meeting with you is included in your initial consultation.

PAYMENTS

I accept personal checks drawn on a U.S. account, money orders, and the following credit cards:

Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express

If a payment is made by cash, I will provide a receipt. Please make all payments payable to: Express Documents LLC

CREDIT/DEBIT CARD PROCESSING/CONVENIENCE FEE

Customers will be charged a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee if a credit or debit card is used to pay an invoice.  If I have to manually key in the transaction (paying by card over the phone, etc.), a 3.5% processing fee will be added.

CHECK CLEARING POLICY

If paying with a personal check, services may be delayed until the check clears. 

 BOUNCED CHECK POLICY

If your check is returned for insufficient funds, I will charge you $25 plus any fee charged to us by our bank.  Future payments will only be accepted by cash or certified funds.

DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS

The following projects require prepayment in full:

• Probate – Summary Administration
• Last Will and Testament
• Deeds
• Power of Attorney
• Advance Directives
• Healthcare Surrogacy

All other projects require a 50% deposit on the invoice for work to begin.  This includes divorce and other family law projects. Your balance (Final Payment on Invoice), if any, will be due when I meet with you to sign your documents, or prior to transmitting or filing a completed work product. My travel time (if required), postage, envelopes, witnesses, and notarizations are included with all quotes at no extra charge. If you require terms or a special payment plan, I am approachable.  Please discuss this with me in advance. 

**REFUND POLICY**

Deposits on document preparation projects are non-refundable. Payment for services out of my control are also non-refundable.  Each project is a custom product, and work begins as soon as I open your file. Court rulings contrary to your wishes, or delays caused by the judicial system are not grounds for a refund. Express Documents LLC WILL NOT issue a REFUND if you cancel your order or put a hold on filing your court documents. 

       
        CHANGES TO DOCUMENTS AND FORMS

The cost for making significant changes to a document package requested by the customer, after the documents have been finalized, and not due to any errors or omissions on my part, will be determined on a case-by-case basis, but shall not be less than $50.  The definition of, “significant” shall be determined at my discretion.  This also applies to documents that have been abandoned to the point of becoming “stale” and require a re-print.

Please keep in mind that I, Shari Howard (Express Documents LLC) am not an attorney. I can only provide self-help services at your direction. These services are provided at the customer's request and are not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. Although a legal document preparation service is not a law office, Express Documents LLC can help you prepare your documents properly without an attorney. This can save you hundreds of dollars while ensuring the forms are completed accurately.