Phone:   (978) 877-2536


E-Mail:   Korey@IPS-Notary.com

Fax:   (978) 882-0234
United States of America
Restricted Area -Authorized Members Only-
 



~Process Server
Constable / Capias



United States of America
 
IPS-- Independent Paralegal Services
 
United States Court System
 
As defined by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), a Paralegal is a person, qualified through education, training or work experience, to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, government agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work. Substantive shall mean work requiring recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of relevant facts and legal concepts.

The term "paralegal" in previous years was synonymous with legal secretary, whereas persons having those titles were of considerable assistance to attorneys on a day-to-day basis, but did not exactly work independently of the attorney. That has all changed.


The services provided by most paralegals and legal secretaries are quite distinguishable in the current day. Paralegals are now proficient in conducting investigations, legal research and the preparation of pleadings, discovery demands, motions and briefs, without the assistance of an attorney. Courts throughout the United States are cognizant of this and, as a result, fees for paralegal services may now be recoverable in most cases wherever an award of attorney's fees or costs is available.
 
In Massachusetts non-attorneys may even represent people in Small Claims actions pursuant to the Uniform Small Claims Rule 7(e), which states: "non-attorneys shall be allowed to assist parties in the presentation or defense of their cases when, in the judgment of the court, such assistance would facilitate the presentation or defense." Depending on your case, our paralegals may assist you in this capacity.
 
In conclusion, retaining an independent paralegal is profitable to law firms, furthers public policy and provides quality legal services to the general public at a fair rate. Please note, however, that if you decide to use an independent paralegal, you must remember that we ARE NOT attorneys licensed to practice law and cannot give or accept fees for legal advice.
 

Equal Justice


Page Navigation Links
 
At IPS, we offer the following paralegal services:

 
PUBLIC RECORDS SEARCH
 
Need to conduct a search for criminal, bankruptcy, death, UCC or other type of public record? Our paralegals are experienced in conducting public records searches. Each search is $69.00 with a 24-hour turn-around which includes a copy of the results. Or, for an instantaneous response, $99.00. The following public records searches are available: Sherlock Holmes
 
    1. Death Index / Death Record Searches
    2. Massachusetts Criminal Record Searches
    3. Social Security Number Verifications
    4. Massachusetts Litigation Search
    5. Real Estate Searches
    6. Phone Number & Utility Record Searches
    7. Massachusetts Sex Offender Records Search, etc.
 
 
We reserve the right to charge additional for extraordinary circumstances (for example, you need to search a common name like "John Smith" and you have no date of birth or social security number to enable us to do the search in a time effective manner).
 
Please note that we are not private investigators or detectives. We perform public records searches directly for members of the public except for the following (unless if you're an attorney who has delegated these tasks to us):
      • A crime or wrong done or threatened or assumed to have been done or threatened against the Government of the United States of America, or any State, Territory or Possession of the United States of America;
      • The identity, habits, conduct, movements, whereabouts, affiliations, associations, transactions, reputation or character of any person, association, organization, society or groups of persons, firms or corporations;
      • The credibility of witnesses or other persons;
      • The whereabouts of missing persons;
      • The location or recovery of lost or stolen property;
      • The causes and origin of, or responsibility for, fires, libels, accidents, damage, injuries or losses to persons, firms, associations or corporations, or to real or personal property;
      • The affiliation, connection or relation of any person, firm or corporation with any organization, society, association, or with any official member or representative thereof;
      • The conduct, honesty, efficiency, loyalty or activities of employees, agents, contractors and subcontractors; and,
      • The securing of evidence to be used before any investigating committee, board of award, board of arbitration, or in the trial of any civil or criminal case.

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SUBPOENA SERVICES:

Supreme Court w/flag
 
A Massachusetts Notary Public has the authority to issue subpoenas in accordance with Rule 45 of the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. A subpoena may be issued to order a person to do any of the following:

                1.    appear at court to give testimony (subpoena ad testificandum);

                2.    appear before a notary public, justice of the peace, or other officer authorized to
                        administer oaths, at the taking of a deposition (deposition subpoena);

                3.    produce books, papers, documents, or other tangible things that may be used
                        during a trial or hearing (subpoena duces tecum);

                4.    appear at a court or at a deposition AND produce books, papers, documents, or
                        other tangible things that may be used as evidence.
 

A Massachusetts Notary Public may also issue subpoenas that can command a person to appear before a hearing officer who is working for a state agency such as the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). DTA subpoenas are issued in accordance with
106 CMR 343.360(B). 

Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 233 § 1, a notary public, justice of the peace, or clerk of court, may issue summonses for witnesses in all cases pending before courts, magistrates, auditors, referees, arbitrators or other persons authorized to examine witnesses, and at hearings upon applications for complaints wherein a person may be charged with the commission of a crime. However, a notary public or justice of the peace shall not issue summonses for witnesses in criminal cases except upon the request of the attorney general, district attorney or other person who acts in the case in behalf of the commonwealth or of the defendant.

The average notary public will never be asked to issue a subpoena or summons because it's a task that should be completed by a legal professional who is familiar with the court rules that detail how a subpoena or summons shall be issued. If the subpoena or summons fails to comply with a court rule or agency rule, the court or agency may invalidate it.

Since our Network has degreed paralegals and licensed attorneys at our disposal, we can issue your subpoena or summons that will comply with the applicable laws/rules. This Network considers our notaries public to be "legal notaries" and not just "bank notaries" because our notaries public also work as legal support professionals (i.e., paralegals) and have been trained in the law. (Notice: the two titles above are not official titles. They are used by our Network members only.)

If you need a subpoena or summons issued, please click here and fill out the form. We will promptly respond to you and arrange for your subpoena or summons to be issued and served.


Failure by any person without adequate excuse to obey a subpoena
 issued and served upon him may be deemed a contempt of the court
 in which the action is pending.



PEOPLE SEARCH
 
We utilize a law enforcement database that can track people. This database also gives us marital status, physical location, employer information, etc. of those we are searching for. A 'basic' people search will cost $19.95 per person.
 

 
VIDEOGRAPHY OF RENTAL PROPERTY
 
LANDLORDS: Document the condition of your property before, and/or after, you rent to tenants. Have tenants ever damaged your property? Well now you'll have proof, should you have to take them to court to seek damages.
 
TENANTS: Have you ever been accused of damaging property by a spiteful landlord? Well now you'll have proof that you didn't, should you have to take action against the landlord in the court of law.
      • Flat Fee = $75.00
      • Hourly = $50.00 per hour

 
POLICE MISCONDUCT INVESTIGATION:
 
Our head service providers have been approved to assist the Police Complaint Center(PCC) in investigating police misconduct cases. The founder has contacted agents of PCC and has already established a volunteer relationship with them.
 
Such investigations include, but are not limited too:
 
 
Justice isn't blind on police misconduct. That too can be stopped!
Citizen complaint process check: Police Departments are required to document and establish a policy for internally investigating citizen complaints. We will see how an ordinary citizens' complaint would be handled in the absence of authority.
 
Racial profiling tests: Do you think an officer or department is engaging in racial profiling? If so, we will secretly test the officer and/or department to see if your accusation is right.
 
Individual officer conduct tests: A police officer is trained and required to keep his/her cool in almost every situation. If an officer is known to act out when angry, our paralegal investigators will perform a test to see how the officer will react.
 
Advocacy: A paralegal is permitted to assist individuals before government agencies, including police departments. If you'd like to address your concern to the officers supervisor(s), we will tag along with you and make sure your rights aren't violated at meetings.
 
 
Our network has acquired contacts from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice. Should you wish to file a complaint against an officer and/or a Police Department, we can set you up with our contacts that may be able to assist you further.
 
Our network does not get involved with minor disputes (i.e., speeding tickets, etc.). Rather, we get involved with pattern's or practices of alleged misconduct being done by individual officer's or an entire police department. We acknowledge the fact that most complaints of alleged misconduct by the general public is not actual misconduct punishable by law. For example, many people feel that it is against the law for a police officer to raise their voice and yell at them. This is not misconduct punishable by law. In fact, such cases aren't even a violation of an ethical duty because police officers, like you and I, are allowed to yell.
 
Serious cases of police misconduct should be reported immediately to an attorney, public officer, or the Department of Justice. For more information, please contact us.
 

 
LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARATION:
 
It's legal to handle your own legal matters using self-help law books, products and services. Independent Paralegal Services offers clients with affordable access to the overpriced legal system. We are a non-attorney self-help legal form preparation service. We work under the direct supervision of informed clients. We offer competent, quality service. Our clients make all their own legal choices and call their own legal shots. We simply type out legal forms following the client's instructions. We are not lawyers. We do not offer legal advice or practice law. We will immediately refer the public to an attorney we contract with, if necessary.
Divorce:
 
Simple....................................... $200.00 
With Property........................... $275.00
With Child................................. $300.00 
Property & Child....................... $300.00
 
Name Change:
 
Individual................................ $175.00
Child........................................ $175.00
Family...................................... $350.00
 
Wills:
 
Simple.................................... $100.00
Joint....................................... $165.00
Living Wills............................ $75.00
 
Other Documents:
 
Prenuptial............................. $175.00
Power of Attorney................ $100.00
All others*............................ $25.00 (single page forms/documents)
 
*The actual fee is determined by the complexity, length and turn-around time. The minimum fee is $25 per single form/document.
 
 

 
ATTORNEY REFERRAL:
 
Hundreds of attorneys exist in the Commonwealth. Which one is good? Which has a better track record for winning cases? Let us screen an attorney for you. We will research their history and let you know if they have had any disciplinary actions against them.
 
If we take on a case that eventually involves the practice of law, then we will automatically call upon one of our network attorney's who will assist us with your case.



Have a felony DUI case in San Diego?
Protect your license and find a dependable initial consultation with a Felony DUI Lawyer San Diego .
 
 

Justice Court

COURT FILING:

If you're busy and can't file your time-sensitive documents on time, or just simply don't know how to file, our legal support professionals will do it for you. We charge $50.00 (per court appearance) regardless of how many papers need to be filed. A confirmation from the clerk of court will be made available at the conclusion of service.
 
 

SMALL CLAIMS INFORMATION:
 
Pursuant to the Uniform Small Claims Rule 7(e), which states: "non-attorneys shall be allowed to assist parties in the presentation or defense of their cases when, in the judgment of the court, such assistance would facilitate the presentation or defense," our paralegals are willing to assist you with your small claims matter.
 
We can guide you through the entire process. Just remember, paralegals are not attorneys licensed to practice law and cannot give or accept fees for legal advice. In order for you to win, regardless if you're the plaintiff or defendant, you need to have the preponderance of the evidence. Let us help you!
 
 

 
WITNESS SERVICES:
 
Witnesses are crucial to your case. We at IPS know the importance of "friendly" witnesses. If you give us information about your case, we will send some paralegal investigators out to try to find potential witnesses. Keep in mind that it is always best to have a disinterested and experienced individual do this for you. If you go out and try to find your own witnesses, it's going to look like you influenced their testimony.
 
Hypothetically let's say somebody punched you and broke your nose in the Main Street area. As a result of the person unlawfully touching you, you suffered financial loss in the form of medical bills, and loss of work. Now you want to regain your finances and want to sue the assailant. You have no actual proof. You have no witness(es). The only thing you have are medical reports proving that you've had a broken nose, and the name of the attacker. Do you consider this a great case?

Witness Services

The paralegals will go back to the incident scene and determine where potential witnesses might lurk. They will interview people to find out who's a witness. If witnesses are found, IPS will send one of their Notaries Public to take the written affidavit (witness statement) of the witness(es). In accordance with the law, the notary will record the identification information of all affiants.
 
After you file your lawsuit against the assailant, our paralegals can then assist you with additional services. If you need the witness(es) subpoenaed, for example, then we can draft and issue everything for you. One of our process servers may then serve the order upon all witnesses to whom it is directed.
 
 

 
MEDIATION/NEGOTIATION:

Out of court mediation

Mediation is simply the process of reaching a mutual agreement amongst two or more people. IPS offers out of court (not court related) mediation. We'd arrange a time to meet with all parties and allow the parties to try to work out their disputes. We would listen and guide each side on reaching a conclusion.
 
Types of disputes or decision-making that often go to mediation include the following (though use is not limited to these areas):
 
  • Family:
    • Prenuptial agreements
    • Financial or budget disagreements
    • Separation
    • Divorce
    • Financial distribution and spousal support
    • Parenting plans (child custody and visitation)
    • Adult sibling conflicts
    • Disputes between parents and adult children
    • Disputes involving the following issues:
  • Landlord-Tenant
    • Builders/contractors/realtors/homeowners
    • Contracts of any kind
    • Non-profit organizations
    • Faith communities
  • Other:
    • Youth (school conflicts; peer mediation);
    • Violence prevention
    • Victim-Offender mediation

Mediation commonly includes the following aspects or stages:

    • a controversy, dispute or difference of positions between people, or a need for decision-making or problem-solving;
    • decision-making remaining with the parties rather than being made by the neutral third party;
    • the willingness of the parties to negotiate a positive solution to their problem, and to accept a discussion about respective interests and objectives;
    • the intent to achieve a positive result through the facilitative help of an independent, neutral third person
Keep in mind that we are neutral. We do not make decisions or issue any type of binding contract, outcome, etc. Furthermore, we do not give or accept fees for legal advice. We are not attorneys and have no authority to do so. Mediation service cost ranges from $200.00 -$800.00.
 
 

 NOTICE OF TRESPASS SERVICES
 No Trespassing Sign

If you're experiencing a problem with a person you can legally ban him or her from your property [or business] pursuant to M.G.L. c. 266 § 120 by giving them a Notice of Trespass. In accordance with the aforementioned law, the person must know, either by a sign or direct notice, that he or she is forbidden from entering in or upon your property before an arrest can be made by a police officer or constable.

Our paralegals can draft the Notice of Trespass (N.T.P.) and arrange to have it served by a certified process server or constable. Once a copy is served in-hand to the person you are banning, the original notice and proof of service will be given to you. In the event that the subject violates the order after it was served, you can call the police and have the subject arrested.

The fees for this service will vary.

If your property is located in the Town of Ayer, Shirley or Groton, the following fees apply:
  • Draft N.T.P.            =    $10.00
  • Notarize N.T.P.     =    Free
  • Serve In-Hand      =    $20.00

If your property is not located in any of the above mentioned Towns, please call for a price quote. The drafting fee will be $10.00; however, the process server fee will be the amount shown on our Process Server page and is determined by the amount of miles traveled.




MASSACHUSETTS SEPARATION AGREEMENTS
MA Separation Agreement Divorce

A Separation Agreement is a contract designed to settle all outstanding marital issues, drafted after marriage in anticipation of divorce. It defines the legal end of the couple's relationship as spouses and determines their post-divorce rights and obligations. Before any couple is granted a non-adversarial (uncontested), no-fault divorce in Massachusetts, their signed, notarized, Separation Agreement must be submitted to a probate and family court for approval.

Separation Agreements are recognized by statute -- the same statute that created the Massachusetts non-adversarial (uncontested), no-fault divorce (M.G.L. c. 208 § 1A). A judge must find every Separation Agreement to be "fair and reasonable" before any divorce can be allowed.

Parties to divorce sign Separation Agreements before they are submitted to a court for approval. From the time it is signed in front of a Notary Public until it is "heard" in court, a Separation Agreement is an enforceable contract. When a judge finds a Separation Agreement to be "fair and reasonable" at the hearing of the parties' divorce, the agreement rises to the level of a court order.

After a Separation Agreement has been found to be "fair and reasonable" in court it continues as an enforceable contract AND as a court order. If a judge determines a Separation Agreement is NOT "fair and reasonable" the Separation Agreement will be rendered null and void, and no longer exist as an enforceable contract.

Separation Agreements are required by law to cover the following topics:

1.) Alimony
2.) Health Insurance
3.) Life Insurance
4.) Disposition of Debts
5.) Division of Marital Property
6.) Care and Custody of Minor or Dependent Children
7.) Division of Real Estate, etc.



We can provide you with a Separation Agreement that can be easily filled in. This Separation Agreement complies with Massachusetts law and covers every topic. The prices are as follows:

Separation Agreement w/No Minor Children  =  $150.00

Separation Agreement w/Minor Child(ren)  = $195.00



Please contact us VIA EMAIL if you're interested in purchasing a Separation Agreement. Once your payment is received and/or confirmed, we will email you the form in PDF or Word format.

 

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: We are not attorneys licensed to practice law and cannot give or accept fees for legal advice. If you need legal advice, please consult an attorney. If you need help finding an attorney, then we can help you. Nothing in this website should be considered legal advice. Most paralegal services are offered only to attorneys or can only be done if we work under the direct supervision of one. Services are only intended for Massachusetts residents.

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