Legal help without lawyers

Back in 2005, Charles Ernst had a vision to start a company that helped individuals prepare legal documents including wills, estate planning, incorporations just to name a few, all at a fraction of the cost of what it would take to hire a lawyer to handle these matters.
One year later, Ernst's vision became a reality as he formed the company Lawmart and opened two Documents Direct stores in Queens.
&#8220We are offering the ordinary guy something they normally would not be able to afford,” said Charles Ernst, president of Lawmart.
The first Documents Direct store opened on March 1 on Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, and the second location opened three months later in Jackson Heights.
&#8220Everybody is very excited,” Ernst said.
At the two stores, experienced paralegals trained in document preparation will assist individuals with preparing more than 50 different legal documents and give the customers the tools necessary to represent themselves in matters that may not require a lawyer.
&#8220We are assisting them in things they can normally do themselves, but they may need some extra help with,” Ernst said.
One of the most common documents that the staff at Documents Direct helps put together is wills.
&#8220We are amazed to see how few people have wills,” Ernst said. &#8220Having a will you can save your family thousands of dollars in legal costs.” Ernst said that if an individual needed to hire a lawyer in order to draft a will, it could cost the person $500 or more depending on the lawyer.
&#8220For $79 and 30 minutes of your time, you can leave us with a completed and valid will,” Ernst said.
Each Documents Direct store has two paralegals on staff in order to help assist people as they come in to look for information. The stores are located at 147-18 Hillside Avenue in Jamaica and 78-07 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights and are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
For more information about the stores or services call 718-298-5540 or 718-396-9922 or visit their website at www.documentsdirectonline.com