CALSPro - California Association of Legal Support Professionals

A Message From The President

Posted March 15, 2018 in Membership

By Larry Kirlin

A lot has been happening at CALSPro since my last article.  A day doesn’t go by without a board member or committee chairman contacting me to discuss an ongoing initiative.

Here are some of the highlights:

• The CALSPro field app was released to the members
• A high quality tri-fold brochure was developed to help recruit new IC members
• Over 10 new, industry specific, relevant blogs have been posted to the website
• Our first webcast CCPS course and Board of Directors meetings have been scheduled
• Stephanie Chandler has agreed to be the keynote speaker at our 2018 Annual Conference
• The membership and photocopy committees are recruiting new Professional Photocopier members

Blog

If you subscribe to the blog you probably already know about some of these items.  If you haven’t subscribed, please consider signing up so you can get this information throughout the month.

Newsletter

Not into blogs and social media?  No problem. You’ll get the highlights in your newsletter.  If you prefer to get your news via the grapevine, then you’ll want to connect with your local area governor to find out if an event is planned in your region.

Events

Speaking of events, many of you are attending the NAPPS conference next month in San Diego.  Our membership committee will have a table set up for recruiting new members. Please encourage your non-California colleagues to join CALSPro as an associate member for only $100/year.  While you’re at it, encourage your California buds to join too.

Search Tool

One last thing.  Please remember to use the CALSPro member search tool when you need help with an assignment out of your area.  Selecting a fellow member should always be your first preference.  Not only do we have the best trained members in the business, you can also use our dispute resolution process if things go south.

The New CALSPro Mobile App Is Here!

Posted March 13, 2018 in Technology

The web based “mobile friendly” version is now available to all members of CALSPro.  Go to https://app.calspro.org to log in and use the app.  If you don’t have your login and password you can request one on the login page.

Continue reading below for more information about the features and benefits of this new resource. The Android and IOS versions of the App are scheduled to be released soon!

The new CALSPro App is a valuable digital tool you can add to your process serving arsenal!

Need help locating an address while in the field? Try using the Address Validation Tool!

This feature utilizes the USPS Address Validation API. It queries the USPS system directly to validate an address entered.

Can’t quite remember what that important Process Serving code says? Use the Code Search Tool!

This feature allows you to search codes with keywords and/or filter by category.

Having trouble calculating the ever-changing subpoena witness fees? Use the easy and user-friendly Witness Fee Calculator!

This feature calculates a witness fee based on State or Federal Fee and One-way Mileage. No more calling the client! Make yourself look good.

The CALSPro App is now released with the three awesome features mentioned above but still with more exciting tools and improvements yet to come!

We will keep you posted with enhancements as they are rolled out this year and in the future!

Feel free to send us your feedback, comments and suggestions!

We Are Excited To Announce The Upcoming Release Of The CALSPro App

Posted January 25, 2018 in Technology

By Jay Roll

The web based “Mobile Friendly” version of the App is slated for release in February. The Full App is slated for release in May or June of 2018. We are excited to offer this new technology to CALSPro members.

The App will be a valuable tool you can add to your process serving arsenal.

Need help locating an address? Try using the Address Validation Tool

This feature utilizes the USPS Address Validation API. It queries the USPS system directly to validate an address entered.

Can’t quite remember what the code says? Use the Code Search Tool

This feature allows you to search codes with keywords and/or filter by category.

Having trouble calculating the ever-changing witness fees? Use the Witness Fee Calculator

This feature calculates a witness fee based on State or Federal Fee and One-way Mileage.

The App will be released with the three features mentioned with more improvements to come! We will keep you posted with enhancements as they are rolled out.

We would like to thank the team at California Advocates Management Services for their hard work and dedication to this project. Their expertise and insight has been invaluable, and without them, the App simply would not exist!

Thank you CAMS!

A World Without CALSPro Would Mean A Quick End To Our Businesses And Industry!

Posted December 12, 2017 in Membership

By Larry Kirlin, President CALSPro

What will our industry look like without CALSPro?  Who will be our industry’s watchdog against adverse legislation? CALSPro has defeated “mail bills” (advocating service of process via mail) 11 times in the past 50 years! Who will be there to fight against bills proposing Electronic Service of Primary Documents or against greedy ROI companies in the medical records field? How will we represent ourselves collectively as legal professionals? Who will facilitate advertising and education of new laws and new rules? How will we maintain our professional networks and vitals without a central nervous system?

Where Things Stand Today

At the Board of Directors meeting on December 2^nd we approved the budget for 2018. During any budget discussion, the focus is on balancing revenue and expenses to meet financial goals. For a non-profit association, our goal is to break even or show a small surplus. Makes sense, right?

It’s one thing to sit in a room and massage numbers on a spreadsheet until you achieve your theoretical goal. It’s another thing entirely to meet that goal at the end of the year.

Good news:  We have more than met our expense goals over the past several years.

The challenge: For the past several years, our association hasn’t met our revenue goals and has been pulling funds from our strategic reserve to remain afloat. Why? We need more members!

Making Improvements

Last summer, at the Strategic Planning Session, our primary solution was the elimination of the Company and Individual membership categories in favor of a hybrid Active member category and new Independent Contractor member category.  With this new structure, we can grow our roster by providing more value and benefits to a wider audience by making it more affordable and accessible.

While I firmly believe we have taken the right approach, it is not without risk. Because the new Active Membership dues are lower, simply converting 100% of our current members over will actually widen the budget gap. Thus, we need your support today more than ever!

What Can You Do?

• Renew your membership now as an Active member!
• Enroll an additional person or employee as a new Active
• Encourage your Independent Contractors to join the association as IC
• Sign up for an enhanced listing on our website and/or add an additional county location.
• Remind your out-of-state affiliates that you are a CALSPro member and let them know it’s only $100 per year for them to join our association.
• Forward this message to a colleague
• Are you a past Company member with an overlapping Individual membership?

We are asking these companies to use the savings from the new dues structure to add a member of their staff as a new Active member. (Old: $500+$200=$700; New: $350+$350=$700).

Our goal is to increase our members by 40-50 in 2018! Rally up boys and girls. It’s go time!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

10 Important Tools Of The Trade For CALSPro Certified Process Servers

Posted October 19, 2017 in Process Service

By Andrew Gowing, Janney & Janney

As a part of CALSPro’s commitment to ramping up communication, which includes increasing the amount of blog posts we generate, we are installing a couple times every month, articles and information that stem from materials included in our CCPS Workshop Curriculum. I have been assigned the responsibility of Chairing the Continuing Education Committee this year.

I am excited to facilitate the offering of education and certification to our members. With Education being one of our association’s cornerstones, be sure to take full advantage of one of the CCPS Workshops offered throughout the state in the upcoming year. Stay tuned for more information regarding the CCPS Workshop dates, times, and locations.

Information to come in these blog posts will include information like: “Good Report Writing”, “3 Essential Elements of Service”, “The Four Basic Ways to Serve a Summons and Complaint”, “Codes Every Process Server Should Know”, “The Various Manners of Service”, and much more.

We don’t want to give it all away, but be watching for helpful hints, useful codes, and the necessities of good service of process. Also be sure to comment below and use these posts as a platform to give feedback, as well as converse with others over the various information we post.

Important Tools of the Trade

1. Pens

A writing utensil is a must-have. A pencil is not preferred as it can easily fade and can also easily be erased. Notes and field attempts are essential and written documentation is always a good idea, even if only as a backup to digitally-input field attempts and notes.

2. Map Books, Magnifying Glass, and Flashlight

Map Books are “Old School” but can still prove to be useful, especially when you do not have cell service. Of course, when you do have service, your Maps Application on your phone would work best. You can also utilize the flashlight on your phone, but I would recommend you also have a sturdy flashlight available.

3. Binoculars

Useful for observing, but not being observed by your subject. An absolute must on any kind of stakeout assignment. Be cautious and use discretely, you do not want to draw any unwanted attention.

4. Digital Camera

Again, a cell phone camera is perfect and will work without cell service. A camera is useful for snapping a picture of a posting or being able to better communicate to a client the difficulty of gaining access to a particular address.

 5. Registration Card / Driver’s License

A must have for gaining access to a gated community. Also important just in case somebody calls the police as you will want to be able to quickly identify yourself as a registered process server. Keep your ID on you at all times when in the field.

6. Proper Codes for Registered Process Server

Always important to have a quick reference guide for all the important codes for serving papers. We are developing the CALSPro App which will have a code lookup functionality. The wallet card quick reference guide is good to have for those times you may not have cell service and cannot access your CALSPro App.

7. Big Clips / Tape / Rubber Bands / Thumb Tacks

If you have been in this industry for any length of time you understand that your car needs to have the makeup of a mobile office. Clips and rubber bands are important for keeping papers organized. Tape and thumb tacks are important for posting papers to a front door.

 8. Door Mark

Again, this one is “Old School” but can prove to be very effective in knowing whether or not anybody is even coming or going at the given address. Commonly used door marks could be: a piece of tape, a match stick, twig, leaf, penny, or paper clip.

 9. GPS Device

Believe it or not this is becoming more “Old School” too. Our phones and map applications have replaced the Garmin GPS devices of yesteryear. Some cars have GPS systems built in now, but your phone should be the best device for locating an address and getting directions.

10. Cell Phone

Other than the obvious, for making calls, sending and receiving emails, and the things listed above, your cell phone can also be useful in viewing WiFi Network names. This can sometimes be a dead giveaway whether or not you are at the right place.

The CALSPro App Is Underway

Posted October 3, 2017 in Technology

CALSPro is working hard to create an app that will be invaluable to legal professionals in the field. Of course, with any app development, there are many phases. According to our tech team, we are at least a few months away after all of the necessary testing but we are excited to offer this new technology to CALSPro members.

If you would be interested in being involved with the BETA testing, watch for notifications on that.

Features Currently Included In Web Version:

Address Verification: This feature utilizes the USPS Address Verification API. It queries the USPS system directly to verify an address entered.

Code Search: This feature allows you to search codes with keywords and/or filter by category.

Witness Fee Calculator: This feature calculates a witness fee based on State or Federal Fee and One-way Mileage.

Planned & Possible Features for both Web & Native Apps:

Enhance Witness Fee Calculator:
Auto Calculate Mileage based on:
a. Zip Code to Zip Code estimation
b. Address to Address
c. Address from current location – using onboard GPS

Enhance Code Search with Process Server Guidelines and possibly more codes/keywords

Enhance Address Verification with:
a. Ability to save verified addresses with a custom title
b. Add ability to use a verified address with Witness Fee Calculator

Address Database: The ability to save addresses and use them in the features that require addresses

Mileage Tracker: Possibly GPS driven where they could start and stop mileage tracking on the go and an address to address mileage lookup.

Membership Badge: To show or print

Link Library: A default set of links that Process Servers might use often and the ability to manage their own additions.

Job Postings: Requests for quotes much like we do now on the website with “Find Legal Support Professionals” but Member to Member.

Notes: The ability to take notes and save them within the app as well as utilizing the onboard camera to take and save geo-tagged images associated with the note.