Procedures
- U.S. law firms and practitioners seeking the services of the Bureau may become subscribers of the PSB, with payment of $1,000 each to be replenished from time to time as paralegal fees are deducted therefrom. Non-subscribers are required to deposit a much lower rate -- $250.00 for each case for which paralegal service is requested.
- Philippine law firms and practitioners may become subscribers with a deposit of P10,000 to be replenished also from time to time.
- The Bureau also accepts clients on case-to-case basis under the following procedures:
- Prospective U.S. client sends to the Bureau either by fax or by email a statement of the facts of its case, with the applicable provisions of law and jurisprudence (whether shepardized or not) per his own research, his theory of the case, and the particular service desired.
- Fifteen (15) working days should be allowed as the minimum period for the Bureau to perform the requested legal service.
- The Bureau then confirms (through email) to the prospective client whether it will accept the case or not.
- If the case is accepted by the Bureau, the client shall immediately remit the amount of $250 to be deposited to the U. S. dollar account of the Institute of Continuing Legal Studies & Education (FCDU Savings Account No. 4044-0091-91), Bank of the Philippine Islands, Greenhills Branch, 214 Wilson St., San Juan, Metro Manila, in the case of U.S. and other foreign clients; or local clients may remit the amount of P5,000 to the Institute of Continuing Legal Studies & Education (Paralegal Services Bureau) through any Philippine branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Savings Account No. 4041-0011-73 at the aforementioned BPI Greenhills Branch in San Juan, Metro Manila.
- Client shall also immediately send by air express or by email copies of needed documents that need to be evaluated.
- Two days before completion of the work, the Bureau emails the client a statement of account.
- The client remits payment by T/T to the bank account of the Institute/Bureau as indicated above, deducting the $250 (in the case of US clients) or P5,000 (in the case of local clients) previously deposited by it.
- The work performed by the Bureau will immediately be delivered to the client thru Fed-Ex or any similar delivery service, or by email or File Transfer Protocol.
Procedures exclusively applicable to Philippine Clients
- Philippine clients may subscribe with the Bureau either as a Special Paralegal Client upon deposit of P10,000 against which paralegal fees are changeable; or as
- A Non-Subscriber Participation Contract Client with the payment of P5,000 either on a case-to-case basis or on annual basis. In the latter case, the amount of P5,000 shall be maintained at all times.
- Payments shall be made by the client, delivering the amount directly to the Bureau or by depositing the necessary amount with any branch of the Bank of Philippine Islands anywhere in the Philippines in the account of the Institute of Continuing Legal Studies and Education (Account No. 4041-0011-73).
- Everytime the Subscriber or Non-subscriber Participant seeks a legal service to be performed by the Bureau, he/it shall submit a written request for a specific legal service with indication of deadline. The request shall be delivered to the Bureau personally or by messenger, fax, or e-mail.
- The Bureau, shall, within 24 working hours from receipt of the request, inform the client-requester whether the Bureau is accepting the case or not. Its decision on the matter will depend on such factors as the order of preference on a policy of first-come-first-served, the ability of the Bureau to comply with the deadline set by the client, etc.
- The client shall then immediately furnish the Bureau with the needed information, documents, and materials—which must be complied with on or before the deadline set by the Bureau.
- The failure of the client to submit to the Bureau the required information, documents and/or materials on or before the set deadline shall automatically cancel the Bureau’s commitment to provide the requested legal service or task.
- Upon completion of the requested service or task, the Bureau shall notify the client accordingly in the fastest possible manner, with a billing for the service rendered (which will include the cost of delivery service, if applicable).
- If the amount of the billing exceeds the amount pre-deposited by the client, the difference shall immediately be deposited by the paralegal client with the BPI account of the Institute as indicated above.
- The Bureau will then send the pertinent accomplishment report together with the draft of the pleading or paper requested to the client by the quickest possible means.
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