Opinion ID: 1824918
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Franchising the Business of Selling Legal Services to the General Public

Text: Schramek, through the Clinic, entered into an agreement with one Richard Campbell, a nonlawyer, whereby Campbell would set up and run a Pensacola branch office of the Clinic. Under the agreement, the Clinic was to act as a service distributor offering legal services of all kinds through the Pensacola office. According to Campbell's testimony, the legal services offered were in the areas of landlord/tenant, divorces, living trusts, bankruptcy, and adoptions. Campbell stated that the procedure to be followed under the agreement was that he would obtain information from individuals on an application form prepared by the Clinic, supply that information to the Clinic, and the Clinic, in turn, for a percentage of the fee collected, would prepare legal forms, including forms not approved by this Court. Additionally, Campbell testified that the Clinic provided legal advice regarding the forms and that much of that advice was incorrect and caused harm to patrons of the Pensacola office. For example, in the area of bankruptcy, patrons were told they were entitled to certain exemptions when, in fact, they were not. Campbell testified that so much of the legal advice given by the Clinic was incorrect that he disaffiliated himself from Schramek and the Clinic.