System and method for communication and processing of legal document based on geographic area

• US 20030009345A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kenneth J. Thorpe
• Original Assignee: Kenneth J. Thorpe
• Inventors: Thorpe, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US09/784,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

A legal document processing system and method for processing legal documents between entities that use legal documents. The system includes a hub system for receiving legal documents from one entity and communicating them to another entity. The invention also includes a system and method for setting a geographic area within which a legal document will be delivered. The invention may also set the type of actor entity within the geographic area.

Claims

1. A system for processing legal documentation, the system comprising:

a hub system;

a drafting entity system for preparing a legal document and communicating the legal document to the hub system;

a geographic area subsystem including;

an area selector for setting a geographic area within which an actor entity will receive the legal document;

an actor entity determinator to determine the existence of an actor entity within the geographic area; and

an actor entity system, located within the geographic area, that receives the legal document from the hub system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the area selector allows selection of a type of actor entity that will receive the legal document.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the area selector sets the geographic area based on a distance from a location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location is an address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the area selector sets the geographic area based on at least one of a range of longitude and a range of latitude.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one of a range of longitude and a range of latitude are set about a location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the location is an address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic area subsystem is part of the hub system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic area subsystem is part of the drafting entity system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the actor entity system is chosen from the group comprising:

a financial institution system and a law enforcement agency system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes an input/output for communicating data to and from the actor entity system, and to and from the drafting entity system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes a verification subsystem that checks data for completeness.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes an actor entity rule subsystem that checks the legal document based on rules of the actor entity system to receive the legal document.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes a duplication subsystem that determines whether the legal document is a duplicate.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes a search engine subsystem for accessing a service system outside the hub system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes an expiration system for monitoring expiration of the legal document.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the hub system includes a legal document type determinator.

20. The program product of claim 19, further comprising means for selecting a type of entity that will receive the legal document within the geographic area.

18. A method of communicating between entities that use legal documents, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a legal document on a first entity system;

setting a geographic area within which the legal document will be communicated;

communicating the legal document to a hub system; and

communicating the legal document from the hub system to a second entity within the geographic area.

19. A program product stored on a recordable medium, that when executed, comprises:

means for creating a legal document;

means for setting a geographic area within which the legal document will be delivered; and

means for communicating the legal document to a hub system.

21. A system for processing legal documentation between a drafting entity and an actor entity, the system comprising:

a hub system including;

a document preparation system for selecting a legal document and preparing the selected legal document for use, the document preparation system viewable on a client drafting entity system; and

a geographic area subsystem viewable on the client drafting entity system, the geographic area subsystem including;

an area selector for setting a geographic area within which an actor entity will receive the legal document;

an actor entity determinator to determine the existence of an actor entity within the geographic area; and

an actor entity system located within the geographic area that receives the legal document from the hub system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the hub system includes an input/output for communicating data to and from the actor entity system, and to and from the drafting entity system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the hub system includes an actor entity rule subsystem that checks the legal document based on rules of the actor entity system.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the hub system includes a duplication subsystem that determines whether the legal document is a duplicate.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the hub system includes a search engine subsystem for accessing at least one service system outside the hub system.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one service system is chosen from the group comprising:

a bankruptcy database service;

a government employee database service;

a real property database service;

a skip search database service; and

a law enforcement official database service.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the hub system includes an expiration system for monitoring expiration of the legal document.