What is a Paralegal and Why Should I Care If My Law Firm Has One?
A paralegal is a professional who assists lawyers in various legal tasks. They work under the supervision of a lawyer and provide support in areas such as document preparation, research, and case management. Some of the specific duties of a paralegal may include conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, organizing case files, interviewing clients and witnesses, assisting with court filings, assisting in court logistics, and other administrative tasks.
Paralegals can work in a variety of settings, including law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. While the specific duties and responsibilities of a paralegal can vary depending on the employer and the area of law in which they specialize, they generally play an important role in helping lawyers to provide high-quality legal services to their clients at a lower cost to the customer.
It is often joked about, but accurately stated, that paralegals are the workhorses of a law firm.
Why should this matter to you?
Ultimately, a paralegal on staff saves you money on your legal fees in several ways.
First, they can assist lawyers with various simple but necessary tasks, which allows the lawyer to focus on the more complex legal issues and strategy in a case. This enables the attorney to bill their hourly rate only for things an attorney needs to have their brain and skills on.
Second, paralegals can handle many administrative tasks, such as document review, drafting legal documents, and organizing case files. This can save clients money because paralegals generally charge less per hour than attorneys.
Third, paralegals are trained to conduct legal research and stay up-to-date on legal developments. This means they can often find the information needed to resolve legal issues, answer questions, determine procedure, or quote case law in pleadings quickly and cost-effectively.
Overall, by working closely with lawyers and taking on many of the administrative and research tasks, paralegals can help to streamline legal processes and reduce costs for clients. Here at Gant Law, ethical billing is a matter of principle and pride for our whole team. In the best interest of our client’s financial well-being, we proudly employ two paralegals and plan to expand as demand allows. Our paralegals work hard to do any and all tasks ethically within their ability in order to reduce costs for our clients and free the attorneys to do what attorneys do best – look out for their client’s best interests and advocate strongly for their case.