How Even Part-Time Access to a Paralegal Will Benefit Your Law Practice
When you start out in the practice of law or decide to strike out on your own, you’ll be wearing a lot of hats. You’ll be meeting with clients, managing the business aspects of your practice, preparing your own documents, and conducting your own legal research. You may not have the revenue base to hire an associate or office assistant full-time and may find yourself struggling to get everything done in a timely manner. The services of a paralegal, for even a few hours a week, can help.
What Are Paralegal Services?
There’s a common misperception that a paralegal is a person with the same skills and experience as an attorney but who either hasn’t graduated from law school or hasn’t passed the bar. While paralegals are trained to handle many of the same tasks that lawyers do, they cannot offer legal advice and cannot represent individuals in any legal matter. So what does a paralegal do?
Services Commonly Offered by Paralegals
Paralegals generally serve as legal assistants capable of handling a wide range of tasks, including:
- Conducting legal research
- Preparing a wide range of legal documents, including pleadings, briefs, and correspondence
- Interviewing or corresponding with clients to gather facts and documents
- Investigating claims, including locating and interviewing witnesses
- Summarizing discovery, including documents, depositions, testimony, and interrogatories
How Can a Paralegal Help Build Your Law Practice?
The most important thing a skilled paralegal can do is free up your time so you can address the most pressing matters. Of course, it’s always a cost-benefit analysis, but if you can bill a client for the paralegal’s work at a significantly higher rate than you pay the paralegal, it’s to your benefit to have the paralegal handle the more mundane or routine aspects of your practice.
A skilled paralegal can also help you acquaint yourself with new areas of the law, giving you a summary of key issues and legal principles, so that you don’t have to spend hours learning the fundamentals from scratch.
A paralegal can also give your clients greater confidence in your representation. While clients typically want to deal with you directly, and will want to know that you are personally handling their case, they’ll also appreciate that you have another person helping to make certain that their legal issues are being fully addressed.
The Legal Café—Shared Office Space for Attorneys
At The Legal Café, conceived and created by practicing lawyers, we know what you need to operate and grow a successful practice. We provide:
- Attractive conference rooms for private client meetings or videoconferences
- Functional workspace with access to high-speed internet
- A receptionist to greet your clients and attend to their needs
- Access to copy, printing, mail, and delivery services
- A selection of gourmet coffees and light food offerings
We can also connect you with paralegal services.
We offer a range of membership plans, so you can sign up for the level of access and usage that fits your needs, your practice, and your budget. We know from experience that legal controversies can arise at any time. We offer daily “hot seats” at an extra charge, allowing you to use The Legal Café on a first-come, first-served basis.
As a member of The Legal Café, you’ll have the right to use our customized lead-generation app, where you can :
- View potential leads;
- Purchase those leads that fit your skills and practice; and
- Track your leads, including how many actually become clients.
The Legal Café—A Great Fit for Your Practice
Looking for affordable office space for a startup law practice? Need some space in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on a temporary basis? The Legal Café can help meet all your needs. Stop by the Café at 114 Main Street, have a cup of coffee, and find out more.