Can Paralegals Work From Home and Who Is Hiring?

Recently I got a four-year degree as a paralegal and began looking for work. Since I was constrained to work from home, I researched for various options and different firms who were hiring.

So can paralegals work from home and with whom? A qualified paralegal with recognized certification can easily work from home. In fact that is one of the most attractive facets of this profession. Virtual paralegals are on the rise since it works out good for them as well as the hiring companies. With online job opportunities galore, more and more law as well as non-law firms are looking for virtual paralegals.

My research led me to a more thorough understanding of what my chosen profession required of me and what I could expect working from home. Read on to find out in detail all about working as a virtual paralegal.

What does it mean to be a virtual paralegal?

Who is a paralegal?

According to the American Bar Association (ABA), a paralegal is defined as “A person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work for which a lawyer is responsible.” In other words, one has to get a degree in paralegal studies and gain knowledge of the law in order to be able to assist lawyers. However, they are not allowed to function on their own and must necessarily be under the supervision of lawyers. They cannot dispense legal advice to individuals or companies.

The job description of a virtual paralegal

As a qualified paralegal one may choose to work from home or on-site for a law firm or any other organization. You will be handling various duties in your job from documentation to briefing. Here is an expansive list of various roles that a paralegal has to do. One has to keep in mind, however, that you may be excellent as a paralegal but you will always have to work under the supervision of a lawyer in your job.

Draft legal documents.
Prepare retainers.
Interview clients.
Take up administrative roles.
Do legal research.
Presentations.
Record witness statements.
Present applications to judges.
Help in pleadings and motions.
Manage case files.
Draft agreements.

Requirements to work as a paralegal from home

Educational requirements. There are two-year certificate and four-year degree courses on offer at various colleges and universities for paralegal programs. However, more and more firms now prefer candidates with a degree course behind them. You can go for a Paralegal Certificate or a Postgraduate Paralegal Certificate or Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. You can further your cause by specializing in a particular arm of law and increase your chances of a plum placement.
Set-up requirements. Very basic readiness is required to set up your work space from home as a virtual paralegal. All you need is a computer or a laptop, a working internet connection, a phone, and comfortable seating arrangements. With a designated corner in your home that is well lit and away from the sounds and disturbances one can expect in a normal home, you are all set.
Character requirements. You need to be patient, hardworking, thorough, dependable and professional in your approach. You must be able to handle pressure well. Great communication skills are required to do well as a paralegal since you will need to interact with various parties during a particular case. In addition to these qualities, it is essential to honour data security policies for the company you are working with. As part of the nature of your job, you will come across sensitive data regarding clients that needs to be kept secret. This is something you must be able to do in order to gain respect and credibility in your career as a paralegal.

Hiring of Work from Home Paralegals

Being a virtual paralegal works for both the persons concerned as well as the company they work for. Many youngsters trained as paralegals now prefer to begin working from home so that they not only get to be with their young family but also gain valuable experience in the process. This helps immensely when they pitch for an in-house position with some firm. However, sometimes it works the other way too in that companies prefer to work with virtual paralegals who already have some experience or good referrals behind them. One should work on creating solid references to boost one’s credentials as a trusted paralegal that can be entrusted with work from home.

The hiring company benefits too from engaging with virtual paralegals. Virtual paralegals cut down on overhead costs of having a full-time employee on board. They also save hugely on attorney fees. In addition, there are no employee benefits to be taken into consideration. This includes no medical benefits or overtime to be paid to freelance and virtual paralegals as opposed to having someone on the rolls. Last and definitely not the least, they make money by billing clients for entire costs while paying virtual paralegals on a contract basis.

14 Types of Companies that Hire Virtual Paralegals?

Law is something that governs every aspect of our lives. Be it a government organization, a non-profit organization or a law firm, everyone needs legal advice and in turn, paralegals. Increasingly companies are waking up to the advantages of hiring virtual paralegals. In terms of convenience as well as cost savings, it works out well for them.

Law firms hiring paralegals.As outlined earlier, law firms profit most by engaging the services of paralegals. For virtual paralegal work, one needs to search online for companies hiring virtual assistants. There are multiple job portals that offer openings for paralegals to work online. One could look at sites like Virtual Vocations, Virtual Gal Friday and Virtual Paralegal Pros and hundreds of others for job roles such as:
Administrative Assistant.As a paralegal attached to a law firm, especially the bigger ones with huge client bases, taking care of administrative duties is one of the most important services to do. From managing paperwork to attending phone calls and scheduling meetings of attorneys, everything comes under the purview.
Executive Assistant.This job involves having to draft documents and prepare retainers for their customers under guidance of a lawyer.
Legal Researcher. This is a crucial part of any case that a lawyer may plan to undertake on behalf of his client. A thorough background check of the case and legal history as well as precedent is done by the paralegal before the lawyer can build his case.
Labour Paralegal.You need to have thorough understanding of labour laws as well as company laws in order to assist as a paralegal in such jobs. You might have to work for employers as well as employees. Competence in communicating with worker unions during strikes and unrest as well as resolving insurance issues are some of the requirements of this job.
Litigation Paralegal.Working closely with trial attorneys is the basic requirement of this job. Along with routine duties like paperwork and court filings, they are also required to help in witness preparation. They need to be with the lawyers from the beginning to end of a case.
Non law firm jobs hiring paralegals. Surprisingly large numbers of non law firms hire paralegals. Let us look at some of the choices:
Real estate paralegals.These companies need paralegals to draft contracts, insurance policies and environmental clearance reports among many others. Paralegals need to be aware of housing laws and rules to protect customers from frauds.
NGO paralegals.As varied as the cases that come up with NGOs so is the job profile. It might be something as simple as providing legal access to the less unfortunate, and go right up to environmental violation lawsuits launched by citizens against some big corporation. Helping people with legal issues from all walks of life is a big fillip to oneself.
Nursing paralegals. Medical insurance companies need paralegals in a big way. With a nursing background, one is equipped with medical knowledge that helps in this field. This is a relatively new branch of non law paralegal jobs that is slowly gaining currency. You need to be thorough with healthcare laws. Knowledge of malpractice suits will help here.
Government paralegals. Central as well as state governments require legal services and employ paralegals to sort out their tangles. Every arm of the government needs help with legal issues. Depending on what department of government you find yourself associated with, the details of your job description will vary. Working with government might mean imparting training as well as be involved in community outreach programs.
Judicial paralegals.This job can be treated as a stepping stone to law school as one gets to directly associate with judges on high profile cases in this capacity. Equipped with the basic requirements of paralegals and working parallel on a law degree while working closely with judges gives you the edge towards the next big step.
Corporate paralegals. Corporate law is a highly complicated area of expertise and they are forever on the lookout for efficient paralegals to assist them. You need to work in tandem with HR, finance and tax laws of the companies involved in conflict, in order to help with such situations. As competition increases so do frictions and a career in this field can be highly satisfactory.
Public defender paralegals.For people with a liking for criminal law, these paralegals help put together paperwork for public defenders, complete forms and maintain case files, among other duties. They need good communication skills to network with clients, lawyers, forensics and law enforcement.

Background Checks Companies Perform While Hiring Virtual Paralegals

Companies put every applicant for a virtual paralegal position through some checks to ensure they have the best candidate for the job. We are outlining some of the important points here to help you with preparedness.

Your credentials. Remember that any hiring company will look into your resume in great detail to know how well you fit in with company requirements. Your education, degrees, experience, and referrals will all play a role in them taking the final decision.
Fee negotiation. It is desired that you be very clear about your expectations and are in agreement with the terms and fees of the contract with the company you are into talks with.
Availability. You need to convey to the company that you are available to put in the number of hours required in order to finish goals set by them. In return, you can bargain for flexibility of working hours since you will be working from home.
Stress on a confidentiality clause.As mentioned earlier during the course of your job you will have access to confidential client information which needs to remain secure. This is a crucial clause you must essentially follow in line with company requirements. Deviation from this might invite strict action and even cancellation of your contract with the company you are working for.
Adequate home set-up. You have to assure them that your workplace at home is fully equipped with computer, software support, internet access, phone and antivirus protection in order to be able to work long spells.
Communication channel. Given that you will be a remote worker, the company needs to be convinced about different ways to get in touch with you whether by phone, E-mail or texting.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Working from Home as a Paralegal

Advantages

You get to work from home with all the flexibility that this offers.
You are part of the legal system without having to study as hard as a lawyer needs to.
It is a fairly well-paying job considering you have the freedom to choose your hours and the amount of work you take up.
Each case is unique and brings in a fresh challenge. You will not bore of it easily.
You can work for different clients at the same time adding variety to your work.
You get to help people in your own way.
You are at home and around your family at all times.
Working in an informal setting, even in pyjamas, is completely ok.

Disadvantages

Since you are working remotely, you are not entitled to any employee benefits.
You will be paying your own taxes including self-employment tax.
More and more people are opting for this job making it a highly competitive field.
You might be required to work for very long hours.
There is a chance of monotony settling in, over the long run leading to depression.
One has to contend with all the hassles that working from home entails. Any problem with your computer or such has to be handled and sorted out on your own.
With kids and family around, it can be difficult to find alone time to work peacefully.

Questions on Working from Home Paralegal Work

How much are you expected to earn? It is estimated that a virtual paralegal would earn almost as much as someone working in-house. In fact one of the biggest advantages of working from home on this job means that you can take up more work depending on your schedule. This immediately means more gains monetarily. You can work in tandem with other virtual paralegals too, thus easing the work load individually while creating more chances to earn. One may hope to earn anywhere from $16,000 to $38,000 for the more experienced paralegals.

What kinds of hours are to be put in?Here again, the flexibility that working from home provides becomes a plus for you. Normal working hours are expected to be put in equivalent to in-house paralegals, but you can take up more work depending on the work flow and how you are placed at home. Freelancers find it easier to be more flexible on the hours they put in. Normally virtual paralegals are needed to stay at home but in some cases, they might be required to be present in court.

What are some downsides of virtual paralegal work?Since you are not a regular employee, you will be deprived of employee benefits. There is not much scope of vacations or leaves here. The entire set up including computers, connectivity and other support is yours. There can sometimes be a feeling of isolation caused by working long hours at home on your own. Alternatively there is also possibility of too many disturbances in the home setting. You need to plan your work well to help with this.

Having faced doubts and queries when I started off as a work-from-home paralegal, I did a lot of study into this. These are my observations over time and they are sure to help you find work that matches your profile.