All You Need To Know About Freelance Paralegal

Like any other profession, individuals who have already experienced working in a law firm for a couple of years begin to be a freelance paralegal for a variety of reasons. A lot of them say that they get the advantage of having a flexible schedule because they owe their time and they do not have an immediate boss who will lord it over them. In other words, their very selves are their direct supervisors.

A freelance paralegal as defined by the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) is just the same with a traditional legal assistant who is retained on an as- needed basis by their director be it a lawyer or manager, depending on the nature of work. He or she should have undergone formal schooling and have been trained to execute loads of in the field of law.

You may have heard of an independent paralegal who is referred to as a forms practitioner or document preparer. There is actually a huge disparity between them and a freelance paralegal. This is because they continue their tasks sans an attorney overseeing them. Most of the time, it is not considered as legally substantive but clerical in scope. It is also delivered immediately to the customer or client.

In the new millennium, freelance paralegal work has taken shape in many successful grounds be it in the corporate jungle, business world or legal arena. It does not mean that when you are tied up in the study of judicial process in your college years, you will exclusively end up in such. There are actually plenty of other avenues such as: - Developed companies who feature performing an administrative work and at the same moment, train employees for them to have an actual practice themselves. - Partnership dealing who offer diversity of services such as legal typing, court assistance and many others. It would be best if they are accredited with the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), if they are based in the United States, for a board verification of their career. - Disparate environments like becoming a software salesperson, computer instructor or academic professor can be your job description. Another is that you will be assigned in a placement firm where you will screen those who would apply.

However, it is not just as simple as what you think it is for it is also coupled with several responsibilities to the paralegal profession, to the lawyers as your boss and to the lawyer clients who you will also be closely working with. You are also required to comply with taxation laws, federal regulations and commerce laws. What usually happens is that the time you spend in your work is also the same as that of a legitimate attorney.

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Paralegals: Working in the Law Field Without a Law Degree

Paralegals help lawyers prepare for trials, do client interviews, assist in hearings and closings, perform legal research, prepare legal arguments, draft pleadings and motions, obtain affidavits and assist during trials.

California Definition:
Paralegal is a person who either contracts with or is employed by an attorney, law firm, corporation, governmental agency, or other entity and who performs substantial legal work under the direction and supervision of an active members of the State Bar of California, as defined in Section 6060, or an attorney practicing law in the federal courts of this state, that has been specifically delegated by the attorney to him or her. Tasks performed by a paralegal include, but are not limited to, case planning, development and management; legal research; interviewing clients; fact gathering and retrieving information; drafting and analyzing legal documents; collecting, compiling, and utilizing technical information to make an independent decision and recommendation to the supervising attorney; and representing clients before a state or federal administrative agency if that representation is permitted by statute, court rule, or administrative rule or regulation.

Find descriptions from other states at http://www.paralegals.org

Education Requirements:
2 year associates degree in paralegal studies or
4 year bachelor's degree plus paralegal certification

Skills Needed:
Good research abilities, investigative and organizational skills, understanding of legal terminology, knowledge of legal software applications

Certification:
National Federation of Paralegal Associations: www.paralegals.org

Job Opportunities:
70% of paralegals work for private law firms, a small percentage free lance and the rest work for the government

Income:
Starting salaries are $25,000 to $79,000 per year based on education, training, and experience. The average in 2004 was $39,000.
Other salary factors include location and size of the office. The US federal government starts at $59,370 per year.

Resources:
US Department of Labor: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos114.htm
Paralegal Education: www.aafpe.org
Paralegal Organization: www.paralegals.org
ABA Directory of Accredited Schools: www.abanet.org/legalservices/paralegals/directory/

Find out how you can enter this exciting field at Paralegal Information!

Pat Schraier is a web site designer and owner of Way Out West Products, Inc. Paralegal Resources at Internet University Degrees

Important Paralegal Services

Paralegals are legal assistants who spend most of their time helping to manage the massive paperwork generated by legal proceedings. Paralegals file, sort, index, photocopy, and draft legal documents. They may also hold hearings and interview witnesses. Most entry-level paralegals should have a bachelor?s degree, and additional certification may increase employment opportunities. The duties of a paralegal depend on the firm for which the paralegal works and the educational training and experience of the paralegal.

Many of the paralegal?s services are performed directly for the benefit of a lawyer, businessperson, or government employee. These services assist the employer with his or her duties. A paralegal may also work directly with the lawyer?s clients, drafting necessary contracts and paperwork. Some paralegals, however, provide legal services for people who cannot afford full legal services. Typical paralegal services include preparing all types of court documents, planning finances, including estates with will and trust plans, and corporate services.

Paralegals prepare a number of court documents, such as motions, briefs, and depositions. Motions petition the trial judge for particular rulings favorable to the lawyer?s team. Briefs are reports that describe and support the motion. Depositions consist of interviews of witnesses before the trial begins. All these documents must be indexed and organized, and often must be entered into a computer, by the paralegal.

With proper training, paralegals may draft wills and trusts, separation agreements, and mortgages. Paralegal services may extend into real estate by helping prepare tax returns and planning estates.

Paralegals with more business training working in a corporate environment may help handle bankruptcies filings, shareholder agreements, stock option plans, benefit plans, or tax returns. Some may keep finance records for the law firm. Others may help oversee business contracts.

Since paralegal services often involve paperwork, it is critical that a paralegal also be experienced in organizing and sorting information, as well as conducting research and interviews. Additional training in all these skills is available at colleges, universities, and online training programs.
 

What Can You Expect If You Land A Paralegal Job

Paralegals work in a wide variety of areas – from law firms to government offices, from trade unions to the armed forces, construction companies, accounting and engineering firms – in fact, anywhere that law-related work is performed, paralegals will almost certainly be employed. Paralegals working in the private sector are commonly employed by law firms and corporations. In large commercial law firms, a paralegal will assist with legal transaction or litigation cases, where they are responsible for organizing, copying, and tracking legal documents. Paralegals may be involved in specialized areas of the law, such as conveyancing, probate, matrimonial law or family law. A paralegal working in commerce may work in a variety of fields such as in the financial sector, banks, building societies or insurance companies. In the public sector, paralegals are employed by non-profit public law firms, government departments, local authorities, health care authorities, and the Police or Social Services. The duties of the paralegal will vary according to where they work. For example, in public sector, paralegals are more likely to be called upon to give advice to the public or work with clients in some fashion.

No matter where a paralegal works, there are several qualities and skills which a good paralegal will have. A paralegal should have excellent language, organizational and time management skills, with the ability to work concurrently on a variety of tasks. They should be able to work accurately and attentively, be able to work independently, and have the ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines. Good technical knowledge is also a must, as the use of computers, software packages and databases have become central to the storage and organization of legal documents. Paralegals may be required to organize information in databases, use software to track time billed to clients, or use software packages to compute financial information. A good paralegal will also be courteous, professional, and discreet, and have high ethical standards.

At the moment, the profession of paralegal is unregulated in the UK, and there is no commonly accepted or recognized way in which you can become a paralegal. Strictly speaking, you don’t need any formal qualifications, but of course they do help, especially if you don’t have much work experience. Many young Law graduates work as paralegals for a time, to gain some experience, with the hope of being offered a training contract. Alternatively, some paralegals working in specific law fields have other specialist education – for example, a paralegal working in commerce may have been educated as an accountant or have previously worked in tax preparation before becoming a paralegal.

Robert Proctor is part of Legal Week Jobs, a website specialising in legal jobs and recruitment including gradute, legal secretary, solicitor & paralegal jobs.

For more information please visit http://www.legalweekjobs.com