A growing trend amongst the paralegal field is that of the freelance paralegal, also called an independent paralegal or contract paralegal. Freelance paralegals are no different than a traditional paralegals besides not being employed by an attorney and a law office, corporate entity or government. Freelance paralegals are retained on a contractual as-needed basis by many supervising attorneys in these settings. They are classically trained and qualified to perform paralegal work similarly to traditional paralegals.
When did paralegals begin to operate independently? Paralegal training was scarce back in the late 1960s and 1970s and many non-lawyer practitioners learned to service clients through hands-on experience and applying that knowledge towards the legal self-help movement. This trend largely surfaced in California through legal aid attorneys who realized many of their prospective clients were the working poor who simply couldn’t afford legal services.
A legal self-help company, Nolo Press was founded in Northern California around that time and Nolo’s self-help books quickly gained popularity among independent paralegals across the country. One publication written by Ralph Warner, who co-founded Nolo Press wrote The Independent Paralegal’s Handbook, which provided guidelines for the formation independent paralegal businesses.
Freelance paralegal services are offered in the form of full service paralegal operated companies to a part-time, home-based solo operations.
Many companies are managed and administrated by paralegals with more than a decade of legal experience, who employ or retain paralegals on contract to conduct the day-to-day tasks for law firms and corporate legal departments.In many cases, paralegal partnerships are formed to offer a broader range of expertise to clients. Full time employed paralegals also operate on a contractual/freelance basis outside of their jobs.
Experienced freelance paralegals help overworked attorneys with many functions and get paid on an hourly basis. They can also provide legal assistance to individuals or families who can’t afford standard attorneys fees. For those with a solid amount of experience, freelancing is an excellent way to build a solid paralegal income working remotely from a home office.
Although paralegals cannot provide any legal advice, they can perform a number of money saving tasks for individuals and families, such as, help starting or completing legal forms, legal research and much more. Here are a few areas of law that paralegals can help individuals with as freelance paralegals:
- Bankruptcy
- Investments Gone Bad
- Entity Formation
- Business, Corporate
- Living Wills and Trusts
- Intellectual Property
- Collections/Judgments
- Tax Issues
- Personal Injury
The best way to retain a client is to draw up a contract citing what work will be performed, the period of time for completion and the cost. All of this information should be clearly stated in the contract before any services are rendered, or money exchanges hands. Ideally, freelance paralegals should possess a paralegal certification, and take the time to fully understand the legal issues of their clients.
Most paralegal associations and contract paralegals agree that many years of experience in the field should be acquired before taking on a career as a freelancer.
According to Bakke’s report, one anonymous paralegal said:
Those of us who freelance have usually had years of experience within the legal profession. [We] understand there is far more to being a legal secretary than answering phones and transcription and that paralegals are capable of much more than reviewing files and documents. We did not become freelancers on a wing and a prayer; we have to do what any service business must do—present with credibility and experience. We also know the limits of our skills and what a job really entails.
Freelancers should possess a solid financial and business plan in place before committing to contract work exclusively. Going into business is a completely different animal than carrying a job with a paralegal salary. Consulting an accountant to determine the setup of your business, whether working as a sole proprietor, in partnership with other paralegals, or by setting up a business entity.
If becoming a freelance paralegal sounds interesting to you, visit our page on how to become a paralegal for more information on your next steps.
