As we find ourselves on the other side of this pandemic, we are now seeing just how much of a lasting impact COVID-19 will have on our legal system. In almost all fields of employment, there has been an increase of people moving remote- permanently. According to Forbes.com, 61% of workers prefer to work fully remote, and “by 2025, an estimated 70% of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month”. This, in addition to already established advances in technology, has resulted in the rise of the virtual paralegal.
Simply put, a paralegal’s job is to assist attorneys by maintaining communication with clients, as well as helping them prepare for hearings, trials, and meetings. However, all of their work must be delegated and done under the supervision of a lawyer. As opposed to going to the lawyer’s desk and asking for assistance or clarification, as would be done in a traditional office, virtual paralegals communicate via work calls and email. As technology advances and the amount of knowledge available to clients increases, more and more people are demanding transparency. Prospective clients have multiple options and demand all work be done in a cost-efficient way. There is no need for them to pay a lawyer to do the “busy work” involved in a case when a paralegal can do the same tasks for a better price, while the lawyer works on the case itself. While the pandemic hit most areas of employment, lawyers and paralegals managed to come out still in high demand. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2028 will see a 12% increase in employment prospects for paralegals in comparison to 2018.
Employers benefit from hiring virtual paralegals, as opposed to traditional ones, because of how effective it is in reducing costs. Companies can pay paralegals on a case-to-case basis instead of a yearly salary. Not only does this allow them to only pay for the work they need, but they are also able to avoid paying for employee benefits. Culhane Meadows PLLC, located in Dallas, Texas, is one example of a law firm making the switch to employing solely virtual paralegals.
They are the largest national, full-service, women-owned law firm in the country with almost 70 partner-level attorneys. They are a “cloud-based firm”, and explained in an interview with Marcia Watson Wasserman for the American Bar Association, “As one of the largest cloud-based firms in the country, we do not employ any salaried paralegals and instead engage legal support resources under a variable cost approach to cut overhead and save money for our clients.” They are simply one of the many companies looking to save money while prioritizing their clients.
As with everything, working as a virtual paralegal has its pros and cons. Working remotely allows you to work from home as well as set your own hours. This gives you more time to spend with family while avoiding the commute and structure of an office. In addition, virtual paralegals working as independent contractors can work for more than one attorney, giving you both more work as well as some variety. Finally, you are able to decide which cases/jobs you take on, as opposed to working on anything assigned to you. However, working as a virtual paralegal also means that you will most likely not receive benefits, you will be required to do your own self-employment taxes, and you will have to work harder to combat growing competition.
While no one knows exactly what the future holds, it is clear that people enjoy working online, and companies will always look for ways to cut costs. What does the future of the paralegal look like to you?
By Madison Mikayelyan