Paralegals can perform many of the services that lawyers perform, so long as they do so under the supervision of a lawyer and that the lawyer maintains responsibility for the work.
FIVE MYTHS ABOUT PARALEGALS:
MYTH #1. A Paralegal is an Attorney’s Secretary.
TRUTH: Paralegals and attorneys perform many similar duties, and their work product becomes a part of and is aligned with the attorney’s work product for the client.
MYTH # 2. Paralegals are Lawyers in Training.
TRUTH: Paralegal serve a different function than lawyers and their skills complement that of a lawyer e.g., paralegals usually know more about the procedural side of the law.
MYTH # 3. Paralegals can give legal advice.
TRUTH: While most paralegals know a lot about the law, we are not allowed to give legal advice, and a good paralegal would be wise to redirect these questions to a licensed attorney.
MYTH # 4. Paralegals know about every area of law.
TRUTH: Just like lawyers and attorneys, paralegals also have their own areas of specialization e.g., at Beyond Paralegals, LLC we specialize in corporate law, local government law, and civil litigation – we do not do criminal law.
MYTH # 5. Paralegals spend a lot of time in court.
TRUTH: Depending on the area of law, most paralegals do not spend much time in the court room.
To better understand how to utilize your Paralegal read: Model Standards and Guidelines for Utilization of Legal Assistants and Paralegals.
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