The Alternative to Hourly Billing: Virtual Paralegals
According to a recent survey by Altman Weil, law firms have reported an overall average increase in rate of 3.2% in 2010. This is contradicting if their clients are expecting them to reduce or freeze their rates for the coming year. However, law firms believe the standard increase is necessary to balance their own business. Virtual paralegals are the ultimate alternative to hourly billing because they help to reduce the overhead costs for law departments as they eliminate the need for: training, employee insurance, benefits, superannuation, workers compensation, taxation, sick leave, personal leave, holiday leave, maternity leave, parental leave, coffee breaks or any other costs which are incurred by employing full-time or part-time staff. A virtual paralegal is a paralegal that is independently contracted by a lawyer or law firm to provide paralegal support services on an as needed basis. They communicate with their clients with the use of technology such as the internet, e-mail, fax and remote access systems. An attorney may ask a virtual corporate paralegal to draft an article of incorporation, by-laws and organize company records whereas; a bankruptcy attorney may ask a virtual paralegal to draft petitions. Using a virtual paralegal is a highly efficient, economical way for solo practitioners, small law firms and in-house legal departments to keep their legal budget under control, while maintaining the excellent service demanded by their clients from their legal practice. Disclaimer: Article submitters are solely responsible for the content of their articles. ArtiLib can't be held liable for the contents of the articles. Report Abuse | Browse By Category |
| Contact ArtiLib| Privacy Policy| Terms of Service |