Being a solo attorney is no small feat. Yes, you are your own boss and you do call your own shots. However, that also means that you do everything from making phone calls, paying the bills, endless paperwork, bookkeeping and marketing yourself. It’s a high order. While it is possible to do it all yourself, it can get overwhelming. Many solo attorneys do not hire someone to help them with the bookkeeping and administrative tasks right away because the overhead and cost is too high. With virtual paralegals, that problem goes away.
Virtual Paralegal Services (VPS) is different from other outsourcing and staffing options in that this team is entirely composed of senior-level paralegals. This makes it easier to communicate what you need done and how you want it done. It also removes the need to train someone or explain lawyer terms.
VPS is cost-efficient. At the start of a solo venture, you may not want to shell out the money to pay someone to sit in-office. With VPS, the pricing is determined by the quarter hour and varies with each project. The estimated price will be told to you before you begin working with VPS. This will allow you to budget accordingly.
VPS allows you to maintain your independence. You work alone for a reason. You like the independence. You like many of the administrative tasks that come along with being the sole person that runs your business. But sometimes there just isn’t enough time. If you take on a particular case that requires extensive research and paperwork as well as client meetings and preparation, you could start feeling overwhelmed and putting in too many hours. This will affect your performance in the long run. For especially involved cases, it is beneficial to hire a virtual paralegal. You will be able to hand the administrative tasks to a senior-level paralegal while you work on the lawyering aspects of the case. Because VPS uses a virtual workspace that allows you and your paralegal to share documents, files, messages and research, you can rest assured that everything is being done right. You have constant access to what your paralegal is working on, and you can send him/ her tasks as they come. The best part is, your space is still your space. Your paralegal will develop a professional relationship with you so that he/ she may be better able to access your needs and how you like to work. However, your virtual paralegal will not need to step into your office; everything can be done quickly and effectively with the virtual workspace.
Being the sole person running your business also means you can’t necessarily take a vacation with an easy mind. Once you work with a virtual paralegal services assistant, you develop a trusted relationship with each other, which means you can take a planned vacation without worrying about how it will affect your business.
Working as a solo attorney is a rewarding career and you may thrive on being your own go-to person. However, mistakes can be made. A little help here and there is extremely helpful for cross-checking facts and lightening the load every once in a while.