Freelance Paralegals

A freelance paralegal, sometimes referred to as a contract paralegal, is a paralegal who does not work as an employee for a law firm or company. He or she is an independent contractor who contracts to work for a law firm, government agency, non-profit, or other company for a specific project, case, or period of time.

If a law firm lands a huge case and needs extra help, but does not want to hire extra staff personnel, then they look toward freelance paralegals for help. Or when full-time paralegals at law firms need to take an extended absence, freelance paralegals are their to fill in because they have the knowledge and law experience that will make a more appropriate substitute than, for instance, an administrative temp who may not be familiar or comfortable in a legal environment. In addition, many solo law practitioners or new attorneys who are not yet able to hire a full-time paralegal may look toward contract paralegals for assistance.

A freelance paralegal often has years of experience before becoming essentially a paralegal for hire. Even though a paralegal may be an independent contractor, he or she must still be supervised by the attorney they contract with. An independent contracted paralegals still need to follow the rules of paralegalism, meaning they are still not able to present cases in court nor are they able to give any legal advice to clients.

Aside from several years of experience as a paralegal, a freelance paralegal should aim to achieve a Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)/Certified Paralegal (CP) or Registered Paralegal (RP) designation. The completion of the exams required to earn these titles will be helpful in showing prospective clients that you are a paralegal professional with the knowledge and experience to back it up.

Many freelance paralegals choose to specialize in a type of law so that their services will be geared toward specific clients. For instance, paralegals who specialize in litigation may choose to focus on primarily on patent infringement law. With a niche focus, these paralegals will be able to target their ideal client base.

Also, if a paralegal has a strong background in a particular industry, then he or she may choose to use that experience to carve out a niche for their freelance career. Many paralegals who have worked in the health industry as a licensed nurse may choose to transition to becoming a legal nurse consultant. As a legal nurse consultant, he or she will be able to use previous experience and market it to clients who need consultants with a background in medicine. Such a narrow specialization allows paralegals and consultants to charge more for their services.

A freelance paralegal has the potential to earn more than a paralegal who is employed at a law firm because he or she is able to charge more per hour. An experienced and highly skilled freelance paralegal may charge upwards to $75+/hour depending on their location. While an independent paralegal may earn more per hour, they are also responsible for all expenses that are incurred as an independent contractor. For instance, they will be responsible for their own insurance, taxes, office equipment, association dues, ongoing education, and other expenses. As a freelance paralegal you may also be required to travel often depending on what type of cases and law firms you choose to work with.

Starting a freelance paralegal business is the same as starting any type of business. You may find yourself working long hours and on the weekends for those first clients. It will help to have some capital reserved for the start-up phase so that you can pay your expenses while building up your book of business.

The additional amount that freelance paralegals charge helps to cover the additional expenses they incur as a small business owner. While there are additional expenses, many paralegals chose the entrepreneurial route because it also has a lot of advantages, such as working from home, working only with ideal clients, setting rates and hours, and so on.

If you are considering the transition into becoming a freelance paralegal, then consider interviewing other paralegals who have successfully made the move. Learning as much as you can before taking the plunge will help you to prepare.