How to become a
Paralegal – Education and Certification Helps
June 29th, 2006
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Paralegal
document preparation services |
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A paralegal,
sometimes called a legal assistant, is a person that helps prepare legal
documents usually on behalf of a lawyer. Sometimes a paralegal will
offer services to the general public. If the documents that need to be
filed with the courts are straight forward and simple, people will often
seek out paralegals as a way to save expenses on a lawyer that may not
be necessary.
Paralegals are
able to assist in helping to file for legal name changes, divorces and
other paperwork. Paralegals are not able to give legal counsel and are
not able to represent someone in court. They strictly help put together
the legal documents; if a legal case is complicated a lawyer is still
necessary.
Each paralegal
will have different skill levels; usually one that offers their services
to the general public is very knowledgeable on procedures that are
needed to file paperwork with the courts. If you are working for a
lawyer you can often be trained on the job, however, it could be
difficult to find a busy law office that is able to do on the job
training.
Most paralegals
will work for a law firm. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics note on
their website, approximately 7 out of 10 paralegals will work at a law
office. Paralegals will also work for a large corporation’s legal
department and also for the government.
The good news is
that paralegal services are a growing industry. Many businesses are
looking to use paralegal services rather than hiring a lawyer to save on
expenses. The average income for a paralegal is $39,130. Depending on
where you work, and your work experience will determine your income
level. The highest paid paralegals made a salary of $61,390.
You don’t
necessarily have to have a degree or certification to become a
paralegal; however the more knowledge that you have, the more work
opportunities will be made available to you. You will also have an
easier time managing in the busy day to day work load of a legal
office. Paralegals need to know procedure, not make mistakes and
complete paperwork preparation in a timely manner.
There are a wide
variety of paralegal courses that are available online. You can
complete some programs in as few as 8 weeks. Most online university and
junior colleges offer a 7 – 14 month program or an associate’s degree,
which is a two year college degree. There is even more extensive
training beyond that, which you can add to your resume as you progress
in your career as a paralegal. Most people that work as a paralegal
will have acquired an associated degree specifically for paralegal
services. In addition to a degree many paralegals will get
certification to insure that they good candidates for employment in this
field.
Training for a
career as a paralegal is very helpful. It will give you confidence when
you start the job and make it more likely that you will be able to
continue in this field. It could be completely overwhelming if you are
learning while you work as a paralegal.
Paralegals can
work for themselves and help lawyers on a part time basis. They can add
notary public services as part of their business. You can work from
home and help a number of small lawyer offices in completing the
paperwork as needed.
There are also
opportunities for a paralegal to work in a busy law firm that is
continually processing large amount of court documents. Paralegals at
busy law firms often are required to work long hours to meet deadlines.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Paralegal
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