Are you getting the most out of your virtual paralegal?
If you’re reading this, you probably already know all about the benefits of having a virtual paralegal on your team. But what if we told you that it’s possible to make your virtual paralegal even more efficient – dare we say, seamless? Here are some benefits to consider:
- Creating a revenue stream without incurring additional expenses
- Accessing dependable and reliable assistance as needed to cover overflow, vacation, etc.
- No disruption to your practice for vacation, sick or other down time
- No responsibility for employment taxes, unemployment or worker’s compensation, benefits or other overhead liabilities
- No expenses for office space or equipment
- No fixed salary requirements
Sounds great, right? The trick is to find just the right paralegal services company that provides “big law” quality assistance with no retainer and who are always just an email or phone call away.
In the late 90’s, I was a paralegal coordinator at a “big law” firm with a corporate department of 200 lawyers with offices scattered over 14 floors. Except in a closing room or in the elevator, my team typically didn’t see the lawyers we worked for. Running a virtual paralegal service company feels similar. Our paralegals work for lawyers we usually never meet in person, except for a rare Zoom meeting – particularly in COVID times. Nevertheless, technology enables us to provide services that are just as seamless, proficient and accessible as those we delivered in that fourteen-floor law firm.
So, just how efficient can virtual paralegals make your practice? Well, that depends upon you.
Communication
A valuable virtual paralegal must have expertise and experience to hit the ground running, but perhaps more importantly, great communication is imperative. And, the foundation of great communication is rapid response time. Working virtually, a lawyer must know that their request is not lost in cyberspace or a mismanaged inbox. Velawcity paralegals are masters at rapid response. We strive to make our lawyers feel like they’re our only client, and that we’re always just an email or a call away.
Confidentiality and Security
As a Massachusetts-based company, we are held to strict personal information protections standards governed by 201 CMR 17. Therefore, we require all Velawcity paralegals to sign our Information Security Manual which governs security steps we take to protect both our clients and their clients. They include, but are not limited to:
- Any personal and sensitive information is encrypted, sent in password-protected emails, or via DocuSign
- All electronic devices are password-protected
- Emails containing personal information are always password-protected
When it comes to interviewing a virtual paralegal service provider, you may want to make sure that your provider uses paid versions of the following internet safety tools:
- Virus Protection
- Malware Protection
- VPNs
- Email encryption
- Collaboration and Document Sharing
- Business Associate Agreements for storing legal, financial, and healthcare data
- Data Back-Up
- Passwords on devices
Leveraging Technology
Technology presents numerous options for seamless and cost-effective collaboration with tools such as Dropbox for Business, Google Docs, Box.net, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Sharepoint, VPN/shared space. Velawcity prefers Dropbox for Business, but also uses Google Docs and Box.net.
In addition, there are several collaborative software platforms such as Clio, Deal Closer, ActiveCollab and many others.
DocuSign, HelloSign, Adobe Sign, Oh My!
Good riddance to the days of manual signatures and scanning! Using electronic signatures, executing documents is speedy and convenient, which allows you to delegate the task of collecting signatures from your clients so your time can be spent on substantive work. DocuSign is Velawcity’s preferred vendor because its interface is intuitive, and their reputation is well deserved.
Need More Reasons to Consider Hiring a Virtual Paralegal?
- More Profits. Our clients mark up our rates between $50 to $100 per hour
- More Productivity. Delegate work up to a 4th year associate level to our senior paralegals so you can spend your time on more substantive legal matters
- More Bandwidth. Increase your bandwidth without increasing your overhead
- More Focus. By delegating lower level workload, you can focus more on legal work or building your firm
- More Relaxation. Delegating work helps to achieve a better work-life balance
- More Resources. Establishing a working relationship with an on-demand paralegal services company provides resources on-demand, as needed to increase productivity and profits
- More Services. Using Velawcity enables you to access senior level paralegals with different areas of expertise, all available on-demand. Need a Trademark? Need Blue Sky research? Need transactional work? Contract review? Velawcity has you covered
Summary
The best part of working with Velawcity Legal Support Services is that you don’t need to fit into our model, we fit into yours. If you prefer that we use your letterhead, we use your letterhead. If you prefer that we use your firm’s email address, we do just that. If you prefer that we enter our time into your billing system, no problem. Velawcity provides on-demand support for virtual and traditional law offices. Contact us to learn more about how we can help to maximize operational efficiency and meet fluctuating client expectations.
More About Velawcity Legal Support Services
Velawcity Legal Support Services is an Alternative Legal Services Provider (ALSP) that provides competitive edge solutions to empower lawyers nationwide with high-quality, efficient and cost-effective paralegal services. Velawcity paralegals are virtual, on-demand senior paralegals, each with a minimum of fifteen years’ experience working in law firms and corporate legal departments. Whether you need a daily addition to your legal team, periodic paralegal support, quick research or assistance on a specific project, Velawcity Legal Support Services is your cost-effective, responsive team member.
