What a Paralegal Does

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Paralegals are basically legal assistants. The simplest definition of a paralegal is provided by United Kingdom s National Association of Licensed Paralegals which says, a paralegal is a person who is educated and trained to perform legal tasks but who is not a qualified solicitor or barrister.

licensed paralegal assist lawyers in almost everything including court trials. They look into the case, investigate facts, build an argument and decide the plan of action. Even the legal documents required to file a lawsuit or pass a motion can be prepared by a paralegal. A paralegal is well aware of the laws and legal procedures of a country.

The work of a paralegal is vast. Within the realm of law itself, they have many options. They can specialize in family law, criminal law, real estate, litigation, immigration etc. However, they are not restricted to working in law firms even though 71% of paralegals do work in law firms. They can be found in any corporate organization working on employment plans, shareholder plans, securing loans for the organization, handling the finances and even overseeing certain projects.

Though paralegals are recognized in almost all countries now, there is a lot of ambiguity and non-consistency regarding the authority, salary, qualifications of a paralegal. In the USA, paralegals are legal assistants but in Ontario, Canada, they are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada and are considered as an official part of the legal system. This allows them to represent cases in the provincial offences court, small claims court and summary conviction criminal court but they are restricted to practice in certain areas such as family law which are only for lawyers.

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What is a licensed paralegal?

About:-licensed paralegal

A paralegal is a person who assists the attorneys in the delivery of legal services. A paralegal is also known as legal assistant. A paralegal should be qualified through education and training to perform substantive legal work. Substantive work of paralegal includes recognition, evaluation, organization, analysis, and communication of legal facts. Paralegal cannot represent a client. Attorneys are responsible for the legal work delegated to paralegals. The attorney is held responsible for ethical violations committed by a paralegal. Paralegals are members of national and local associations and they should follow the ethical codes of those associations.

licensed paralegal are of great assistance to attorneys in that they help the attorneys to prepare complex cases. They are prohibited from practicing law without license. Paralegals are not allowed to give legal advice. All work performed by the paralegals must be under the supervision of an attorney. Paralegals can conduct interviews and maintain general contact with the client. They can locate and interview witnesses and draft legal documents and pleadings. Paralegals can conduct legal research and attend court or administrative hearings and trials with the attorney.

Paralegals generally work with attorneys, judges, prosecutors and public defenders. They also work with corporations, banks, consumer organizations, finance companies, accounting firms, real estate agencies, advertising agencies, engineering firms, government agencies and insurance companies. Paralegal may work as freelancers in private practice. Paralegals can also specialize in special areas such as health care, family law, civil litigation, environmental protection, personal injury and criminal law.

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The Licensed Paralegal Advantage - When There is No Training Contract

About:-licensed paralegal

There is a decrease in the number of training contracts available and an increase in the number of Legal Practice Course (LPC) Graduates. Following the Banking collapse the number of LPC students doing paralegal work is increasing. Those who have not obtained training contracts might want to work as paralegals. Not just as a temporary career path but become freelance or career paralegals. However, even though they may have a law degree it doesn't necessarily mean they are able to carry out paralegal work without further training.

However, with a little bit of further training, paralegals have many options: they can be self employed freelancers doing what they love to do and giving them a work and home balance while working within the legal profession.

Becoming Licensed is the benchmark to prove not only that the individual has legal qualifications, but also experience, and has fulfilled the criteria laid down by the National Association of Licensed Paralegals to a high standard. A licensed paralegal has many options: he can work from home as a company Formation agent or can also work in the community and voluntary sector, can train newly appointed company and charity Trustees, and advise members of Committee on the new law updates. A Licensed paralegal can also work freelance and can perform tasks for members of the public as long as he does not offer legal advice.

He can also train Paralegal students, attend court, assist Counsel in civil and criminal matters, take witness statements and other instructions. He can attend immigration interviews on Solicitor 's instructions (but only if accredited). A paralegal can represent Solicitors in court at hearings, can become a police station representative after accreditation and can attend conferences in chambers and has a right of audience before a District Judge in chambers.

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