This article discusses what all a paralegal does. But, before you get an insight into the job of a paralegal; it would be better to know who a paralegal is.
A paralegal is a legal document assistant to a lawyer. He collects information, analyzes it, and presents the gist to the lawyer. He coordinates the client’s meeting and also attends corporate meetings on behalf of the lawyer. He does the research work of the cases for his employer. An attorney can employ him either on a case-to-case basis or regularly.
Let us now find about the duties, responsibilities, and work of a paralegal.
RESEARCH
Before entering the court for a trial, every lawyer must have all the facts and details of the case. If the lawyer himself will do the research work, he cannot handle more than a few cases at a time. To get some help, the lawyer also hire a paralegal for divorce or any other cases. A paralegal does all the research for him. He will collect data both from the client and from the relevant law books for his employer. This research would also consist of old case judgments and legal journals.
CASE PREPARATION
It is the job of the paralegal to prepare the basic formalities of the case. It will include communication with the opposite party, proper documentation, presentation of evidence, fulfilling routine court duties, and adhere to any legal information required.
DOCUMENTATION
Legal cases are all about documents. Behind every successful lawyer is his capacity for great documentation. A paralegal does documentation for his lawyer. He files all the necessary paperwork in the court of law, keeps a proper record of case timelines. He also releases proper documents to the clients on time. Also, he would see that all the documents are in reach as and when required by his attorney.
COURTROOM ASSISTANCE
A paralegal is of paramount assistance to an attorney in the court of law. Since he does all the research work, he gives his summarized data with a proper arrangement to his employer as and when required by him. To do so, he must be well organized in and out of his office. Also, he should have an eye for the details even in the court to catch the necessary nuances.
COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION
Empathy is a prerequisite for a person to be a paralegal. A person can be a good paralegal only if he has an eye for details and a good ear. A paralegal should be able to communicate well all the time. This communication can be either with his lawyer, with his clients, or with the opposite party. Good communications will smoothen up things for his employer. There will be better coordination among all the concerned parties. Coordination always speeds up the work and increases efficiency for all the parties concerned.
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