Legal assistants, also called legal professionals or paralegals, assist lawyers and other law firms in handling administrative tasks. They also help with case preparations and trials to smoothen the function of any legal proceedings.
As the demands on legal specialists continuously grow, innovative solutions have become paramount, paving the way for the rise of legal virtual assistants (LVAs). With 65% of legal firms utilizing their services to streamline administrative and paralegal tasks, it has surpassed the 31.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2025.
However, what are the primary differences between a legal virtual assistant and a paralegal, and what measurable benefits do they offer law firms?
Heighten Work Flexibility and Scalability
Scalability and flexibility are vital for handling legal proceedings’ dynamic and often high-volume nature. From appointment booking and reminders to calendaring tasks, it is already challenging, starting with administrative tasks, where efficiency is key.
A paralegal helps provide a reliable in-office presence, ensuring that attorneys have hands-on and immediate assistance during work hours. Meanwhile, VAs are ideal for firms needing an on-demand, remote legal assistant as they are adaptable. They provide consistent scheduling and timely reminders and adjust their support capacity to match fluctuating needs, ensuring the efficiency of the proceeding.
Smoothen Client Communication
Communication is crucial in every law firm’s productivity as it builds a connection with the client and helps with the process of winning the case. A paralegal can handle in-person client interactions, office reception, and direct attorney-client communications, enabling personalization and developing trust.
While face-to-face transactions are beneficial, many legal firms opt for virtual assistants to remotely manage calls, emails, and messages. LVAs are valuable for companies seeking to offer 24/7 coverage to their clients, as they can communicate with clients even during busy periods and without geographical limitations.
Handle Sales Outreach and Lead Generation
Generating leads is one of the non-billable legal tasks that legal assistants can perform. It is one of the significant factors that attorneys and legal companies must prioritize to obtain more clients and keep the business going. With a legal professional’s assistance, they offer networking efforts and attend legal events or community outreach programs, building client relationships through in-person meetings.
For law firms wanting to expedite the process and utilize digitalization, an online virtual assistant is a suitable option to consider. LVAs help improve the attorney or the law firm’s digital presence by optimizing its website and social media profiles. Furthermore, LVAs also conduct online content scheduling from email, content, social media, and PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketing to help law firms generate leads remotely.
Manage Legal Projects
Legal Project Management (LPM) is a must-have and innovative approach for law firms. It boosts efficiency and productivity, allocates resources, and manages risks, further streamlining workflows. These factors are important to improving areas that need addressing, embracing innovations, and gaining a competitive advantage.
Professional legal assistants ensure proper handling of physical documents, file organization, and in-office project coordination. These professionals also adopt modern technology for backup.
For law firms seeking to embrace more technological advancement, legal VAs are here to the rescue. These professionals help by:
- Holding online filing assistance to assisting clients with online court filings and submissions,
- Conducting digital document authentication to guarantee all documents are legally verified for compliance with legitimate electronic signature laws, and
- Using cloud-based platforms to manage documentation, client billing, and bookkeeping, ensure all files are protected and distributed to the right individuals.
Enhance Efficiency and Productivity
With various dynamics in the law industry, efficiency and productivity are vital for every lawyer and law company. Paralegals have been in the industry over the years, assisting in documentation and handling legal administrative tasks, such as:
- Indexing court documents
- Conducting legal research
- Managing cases
Likewise, these tasks can also be delegated to virtual legal assistants. Their difference from paralegals is they work remotely and use high-end security cloud-based software and encrypted communication channels to minimize unnecessary workloads. Moreover, LVAs execute cybersecurity oversight, implementing and maintaining cybersecurity procedures to guarantee the safety of all sensitive information in the virtual environment.
Cost-Effectiveness and Service Quality
Most legal assistants’ annual salaries range from $38,000 to $66,500 annually. They are highly ideal for law firms needing an in-house employee.
On the other hand, legal virtual assistants commonly range from a monthly rate of $348.56 to $1,049.23 and above, which may vary depending on the tasks delegated and vice versa. LVAs are perfect for companies seeking for cost-effective ways to enhance their legal proceedings and maximize their time efficiently. By hiring LVAs, law firms can have fewer expenses, excluding the need for office space, benefits, taxes, and equipment.
Improve Work-Life Balance for Legal Professionals
The job nature of lawyers and other individuals working in law firms involves numerous stressors. From conducting case strategy amidst complex regulatory changes to the pressure of winning cases, it is a daunting industry that is enough to exhaust an individual.
To prevent burnout, paralegals are here to the rescue as they help smoothen daily operations in a traditional setting so that attorneys can focus on their cases. On the contrary, LVAs have a broader range of remote responsibilities, combining legal support with administrative and operational tasks beyond working hours. LVAs can tend to their clients even if it is midnight, lure new ones, and get the job done, minimizing the workload of lawyers.
Choose The Right Legal Virtual Assistant with OVA Virtual
Attorneys and other law practitioners can benefit from paralegals and legal virtual assistants. They can provide stability, flexibility, security, and optimization to expedite the process of law proceedings for their clients. It is just a matter of whether you need an in-house and traditional assistant or a legal virtual assistant.
If you opt for a legal virtual assistant, look no further than OVA Virtual. We are one of the best VA companies in the Philippines, renowned for our all-female firm, which began in 2017. Our dedicated VAs can cater to our clients’ needs and even upscale efforts with their robust work ethic, outstanding expertise, and broad work experience.
To choose the best fit for your needs, visit our official website and let us win every legal case for your clients together.