Freelance Paralegal

Do You Dream of Becoming a Freelance Paralegal?

Do you dream of being your own boss some day? Do you love being a paralegal, but wish you had more job flexibility?

Perhaps you should consider becoming a freelance paralegal or an independent paralegal!

Before you take the plunge, however, it helps to have a more complete understanding of what freelancers do and what makes some people more successful than others.

Freelance paralegals contract with attorneys to complete specific paralegal services on a temporary basis. As a contractor, you set your own hours and fees. You work on a project by project basis, and may be working on projects for multiple attorneys at the same time.

Independent paralegals are similar to freelance paralegals, but their work is not supervised by an attorney. Instead, they usually help clients obtain and fill out standard legal forms like simple wills or bankruptcy forms.

Independent paralegals need to be very careful not to commit unauthorized practice of law, so they are generally limited to typing the forms with information provided by customers and giving instructions on how to file documents with the court.

When most paralegals think of freelancing, they envision working as a contractor. Thus, the rest of this article focuses on the benefits of becoming a freelance paralegal and who is most likely to find success following this route. (However, independent paralegals often enjoy the same benefits!) Also, don’t miss our tips on setting up shop.

Why Freelance?

More money!
As a freelance paralegal, you have the potential to make more than other paralegal professionals.

Flexible work!
Being a freelancer means you choose to work as much or as little as you want. You can also work from home (or practically anywhere you can set up a virtual office).

However, don't be fooled: in order to earn a significant income, you have to put in the hours. And as a contractor, you'll spend additional time networking and marketing your services in order to land clients.

What Types of Paralegals are Successful as Freelancers?

Freelancing has some great perks, but it's not for everyone. To judge whether you may have the right mindset for the job, consider the following questions.

1. Do you have a decent amount of paralegal experience to draw upon?
The most successful freelance paralegals are those with experience, particularly from law firms. Your product is your paralegal expertise, after all! In addition, the longer you have worked as a paralegal, the more industry contacts you have. These people know you and know what you are capable of. They will also be a great source for potential client leads.

2. Are you comfortable dealing with the financial responsibility of self employment?
As a freelance paralegal, particularly as you build your business, you may have times where you have a lot of work (and income) and slow periods (with little money coming in). Can you deal with that mentally?

3. Are you willing to deal with the added work to operate a business?
As a freelance paralegal running your own business, you will need to determine what type of legal structure fits your needs (i.e., sole proprietorship, LLC, and so on) and deal with any adminstrative duties that requires. In addition, you will be responsible for paying estimated federal and state taxes and social security. You will also need to secure your own health insurance and liability insurance. Finally, you'll need to maintain good financial and client records throughout the life of your business.

4. Are you comfortable working solo?
Many professionals who move from an office environment to the freelance world struggle with the transition. They miss the "buzz" of the office and the camraderie and casual interaction that goes along with it. Depending on your set-up, you may have less face-to-face dealings with co-workers and clients than previously. And while telephone, email, and instant messagin all allow you to get your work done, they are not the same as walking down the hall to ask a quick question of a colleague. Think about whether you see this as a good thing (an opportunity to be more efficient) or a bad thing (you can imagine yourself falling asleep at your desk because it's too quiet!).

Do you still want to take the leap? If so, good for you! Be sure to check out our tips on figuring out your charge rate and marketing your freelance paralegal business.

If not, remember there's a wide variety of paralegal jobs and settings to choose from. If you're feeling frustrated in your current position, search current paralegal job openings.

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