Paralegals or legal assistants may perform many of the functions
performed by attorneys when they work directly under their direction
and do some of the functions performed by attorneys when they work
independently, but as such, they cannot create new legal documents
if they are not under the direct supervision of an attorney. In
addition, the paralegal is not allowed to give legal advice or to
represent a client in court.
A lawyer, who studies an average of 7 to 8 years charges much more
for his services than an independent paralegal who studies an
average of 2 years.
So, who do I choose? It all depends on each case
individually. If what you need to do is fill out some documents,
whether a divorce, a will, an agreement, or even a bankruptcy, etc.,
You can request the assistance of a paralegal so that he can fill
out the appropriate forms and you could you save plenty of money.
Notwithstanding this, if the case is complex and it is necessary to
make legal decisions that could adversely affect if the decision
made is not the right one when filling out these documents, then it
is preferable and recommended to use the services of a lawyer since
what you could save on one side might become a lot more expensive on
the other.
Notwithstanding this, the independent paralegals can provide many
valuable services to clients that need them, though they have the
obligation to refer cases to an attorney when their legal advice or
intervention is necessary.
Although independent paralegals, also known as PIs, legal
technicians, form preparers, legal document assistants and legal
typists, may offer their services to all sectors of the community,
these tend mostly to help low-income people who cannot afford the
services of a lawyer because of their high fees.
Choosing between an independent paralegal and an attorney will
almost always depend on your economic situation and that if you need
advice / legal representation or not.
