Are you looking for legal assistance for your business or other areas but are not sure if it is a legal secretary or paralegal that you should be hiring?
There are differences between these two important team roles, so let’s look at those differences to help you with your selection.
Paralegal Vs Legal Secretary
As we just mentioned, both these roles are very important in the legal team. They do, in fact, have some overlapping tasks.
Paralegal Team Member
A paralegal team member will need some legal knowledge as they act as the knowledge and research arm of a lawyer. They will also assist with preparing facts, evidence, file-related precedents and statements for a lawyer’s court appearances.
Paralegals don’t only work at law firms; they can seek employment in the court system or corporate legal departments.
High-Level Overview Of Paralegal Duties
It is important to clarify that while paralegals work in legal departments, they are not lawyers. Their tasks are prescribed by qualified lawyers.
A paralegal may not give independent legal advice, but they can meet clients and provide feedback summarised reports to an appointed lawyer.
A significant part of a paralegal team member’s daily work, under instruction from a lawyer, is:
- Research
- Legal document drafts
- Preparing evidence and arguments (court)
- Testimony synopsis
- Working on general litigation, debt collections, estate planning or conveyancing
Paralegals have a short study period compared to lawyers, with five-month diploma courses plus practical experience, e.g. Deeds office and Magistrates Courts.
A paralegal course will include:
- Debt Collecting and Civil Litigation
- Legal Writing
- Family Law and Divorce
- Labour Law
- Family Court Practice
- Wills & Estates
The hands-on experience could include:
- Civil & Criminal Magistrates’ Court observations
- Divorce court observation
- Job shadowing
- Moot court preparations
- Drafting of legal documents
- Law firm experience
Legal Secretary
Legal secretaries are more client-facing than paralegals and have a very different role in the company.
They are frequently the first contact point for a client seeking a legal professional. They are in charge of filtering who gets into contact with the lawyer (whom they are assisting), as well as the lawyer’s admin and making sure things generally run smoothly.
High-Level Overview Of Legal Secretary’s Duties
In addition to having a good grasp of legal knowledge, a legal secretary needs to be highly computer competent and have strong organisational skills. As they are tasked with managing and updating all the legal records, their accuracy and fastidiousness are vital for the avoidance of legal mishaps. Additional duties could include:
- Telephone duties
- Client relationships facilitation
- Diary management
- Checking and revising legal documents
- Personal tasks for the professional, e.g. booking personal trips and arranging family gifts
Study subjects will include:
- Office Practice
- Data Processing
- Communication requirements
- Mercantile Law
- Office Practice
- Legal Practice
This comprehensive look at the two roles should help you understand exactly what role you need to be temp-hiring for your practice or company!
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