When I have a client in paralegal work from home, I find it’s hard not to get sidetracked. I like learning how to apply my legal knowledge in a fun and exciting manner. It’s like working in a fast-paced office, and it’s fun.
I love working from home because I can go for hours at a time. I don’t have to worry about a computer, so I don’t have to worry about my clients and their lawyers getting to know each other. Since my work is mostly legal, the work itself keeps me sane, and its kind of like a therapy session.
I get asked a lot by clients how they do their work at home, and it seems like there are a lot of variables to consider. I suppose I can answer in a few different ways. First, I am a lawyer. Second, I work in an office. Third, I have a computer. Fourth, I have a workstation. Fifth, I have my laptop. Sixth, I have my phone. Seventh, I have my iPad. Eighth, I have my desktop.
For those of you who are already aware of the various types of work I do, you know that I am a full-service paralegal. I provide legal services, but I also provide business advice, writing, administrative support, and a number of other legal services. I also manage my own office and work from home.
In this chapter, we’ve laid out the requirements for each of these types of work.
As most people know, paralegals are highly sought-after by both law firms and government agencies. The problem is, this is a pretty niche market and the work is highly specialized.
No matter what kind of work you do or if you have a job or are hired, you are not entitled to any of the benefits of the work you’re doing (which includes paying for legal costs, taxes, and other benefits). That means you’re not getting any of my advice, unless you actually want to get your business off the ground.
That’s not to say that it’s impossible to do paralegal work at home, but it is an area that can be very problematic. There are a lot of downsides, including the fact that you will probably have to work longer hours, pay overtime, and be more likely to be the victim of theft, break in, or just plain ol’ idiocy.
The fact of the matter is, most legal work is done outside the workplace. So if youre a paralegal working for a company, you will most likely have to work outside the workplace, often in the summer when work is done from home. There are some exceptions, but they require quite a bit of planning, and are usually pretty expensive. Most of my clients go into the work a little bit more carefully than this.
The good news, if you go into work in the summer you won’t have to wear a suit, you can wear a nice shirt and tie every day (even on vacation) and you’ll probably work better than most people outside of the office. The bad news is that your work conditions will be much, much worse. Your days will be very much like those of a bank teller or a janitor.