Paralegals and attorneys work together to responsibly manage your case from beginning to end. This includes correspondence with other attorneys and their staff in the community, drafting legal documents, sending emails, organizing files, managing the file system, taking phone calls, and helping the attorney brainstorm legal avenues to handle your case the best way possible. There are some things that a Paralegal CAN’T do (I know – can you believe it?!)
Attorney Responsibilities - Lawyers are responsible for giving legal advice to the client, representing clients in court, reviewing the paralegal’s drafted documents, drafting documents, and making the final judgement on a legal strategy and tactic(s).
Paralegal Responsibilities - Paralegals are responsible for managing your case file (physical and electronic), drafting legal documents, answering phone calls, directing emails, responding to messages, scheduling court hearings, scheduling meetings, and I am sure there are other things that I do on a daily basis that I cannot think of at the moment to add to this list. Paralegals work mostly behind the scenes to see your case from start to finish and make sure that the attorney has all the information and resources that they need to help you.
Qualifications - In South Carolina, all attorneys are obviously required to hold a law degree to practice law. However, Paralegals have no certain requirement they have to meet to be a paralegal. Of course, if you have a degree, certification, or some other form of education in paralegal studies it is favored, but in South Carolina, it is not required. Personally, I have a Certificate from the University of South Carolina for Paralegal Studies.
Legal Boundaries - It is essential to recognize the legal boundaries that separate the roles of paralegals and lawyers. Paralegals are not permitted to offer legal counsel or represent clients in court. Paralegals may assist in the many aspects of the legal process, they do so under direct supervision of their attorney. They can provide valuable support in gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, preparing legal documents, and communicating with the client, but they must always operate within the ethical and legal guidelines that govern their profession.
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