Attorney Survey: Using Virtual Paralegals
Paralegal Associates surveyed attorneys on their concerns about using virtual paralegals. We offered a list of possible worries, and invited responders to mark all that were relevant. We also invited comments.
Here are the results, sorted by frequency of response. Our hearty “Thank you” to the tens of attorneys nationwide who took time to respond.
1. Not sure how to use a virtual paralegal— 35%
2. Lack of control over what tasks are being worked on— 25%
3. Not sure how to find a virtual paralegal— 20%
4. Lack of control over quality of work product— 20%
5. Trust issues— 15%
6. Communication issues— 15%
7. Concerned a virtual paralegal will be too expensive— 10%
Each of these responses raises an important concern that advocates of the virtual business model must address. We intend to take up these concerns in subsequent posts.
Note that the most frequent response essentially has to do with coming to understand how virtual paralegals contribute to the firm’s success, and about how to manage the business relationship. The other responses are really subsets of this primary worry. Note also that cost was the least-cited concern. This implies that attorneys are aware of the payoffs in reduced overhead through using independent contractors. However, understanding the value of the virtual model depends strongly on familiarity with how it works, and how it can be integrated successfully into a practice.
We virtuals have work to do in responding adequately to these concerns. We invite comment from attorneys and paralegals about this unscientific survey, and about relevant issues it does not address.
Paralegal Associates looks forward to hearing from you.
You made me smile when you wrote “tens of attorneys.”
Still, I think the responses are helpful and reflective of the challenges virtual paralegals face when starting a new business. Since I’m looking forward to the day that I can be a virtual paralegal working out of an RV, rolling between the mountains and the beach with my trusty canine companions (I might let the hubby come, too 
, I look forward to hearing your responses.
Thanks for your comment. I agree that virtuals have much work to do in smoothing the transition for attorneys away from “bricks and mortar”-based support.
Interestingly, despite the survey bias toward problems and worries, we also received comments from attorneys saying that they use virtual support regularly, and are completely satisfied. That is encouraging!
Regarding your transition to “Roaming RV Virtual”, since you intend to work out of the vehicle, you will need to plot a route from your Blue Ridge cabin to your Cape Hatteras cottage with no wireless innterruptions. Hubby could be useful in this task since it involves reading maps and maintaining internet connectivity. Dogs, of course, do not need to earn their places on the bus. They just need to show up.
Hello Kristina!
Can you give us just a bit more information on your survey such as number of firms surveyed? Number of firms responding? Margin of error? Any demographics such as % of major firm, small firms, mid-size, in-house? Percentage of attorneys, paralegals, administrators responding?
Thanks.
Hi,
Our use of “survey” should be taken only colloquially. We concocted the thing of an afternoon, and broadcast it to our internet community in hopes of getting some feedback on our intuitions about barriers to widespread adoption of the virtual paralegal business model.
We invited anonymous response, so it is uncontrolled with regard to the things you ask about.
We saw the “survey” as a goad to discussion; it has no other value.
Which raises an interesting question about whether attorneys would respond to a well-designed, scientifically valid survey on this issue. We would like to see an organization do something serious along these lines.