Virtual Paralegals May Be Slow to Gain Acceptance
Some paralegals are offering to do legal work as independent contractors through Internet connections, but law firms may be slow to use their services.
Cynthia Matthews of Wethersfield, Conn., is offering her services as a virtual paralegal and hopes to find clients through word of mouth, the Connecticut Law Tribune reports. She worked for law firms in the 1970s and recently obtained a paralegal degree.
Janice Favreau, president of the Central Connecticut Paralegal Association, thinks virtual paralegals won’t be quickly catching on with law firms. She says there may be security concerns about sending client information over the Internet and conflicts concerns about using a paralegal who also works for other law firms.
Yet she thought virtual paralegals may be helpful in cases that require lots of extra resources. Such paralegals, Favreau concluded, may “augment and fill niches of the market.”
