Virtual Legal Assistants: Reducing the Workload of Overburdened Lawyers

Elysium Virtual
Sep 19, 2023
6 min read

Everyone is aware that the legal profession is stressful.

Many lawyers work long days and juggle demanding schedules of client meetings, court appearances, extensive legal records research, and all the paperwork that comes with dealing with deeds, contracts, wills, and appeals.

Long hours, deadline pressure, and the job of winning cases can all be exhausting and even detrimental to a lawyer's mental health. According to a 2020 poll of over 3,800 lawyers, 31.2% are sad, 64% are anxious, 10.1% believe they have an alcohol problem, and 2.8% believe they have a drug problem.

Without support, lawyers are approximately three times more likely than the average adult in the United States to suffer from depression.

As a result, while the field can be rewarding, it can also be deadly. That's because a lot is happening behind the scenes, and if a lawyer doesn't have the necessary assistance, their days, weeks, and months can be lengthy and exhausting.

Lawyers must run their firms and supervise the millions of administrative and maintenance duties that keep them running. To-do list minutia can be incredibly overwhelming for a lawyer who runs a solo practice without assistance.

Fortunately, some virtual legal assistants can aid.

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANT?

Virtual legal assistants are professionals who operate in the legal industry to provide administrative and other services. A virtual legal assistant often works from home and is self-employed, filing a Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, to report payments. Because the lawyer or company that the virtual legal assistant works for does not withhold taxes from their salary, the virtual legal assistant is responsible for paying their own income and self-employment taxes. A virtual legal assistant must also provide medical, dental, and vision insurance and pay for and maintain their home office equipment.

HOW A VIRTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANT CAN HELP YOUR LAW OFFICE?

Today, an increasing number of lawyers and law firms seek the assistance of virtual legal assistants to tackle repetitive, time-consuming-yet-essential work.

Remote technology is improving the way legal business is conducted. Thanks to new technological platforms, virtual legal assistants' employment is now more realistic and possible. Significantly help lawyers. High legal administrative support and collaboration levels are possible thanks to fast and stable internet connectivity, video conferencing and instant messaging tools, cloud storage, and file-sharing programs.

Collaboration between a virtual legal assistant and the firm, regardless of location.

Some lawyers who seek assistance from Freedom Makers are looking for virtual assistants to help them write material for their LinkedIn accounts, keep their website up to date, revise billing entries, and aid with invoicing. Many virtual assistants who work with lawyers develop or edit blog articles and help upload legal-tip videos to YouTube or other channels. While these services are not directly related to the law, they can help a lawyer build their business, establish their credibility, and become a legal authority in their geographic area.

Outsourcing responsibilities such as research, calendar scheduling, and social media management to a virtual assistant is more cost-effective for lawyers than hiring an in-house staff.

Here are some of the ways virtual legal assistants are used in the legal industry to lighten their load and make the hectic day-to-day life of a lawyer more manageable:

1.) INQUIRY MANAGEMENT BY TELEPHONE AND EMAIL

Companies had to rely on onsite staff to handle inbound and outbound calls until recently. However, modern voice-over-internet-protocols (VoIP) systems are reducing the need for a live assistant to answer the phone. VoIP systems are a tried-and-true technology that allows phone calls to be made and received over the Internet. Call routing is now seamless, creating an undetected connection between a client and a virtual legal assistant working remotely, allowing a virtual legal assistant to manage standard office duties. They can also initiate calls on behalf of the company, easing the burden of customer service logistics.

Virtual legal assistants are also skilled at handling email inboxes. They understand how to prioritize inquiries and client requests and can notify the lawyer of their presence in their inbox or even make the first answer on the firm's behalf. With calendar access (read on), a virtual legal assistant might manage all scheduling coordination for opposing counsel or other meetings.

2.) MANAGEMENT OF CALENDAR, SCHEDULING, AND TRAVEL

A virtual legal assistant can manage and keep a lawyer's calendar on track. They will set up reminders and set-it-and-forget-it systems to guarantee that meetings, appointments, and deadlines are held. An excellent virtual legal assistant will reduce the time spent organizing a calendar and moving charges around. They can also be hired to plan hearings, reply to scheduling requests, and ensure all appointments are scheduled on time.

The same can be said about travel plans. Court appearances, witness meetings, arbitrations, and business transactions sometimes necessitate travel for litigators. Lawyers can delegate the investigation of flights, destinations, rental cars, and hotels to a virtual legal assistant, who will make preparations quickly and save you hours.

Similarly, a legal virtual assistant can help your firm by collecting client leads and documenting incoming client conversations or emails about potential representation Records. They may also be counted on to keep track of ongoing projects and follow up on emails and assignments as needed to prevent missing deadlines.

3.) ORGANIZATION OF FILES

The virtual assistants at Freedom Maker are well-organized and pay close attention to detail. A virtual legal assistant can organize all of the law offices' files. Misplaced documents or items filed in the incorrect location can wreak havoc on a law business and result in income loss. In the worst-case situation, lost or mishandled critical evidence could end a lawyer's career.

A virtual legal assistant can be granted access to cloud-based tools to assist legal professionals with docket reviews and pleading management; documents, emails, and files can all be organized by a virtual legal assistant, and because records are increasingly being filed electronically, this task may be delegated to a virtual legal assistant.

4.) LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING

Legal research and writing are vital duties in every legal procedure or process. Both are potent buttresses to trying a successful case or arguing a motion that succeeds. However, research and writing are time-consuming and labor-intensive and can steal hours from a litigator’s day.

A virtual legal assistant provides excellent professional writing and research services like creating, reviewing, and analyzing legal papers. They can also do legal and factual site checking and even modify pleadings to standards and appropriate court guidelines. In this way, virtual legal assistants prepare for cases.

5.) DRAFTING, REVIEW, AND EDITING LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Virtual legal assistants can deal with legal papers in many different ways depending on the sort of law practiced. They can draft motions, judgments, orders, and cover letters. For instance, many virtual legal assistants must conduct contract evaluation and monitoring. Since contracts are legally enforceable promises, they are a core feature of practically every law practice. Internally, law firms write up and execute contracts with clients for services engaged or some practice contract law (this is when businesses pay lawyers to evaluate their contracts). Because of this, many organizations use a virtual legal assistant to conduct contract evaluation and maintenance. A virtual legal assistant can design contracts using specified facts and ensure the contract is clear to all parties involved. They can input revisions and track the document’s drafts from inception to execution.

6.) TRANSCRIPTION

Many legal processes are recorded to ensure accuracy and documentation for all formal motions. Turning those recordings into written papers is often something that lawyers and legal professionals often delegate to virtual legal assistants. They are familiar with legal terminologies and language and can function productively from their remote location. Having a virtual legal assistant transcribe hours of court proceedings can free up an astonishing amount of a lawyer’s time, which can be employed for more worthwhile pursuits.

7.) LEGAL ACCOUNTING

Accounting details are another time thief in the legal arena. Small law firms and single practitioners who do not have an accounting staff can spend hours upon hours processing the finances of their accounts. A virtual legal assistant can aid in this area by recording billable time and preparing bills, crediting retainers to invoices, and sending invoices to clients. They can follow up, interact with clients on your behalf regarding statements, chase down late or missing payments, and help handle any cash flow difficulties. These duties are crucial to keeping smaller legal companies in the black, with resources to serve their customers best.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF VIRTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANTS FOR YOUR LAW FIRM?

It is vital to note that while a virtual legal assistant can be a lifesaver, they are not legal practitioners! Even though virtual legal assistants can not provide legal advice, they can serve lawyers in practically every other administrative role. Virtual legal assistants help lawyers minimize costs while developing steady, efficient operations and executing workflows that help keep the office running smoothly. They can even aid with client growth and retention. Perhaps most importantly? A virtual legal assistant can give a lawyer hours of their day, week, and month back, which has a proven good influence on any busy lawyer’s mental health.

Lawyers are outstanding experts in the law. Having a virtual legal assistant (or team of virtual legal assistants) to administer the office allows a lawyer to spend more time being a lawyer! Additionally, they’ll be able to spend more time out of the office resting, confident that all details are handled professionally.

Reach out to Elysium Virtual Services today and let a member of our internal staff take you through the process of getting started with your virtual legal assistant today!