Paralegal/legal Assistant Career

I was a legal recruiter for 7 yrs and yes being a paralegal is sometimes a 40hr work week, but it sometimes can be a 60hr work week when the attorney that you support is getting ready for a trial or some other legal function. It is not a job where you need to be off because of child issues. It is a very demanding job which can also make it an exciting job. If you are looking at part time I would not suggest being a paralegal.

I am an attorney and have practiced both with law firms and corporations. The hours required will depend on many things. First, the type of law that you practice. If you work in litigation, then there are heavy hours right before trials or large hearings. There are also mediations that can last all day and into the evening. If you work in real estate, the long hours come at the time you are closing big deals (and this often happens at the end of the year for tax reasons). Different practice areas may require heavier loads at certain times of the year.

My experience has been that practice with law firms have longer hours, because the attorneys have to bill so many hours each month and they may need a paralegal's assistance. Of course, some corporate cultures tend to push everyone to overtime, because of being short-staffed.

As with any job, you can find ways to make the hours work. I know some paralegals who work from home doing transcriptions and some research. They are able to plan their days and only bill the hours they work.

I wish you the best in whatever you decide. Even if you decide not to practice strictly as a paralegal, it gives you skills that you can use in any position.

While I have worked with lawyers, it was mainly in the corporate world. I have been told that paralegals and intern lawyers are rather expected to carry the brundt of the work in time. See if you get answers from paralegals but I can't imagine that would change.

I have a mom behind me who works part time at a bank with full time benefits. There are also credit unions which seem a little more personable and relaxed to me. Something to consider with your priorities!

I agree with Lisa M's post, it will completely depend on the type of work you choose, and you could choose to do only contract work. The trade off is that you do not make as much money doing contract work, and it is not always consistent (you might work a lot one week or month, and then none at all for the next). But, it does allow great flexibility. You might also be able to find firms that need overflow paralegals that just fill in during busy times, or who are willing to limit your hours because of your personal situation. All of those are difficult to find when you are first entering a field, but are easier as you get more experience and more contacts. But i think it is a career where you have the potential to make a very nice salary doing interesting work (if you like research and detail-oriented work).

One way to have some control is by working in a corporate law department vs. at a law firm. I'm a corporate paralegal but I sort of fell into the role at my company (self trained on the job). But I've talked to those who work in law firms and I understand the hours can be brutal especially if your the new kid on the block. Our possibly doing it through a legal job placement service.

Lisa M is correct it depends on the type of law you would be working in as a paralegal. At times there are long hours required to prepare trial notebooks, prep and attend depositions, discovery notebooks, trial evidence, legal research, etc. A large law firm will most likely require long hours at times. Smaller to mid size law firms might be a little more family friendly than the large corporate firms, but it really depends on the type of law practice it is and how the partners run the firm. Occasionally, law firms or corporations will hire a paralegal temporarily at assist with trial prep, etc for a case, which might often lead you to a full time job. I worked as a paralegal in bankruptcy, real estate and employment law and resigned when I was pregnant to stay at home with my child. The last law firm I worked in was huge hundreds of attorneys on staff and was disorganized, so a large law firm is not necessarily the best place to work. The best law office I worked in as paralegal intern and receptionist was a small midsized firm with about 12 attorneys and staff and it was a great place to work, and always interesting.

Hi L.,

I don't blame you for wanting your career to revolve around your family life with your little girl rather than the other way around. I'm the same way! I love being a SAHM for my son while still earning a great salary of my own. I am actually building a team of moms just like us who have the potential to earn a six-figure income by working part-time in their own home-based business.

Would you like to hear more about that? Message me for details or leave a message at ###-###-####. It will change your life!

M.

I am a litigation corporate law legal assistant for a large company. I enjoy research (the thrill of the hunt) and actually LOVE what I do, but it's NOT a part time type job in the least bit.

Now because I work for corporate, I can get 40 hours per week and it be ok but for firms, that's rarely the case. And because I've been doing this for so long, my hours are more flexible than others, but if you're wanting to be a paralegal/legal assist you will need to be available full time and then some unless you work for a VERY small practice and that practice isn't very busy.

Good luck in your endeavor. I have never been one to quash a dream so I hope you get to do what ever it is you want.

I was a legal assistant for 15 years and it depends on the attorney or firm you work for. Some are very long hours some are not. I recommend working for a one or two attorney firm, and not in litigation (those are the long hours, evenings and weekends when you are getting ready for trial). The best bet would be to work for an estate planning attorney, less stress than any others. I worked in all kinds of law except criminal. Family law is depressing for me but I liked estate planning and medical malpractice, which I was in when I had children, I now substitute teach and am getting my teaching certification. I loved the legal field but wanted to be home with my children. I live in Lubbock and can get you in touch with some other legal assistants if you want. Good luck!
L.