When to Hire a Paralegal vs. a Lawyer for Your Law Firm

Updated March 2024

Is your law firm experiencing an uptick in business? If so, you might be wondering if it’s time to hire another attorney to handle the extra legal work.

As a premier legal staffing agency, we know your hiring decisions require careful consideration, and you shouldn’t jump the gun when it comes to your business—especially because there might be a more effective, cost-efficient hiring solution: paralegals.

Let’s explore the difference between paralegals and lawyers so you can decide which one is right for your current needs.

Let’s get started.

Paralegal vs. Lawyer: What’s the difference?

There are some key differences between paralegals and lawyers that can impact your bottom line, so it’s critical that you’re current on the common duties of paralegals vs. lawyers.

What’s a Paralegal?

A paralegal is a legal professional who supports lawyers and other legal experts. They cannot offer legal advice or represent clients in court, but they can perform a multitude of other tasks, including:

Conducting legal research
Drafting legal documents such as discovery requests, motions, and pleadings
Filing paperwork, billing clients, maintaining the firm’s calendar, and other administrative duties
Drafting legal agreements and assisting in contract administration
Participating in case management
Answering questions for and communicating with clients, court personnel, and vendors

What Does a Lawyer Do?

Lawyers, on the other hand, have a broader scope of practice and are authorized to provide legal advice to their clients. They can perform all the tasks that paralegals do, but they’re also responsible for advising clients on the law, negotiating on their behalf, and representing them in court or before administrative agencies.

Do You Need Another Lawyer, or Can You Hire a Paralegal Instead?

Now that you’re caught up on what a paralegal’s role looks like compared to a lawyer’s, can you hire a paralegal over a lawyer to support your firm’s growing needs?

We’ve put together a few key considerations before answering this question.

What’s the Current Workload Like?

First, ask your attorneys if they feel overloaded with administrative work. If they do, paralegals and legal secretaries can help ease this workload.

As we mentioned, they can perform many tasks lawyers can, like legal research, contract drafting, and other duties. Hiring a paralegal to take over some of this work can free up your lawyers’ time to focus on their primary duties, like advising clients or preparing defense and prosecution statements.

But if your firm’s workload is mainly focused on complex legal issues, hiring another lawyer may be the better option. They have the legal knowledge and expertise to tackle complex legal matters, while paralegals are typically limited in their scope of work.

Do You Have Any Budgeting Constraints?

Your next consideration when deciding whether to hire a paralegal vs. lawyer should be cost. Why? Because the cost of hiring a lawyer can be significantly higher than that of a paralegal, and this may present some budgeting concerns.

Still, it’s important to consider the long-term impact of the decision. Hiring a paralegal is cost-efficient, but a lawyer can help your firm take on more complex cases. It could be a worthwhile investment, because it may lead to increased revenue, more profits, and a better reputation.

Are You Trying to Grow Your Firm?

Your firm’s growth is another important factor to consider, especially if you’re looking to take on more clients or expand into other practice areas.

If you are looking to grow, hiring another lawyer may be necessary to achieve this goal. They can support your business by taking on complex cases and handling various legal issues, which can ultimately increase your client base and revenue.

Plus, some practice areas are highly specialized and require a niche understanding of the law, making lawyers invaluable to successfully supporting clients with related legal issues.

Are Your Needs Long-Term or Short-Term?

It’s important to consider the long-term outlook on your business’s workload when deciding whether to add a permanent staff member to your team. Is this uptick in business due to a large case or project that may not be on the agenda next quarter? If so, you should consider temporary staffing solutions to meet your current increase in workload.

A permanent staff member, whether a lawyer or a paralegal, provides continuity and can reduce strain on your team when there’s a long-term increase in your workload. However, a permanent staff member comes with a salary commitment that may not be in the budget when the case or project is over. This is why it’s important to consider your law firm’s long-term needs before hiring new legal workers.

What Skill Set Best Fits Your Team?

Now that you’ve taken a closer look at your firm’s workload, budget, growth aspirations, and duration of needs, the next vital consideration is the skill set that would benefit your team. What tasks would this team member take on, and what level of expertise is needed to complete those tasks efficiently?

If administrative and routine legal tasks bog down your team, a paralegal may be a cost-effective addition. This would help free your lawyers to work on more legally complex tasks. On the other hand, if your caseload involves nuanced legal issues requiring more specialized knowledge, another lawyer could be invaluable to meet the unique demands of your firm.

Hiring Other Legal Roles

Countless roles keep the legal industry running smoothly. If you’re looking to diversify the skill set of your legal team, you may want to cast a wider net to meet your needs—beyond just lawyers and paralegals.

Records Clerks

Records clerks are tasked with the crucial role of organizing and maintaining legal documents on e-discovery and digital case management systems, ensuring legal compliance and in-office efficiency.

Legal Secretaries

Legal secretaries provide administrative support, freeing up attorneys and paralegals to focus on legal issues rather than correspondence and scheduling.

Accountants

Accountants provide vital assistance with financial management, budgeting, and compliance, especially where taxes are concerned.

HR Professionals

At the heart of any successful business are human resource (HR) professionals who manage staffing and employee relations, foster a productive work environment, and comply with labor laws.

IT Professionals

Information technology (IT) specialists are incredibly important as the role of technology in the legal field is rapidly growing and evolving—and attorneys, judges, and paralegals may struggle to adjust to these technological changes.

Hire an Attorney or Paralegal with Our Help

Ultimately, the decision between hiring a paralegal vs. lawyer will depend on the unique needs and goals of your law firm. Not sure where you stand? Start by asking the above questions, then go from there. And when you’re ready to hire a paralegal, an attorney, or any other legal professional, we’ll be there to help.

Have legal staffing needs?

We’ve got you covered. Questions? Call us toll-free: 855-485-8853