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How the Paralegal Sector can help PI law firms post Covid-19 - Amanda Hamilton, NALP
25/08/20. Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown has affected our personal lives in many ways. Professionally, it has also forced many PI law firms into hardship.
When the lockdown is finally fully lifted, and it will lift eventually, law firms including PI will be looking to get back into business and onto an even keel as swiftly as possible. However, they will also probably be looking to cut costs in order to do so.
This is where outsourcing to a local licenced paralegal may be invaluable. NALP Licenced paralegals specialise in one or two legal areas and will not be as costly to employ on a contractual basis as a qualified solicitor. As many have their own paralegal practice, it's possible either to outsource or sub-contract the work to them, while keeping the management (and profits) in-house.
Some paralegals may specialise in PI, in which case they are a great fit for you but even if they do not, there is a good chance that you could pass on some of the general legal legwork. This means you can process clients more quickly, allowing you to take on more cases and, therefore, improving your income overall. Also, if your costs are lowered by subcontracting a chunk of your workloads to a paralegal, it could allow you to take on slightly riskier clients or clients where the end pay-out and, therefore, your firm's fee, is potentially smaller.
Many paralegals may have a very good understanding of the civil court process, even if they do not undertake PI work per se. They may specialise in small claims, some of which may be related to personal injury actions on a small scale. Having such knowledge and utilising their services will cut your firms' costs dramatically.
Also, why not take on work that you may not have thought about before? By sub-contracting to a paralegal that specialises in say, will writing or probate practice, or matrimonial matters, you could have a steady income to help balance your finances. Using the services of a paralegal is an adaptable method of maintaining the viability of your business.
As a law firm, if you're looking to use the services of a paralegal there are a few things to look out for:
1) Are they a member of a professional body such as NALP (National Association of Licenced Paralegals) or registered with the PPR (Professional Paralegal Register)?
2) Do they have either a NALP Licence to Practise or a PPR Practising Certificate, and professional indemnity insurance (PII)? The latter is not necessary if you are employing them in-house staff within your practice.
3) It is important to check the training and qualifications of such paralegals which will be dependent on the type of work you require them to do. So, entry level (basic work and assistance) may only require a Level 3 qualification (such as the NALP Level 3 Certificate or Diploma.) Alternatively, work that requires a level of expertise and skill may require an applicant to have either a minimum Level 4 (such as the NALP Level Diploma) or a law degree or above.
4) Ensure that the activity you need help with is something that a Paralegal is allowed to deal with. Essentially, Paralegals can do almost everything a solicitor can do, but certain activities are reserved and cannot be performed by a paralegal.
There is no doubt that paralegals can play a big part in getting the legal sector back on its feet quickly and helping to ensure it's in a position where they can thrive once more.
To find a paralegal with the qualifications and experience your practice requires visit: https://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk/paralegal-register
Amanda Hamilton is Chief Executive of the National Association of Licenced Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit Membership Body and the only Paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its Centres, accredited recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for a career as a paralegal professional.
See: http://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk
Twitter: @NALP_UK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/
Image: public domain from https://pixabay.com/en/paperwork-office-paper-tray-315083/
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PERSONAL INJURY 2019 – UPDATES, CASES AND KEY DECISIONS
This annual guide features all of the latest case updates, key decisions, legislative updates and reforms from 2018/19 and changes coming up in 2020/2021. The book covers all costs updates, CFA updates, EL / OL / PL, RTA, disease cases, portal updates, and other relevant changes to the PI world.
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Credit Hire Articles
We have now published more than 50 specialist credit hire articles. A selection are shown below, or see the complete list here. Subscribers can also access, for free, the latest edition of Kevan & Ellis on Credit Hire.
Editorial: Pre-Action Disclosure of Financial Documents in Credit Hire Cases - Aidan Ellis, Temple Garden Chambers
30/11/18. As long ago as 2004, in the course of carving out the impecuniosity exception in Lagden v O'Connor, Lord Nicholls expressed the hope that the parties "should be able t...
In Credit Hire circles, what goes around comes around (again…): Irving v Morgan Sindall PLC considered - Jason Prosser, Leeper Prosser Solicitors
30/07/18. In Credit hire arguments go in circles, at least that is the experience of the writer (who has now been engaged in conducting credit hire claims for nearly 15 years), w...
Back to Basics: Should Credit Hire be Stripped? - Gary Herring - Horwich Farrelly Solicitors
11/09/14. In Dimond v Lovell the House of Lords made it all seem so simple. In a case where the claimant sought hire charges in the princely sum of £346.63, it was held that ...
Out of 'Control'? Credit Hire and CPR Part 31 - Gary Herring, Horwich Farrelly Solicitors
10/04/14. Disputes relating to disclosure remain an enduring feature of credit hire litigation and, largely to the understandable annoyance of the judiciary, are the source of mu...
Credit Hire and Storage Fraud - Andrew Mckie, Clerksroom
17/03/14. Chapter 6 of 'RTA Allegations of Fraud in a Post-Jackson Era: The Handbook' by Andrew Mckie. Credit hire and storage claims are proving some of the most difficult ...
Opoku v Tintas - Melanie Mooney, Keoghs
09/12/13. In handling credit hire claims it is always preferable to focus on obtaining clarity for issues where there is a degree of uncertainty for all parties dealing with the ...
Too Little, Too Late: Robertson v Dixon (In the Milton Keynes CC 19th April 2013) - Max Withington, Horwich Farrelly
Editorial: Challenging Period of Hire - Aidan Ellis, Temple Garden Chambers
Editorial: Opoku v Tintas: Court of Appeal on Period of Hire - Aidan Ellis, Temple Garden Chambers
The Sharp End of Employers' Liability – Breach and Causation Under the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992 - Andrew Roy, 12 King's Bench Walk
Credit Hire: Enforceability Update - Gary Herring, Keoghs LLP
British Victims of Terrorism Abroad: a Fair Regime Introduced - Jill Greenfield, Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
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