If you have ever considered become a paralegal, this online article is or you. You will learn everything you need to know about the job of a paralegal, where paralegals work, the annual salary, what kind of training they need, how to become a paralegal, the risks of the job, the retirement and the impact you can have in the lives of your clients.
To be a paralegal is a valorizing job because you get to help people without having the stressful job of a lawyer or a notary.
The job of a paralegal is to assist the lawyer or the notary in their everyday tasks, they don't get the power to give any legal advice, they do a lot of research for the several cases and clients. The paralegals need to accomplish their work related tasks.
The typical day of a paralegal is to work hand in hand with lawyers, helping to prepare cases for trial. In their preparatory work, they uncover all the facts of the case, conduct research to highlight relevant case laws and court decisions, obtain affidavits, and assist with depositions and other materials relevant to cases. The everyday routine may consist of interviewing witnesses, reviewing thousands of documents or assisting an attorney in the courtroom.
Paralegals can work in several environments such as law firms, notarial firms, legal departments of companies, for the courts, for the government and many other legal related establishments.
To become a paralegal in Quebec you need to do the three-year Diploma of College Studies Paralegal Technology. This program is offered by many public and private CEGEPS in Quebec.
The average salary of paralegals in the Montreal area is about $51,662 per year, but the salary can vary from the place you are working at. Some private law firms can offer much more.
Paralegals don't need an additional training since they are doing a three-year degree in Paralegal Technology to become a paralegal. Also, they will need the in-house training from the legal establishment they are working at.
There are no dangers to becoming a paralegal because the job itself is not life risking. That being said, they're still some negative aspects of becoming a paralegal such as the lack of a career, the long hours of work, the stress and pressure from the supervisors, and the routine work.
The chances of paralegals being replaced by robots is rare, but with legal technology, some paralegal tasks can easily be automated by computers. That doesn't mean that the role of paralegals will be completely eliminated soon because most of the tasks still require the presence of a human. By automating certain parts of a paralegal's job like repetitive document creation and client intake paperwork the paralegals will become more valuable to a law firm.
In Quebec, the age of retire is 65 years old, so it also applied to the paralegals.
In conclusion, being a paralegal is the equivalent of being a legal assistant. This job contains a lot of paperwork, sitting long hours shift in an office and to work hand-to-hand with professionals. There are many great opportunities related to this job field and the degree is a three-year DEC, so it is interesting for people who don't want to go to the university with a decent salary in the future. With this job, you will also get the chance to help people and make a difference in their lives.
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: research journal
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: research journal
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited