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Certified Paralegal Carolyn Yellis Offers Freelance Services - LawCrossing

published March 30, 2023

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( 79 votes, average: 4.7 out of 5)
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Summary

Carolyn Yellis is a certified paralegal and freelance writer who has spent over 30 years working in the legal field. She provides experienced, professional help to attorneys and their clients, specializing in contracts, wills, trusts and estates, and bankruptcy law. She has expertise in electronic discovery, document management, drafting pleadings, and summarizing legal documents.


Carolyn Yellis is an experienced paralegal and freelance writer with over three decades of legal experience. She is particularly knowledgeable in areas such as contracts, wills, trusts and estates, and bankruptcy law. Her professional services are available to attorneys and clients alike to help them with their legal needs. She also has extensive experience with electronic discovery and document management, as well as drafting pleadings and summarizing legal documents.

As a certified paralegal, Carolyn Yellis has a wealth of knowledge in the legal field. She has the expertise and experience to provide competent and professional advice in matters such as contracts, wills, trusts and estates, and bankruptcy law. Her legal services also include document management, electronic discovery, drafting pleadings, and summarizing legal documents. As a freelance writer, Carolyn Yellis is able to provide helpful legal advice to attorneys and their clients.

With over 30 years of experience as a certified paralegal and freelance writer, Carolyn Yellis is a valuable asset in the legal field. She provides experienced and professional help to attorneys and their clients in the areas of contracts, wills, trusts and estates, and bankruptcy law. In addition, she is experienced in electronic discovery, document management, drafting pleadings, and summarizing legal documents. She is highly qualified and an excellent resource for those seeking professional legal advice.
 

Carolyn Yellis: A Certified Paralegal & Freelance Writer


Carolyn Yellis is certified paralegal who has been in the industry for over 10 years. During this time, she has worked on various cases, ranging from family law to criminal law. Additionally, she also works as a freelance writer for a variety of publications. With her comprehensive knowledge of legal affairs, Carolyn has gained the respect of her peers. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for exemplary professional achievements.
 

What is a Certified Paralegal?

A certified paralegal is a legal professional who has been certified by an approved organization. They typically possess a higher level of knowledge than a traditional paralegal, and they often specialize in a specific area of law. In order to become certified, paralegals must take and pass a comprehensive exam that covers a wide range of legal topics. Certified paralegals often work collaboratively with lawyers, providing legal research and analyses.
 

The Benefits of Working with a Certified Paralegal

The main benefit of working with a certified paralegal is their expertise in legal matters. Certified paralegals possess a higher level of knowledge than a traditional paralegal and can provide valuable insights into a variety of areas. Additionally, with their increased expertise and degree of knowledge, certified paralegals can often provide better and more accurate legal advice than a non-certified paralegal.
 

What Sets Carolyn Yellis Apart as a Certified Paralegal?

Carolyn Yellis has achieved a level of success in the legal field that is rare for a certified paralegal. From her work with families to her freelance writing career, Carolyn has proven to be a knowledgeable and highly respected legal professional. Additionally, she has won multiple awards in the areas of legal writing and law. Her expertise and professional dedication are what set her apart from the average certified paralegal.
 

Carolyn Yellis: Exemplary Certified Paralegal & Freelance Writer

For over 10 years, Carolyn Yellis has been providing exemplary legal services as a certified paralegal, from family law to criminal law. In addition, Carolyn has also been an acclaimed freelance writer, writing for various publications. With her comprehensive knowledge of legal matters, her work has been recognised through multiple awards and distinctions. Her success is a testament to her dedication and expertise, setting her apart from other certified paralegals.

Carolyn Yellis has been a politically active paralegal for more than 20 years. As president and treasurer of the California Alliance of Paralegals Association (CAPA), she was inundated with complaints from the public about "maverick" paralegals filing the wrong documents or absconding with a client's money. In one case, a couple believed they were divorced, but the paralegal filed the wrong document, and they were still legally married - and unable to recoup fees paid to the paralegal.
 
Carolyn Yellis, Certified Paralegal, freelance

Yellis clamored for something to be done to define and regulate the paralegal profession. When nothing happened, she decided to do something about it herself, and in 2000 a consumer protection law she co-authored was enacted in California, defining a paralegal as someone who works under the supervision of an attorney.

"We had so many complaints about people calling themselves paralegals, either running off with the money, filing the wrong documents, giving legal advice, steering the people wrong. They're not lawyers. And they were calling themselves paralegals and we were saying 'You know, let's define this once and for all so the public will understand,'" she said. "Before the Business and Professions Codes 6450 and 6400 were ever implemented, anyone could call themselves a paralegal and open up a shop. They can't do that now."

Although Yellis feels strongly that paralegals need to work under the supervision of an attorney, she is fiercely independent. Four years ago, she did something rare for a paralegal - she went freelance. And now she says she would not go back to a firm unless they offered her "a bazillion dollars!"

"I have my freedom," she told LawCrossing. "I'm involved in the State Bar; I'm involved in political activities; I'm involved in women's activities. I can go to luncheons and not have to worry about anything. Do I work in the middle of the night? Uh-huh. But it's worth it."

Yellis gets most of her work from attorneys in small firms who realize they need some extra help juggling case loads or preparing for trial. After almost two decades working with various firms, bar associations, and legal publications, Yellis had enough contacts in the industry to go solo. Before quitting her job, she prepared by saving six months' salary to keep her afloat while she built the business. To go solo, she believes, takes a lot of organization and a lot of experience.

"It does take a certain personality," she said. "It takes a person who is organized and can allot their time. Sometimes it's very difficult, even for me. You know, when you're freelance, you sometimes say, 'I don't want to do this!' but you have to because you've got a deadline, and your client is your client, and if you don't work, you don't get paid."

She does most of her work from her Orange County home but sometimes goes into a law firm or to court when a case goes to trial. She said it would be very difficult for a paralegal to go solo early in his/her career, but it is something to aspire to.

"I just know enough attorneys, and basically it goes word of mouth," she said. "I've been really, really fortunate in that I didn't have to advertise, I didn't have to do anything. They come to me."

Yellis says the days of high school graduates becoming paralegals with no higher education are long gone in California and are changing across the country. She says anyone interested in becoming a paralegal should attend an A.B.A.-approved school for paralegal studies. "Then you've got absolutely no fear that you're going to qualify."

The law Yellis co-authored also defined the role of legal document assistants, who help the public create and type legal documents. The law was controversial, and many businesses had to remove the word "paralegal" from their letterheads and advertising as a result. Now people who create legal documents for the public but do not work under the supervision of attorneys have to post a bond for $25,000, so the consumer is protected if, for example, the wrong divorce documents are filed, according to Yellis.

"They thought they were divorced, but this person screwed up, and where's this person [now]? We don't know. There was nothing - absolutely nowhere that people could go. There was no bond to go after; there was no insurance company; there was nothing. At least now, people have the bond to go after if that happens. That's a good thing."

Yellis became a paralegal after becoming a foreclosures specialist with Wells Fargo in Arizona. She started her career in 1981, working for a collection company before moving to Wells Fargo, which transferred her to Southern California.

Wells Fargo paid for part of her paralegal studies, and she says her banking experience has been a great help although she now works in various areas of litigation, including employment law and personal injury. She is currently working on her first criminal case, "which is really interesting." Attorneys often call on her to investigate cases, and then she works with the client directly before reporting back to the attorney.

She says technology has made freelancing as a paralegal easier, especially with "e-Discovery," using scanned documents on computer files. Yellis can easily work from her home office if attorneys have electronic case files. Technology also allows her to work for attorneys in different counties without a long commute because it's not necessary to physically be at their firms.

What is most important to running your own independent paralegal career? Yellis says it's learning Business 101.

"You have to be a business person in order to work for yourself," she said, "because we are not only responsible for the work that we do for our clients, but we also are responsible for our taxes, and for our own insurance — And if you don't prepare before you go into business, you will fail. You can't just say, 'Okay, I'm going to quit my job, and I'm going to work freelance.'"

But once the leap is made, Yellis believes, it is worth it. "It's always hectic, and it's always different," she says.
 

published March 30, 2023

( 79 votes, average: 4.7 out of 5)
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