According to the May 9
th tmcnet.com article, ''Are Paralegals Adequate for those Hounded by Debt Collectors?'', Patrick Lunsford, writing for insideARM.com - publisher of specialized news and opinion for the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry - explained what he sees as a new trend: paralegals assisting consumers with debt collection calls. He also was quoted as saying that ''advertisements promoting the
services of paralegals to assist consumers with debt problems are marketed as ''non-legal''; they can help consumers navigate their way through the paperwork, filing of court documents and a guide through the process.''
Lunsford explained what he sees as a new trend: ''Paralegals may also operate independently, offering clients a relatively low-cost option for legal document preparation. However, such independent services must not cross the line into unqualified offering of legal advice to clients.''
He was quoted as saying consumers in this predicament ''need legal advice, and these firms are very careful to note that they are not lawyers and don’t give any kind of
legal advice. I find that hard to believe, but that’s what they say.''
Debt recovery paralegals support attorneys practicing in debt recovery. Some of the more common duties of a debt recovery paralegal include research, data collection, document creation and client liaison.
According to the article at ehow.com, ''Debt Recovery
Paralegal Jobs'', ''as of August 2010, Indeed.com puts the average annual salary for a debt recovery paralegal to be approximately $35,000 in the United States.''
As the economy recovers, albeit slowly, the demand for paralegals offering assistance with debt recovery seems likely to only increase.