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How much can you Earn as a Freelance Paralegal
by Harrison Barnes, Managing Director - BCG Attorney Search

Paralegal services companies may develop from freelancing. A successful freelancer may hire his or her own staff and set up a business organization, partnership or corporation. Paralegal services companies have their own office space and undertake more sophisticated marketing strategies than do individual freelancers. They usually provide services of temporary paralegals, legal research services, managing clerk services (the service of papers and filings at court) or specialized services in trusts and estates and the like. Essentially, these services are small businesses run by entrepreneurs who, if successful, must be good managers as well as knowledgeable paralegals.
Both types of freelance paralegals bill their clients depending upon how specialized and sophisticated the work is.
Now arises the question, that how much can you earn as a freelance paralegal.
It's possible to earn a huge amount if you run a paralegal services business and have many people working for you. But suppose you're an independent contractor. You will have to analyze your budget, billing rates and profitability. You'll have to allot some time for selling and conducting a marketing campaign- as much as five to ten hours per week, as well as whenever you don't have any projects. This marketing time will cut into your billing time.
Of course, money isn't the only reward. Some freelancers earn significantly more as freelancers, others less than they did as full-time employees; but almost every freelance has the added benefit and personal satisfaction of being self-reliant.
Billing Your Clients
Billing clients can become a touchy issue for freelance paralegals. One paralegal with whom we spoke thought that the hardest part of her job was collecting from clients. Another mentioned that when the economy was bad, and firms were short of cash, collecting for work completed could be a long, drawn out affair.
Professionalism is the key to avoiding problems with billing and collecting. Before you begin a project, have a detailed, written and signed agreement that spells out the terms of your work. Check around in your community to see what other paralegals earn as freelance paralegals. Unless you have exceptional experience or expertise, charge accordingly. You can bill on either an hourly basis, or you can charge a flat fee per project. For research work, an hourly fee is advised; it's hard to tell, until you're well underway, how long a project will take. For a standard assignment, like drafting a will or filing a form, a flat rate is acceptable. With experience, you'll know how long it should take and you'll charge accordingly.
Always bill your clients promptly. If it's a short project, have your bill mailed within two weeks of completion. For a lengthy, ongoing assignment, bill on a regular basis: every one or two weeks, for example.
Although most of your clients will be honest and pay their bills on time, you'll probably confront a few tough cases. Be persistent and keep after them, but don't lose your sense of humor or your cool. It's not worth alienating a client and his or her colleagues just because payment is a few days late. You should probably avoid working for lawyers who only pay on consignment: i.e. you only earn a fee when they win a case. If they lose, you might lose too.
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Harrison Barnes does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for attorneys and law students each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can attend anonymously and ask questions about your career, this article, or any other legal career-related topics. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
Harrison also does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for law firms, companies, and others who hire attorneys each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
You can browse a list of past webinars here: Webinar Replays
You can also listen to Harrison Barnes Podcasts here: Attorney Career Advice Podcasts
You can also read Harrison Barnes' articles and books here: Harrison's Perspectives
Harrison Barnes is the legal profession's mentor and may be the only person in your legal career who will tell you why you are not reaching your full potential and what you really need to do to grow as an attorney--regardless of how much it hurts. If you prefer truth to stagnation, growth to comfort, and actionable ideas instead of fluffy concepts, you and Harrison will get along just fine. If, however, you want to stay where you are, talk about your past successes, and feel comfortable, Harrison is not for you.
Truly great mentors are like parents, doctors, therapists, spiritual figures, and others because in order to help you they need to expose you to pain and expose your weaknesses. But suppose you act on the advice and pain created by a mentor. In that case, you will become better: a better attorney, better employees, a better boss, know where you are going, and appreciate where you have been--you will hopefully also become a happier and better person. As you learn from Harrison, he hopes he will become your mentor.
To read more career and life advice articles visit Harrison's personal blog.
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Hi, I’m Harrison Barnes. I’m serious about improving Lawyers’ legal careers. My only question is, will it be yours?

About Harrison Barnes
Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.
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