Welcome to
NFPA's Consumer Education Site
National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. (NFPA) provides this page to offer basic information about paralegals to consumers.
What Is A Paralegal?NFPA defines a "paralegal" as a person qualified through education, training or work experience to perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and is customarily, but not exclusively, performed by a lawyer. This person may be retained or employed by a lawyer, law office, governmental agency or other entity or may be authorized by administrative, statutory or court authority to perform this work.
What are some of the benefits to an attorney's utilizing a paralegal?
There are numerous benefits to paralegal utilization. Typically firms will bill a paralegal's time at a lower hourly rate than the time of the attorney. Paralegals, with their specialized training, can do initial drafting of legal documents and correspondence to be reviewed by the attorney prior to signature. The client will reap the benefit of a lower bill.Delegating appropriate tasks to a paralegal means the attorney will have more time to handle matters that require his or her attention. Having a paralegal assigned to a matter gives the client a liaison with the attorney, thus facilitating smoother communication.
Can a paralegal give legal advice?
Typically, paralegals are not permitted by law to give legal advice. In most states it is a violation of the law for anyone other than a licensed attorney to give legal advice.What types of duties can a paralegal perform?
Paralegals can perform a wide variety of duties. Click here to go to NFPA's summary of the booklet entitled "Paralegals Roles and Responsibilities"Where can I contact a paralegal or paralegal association in my area?
Click here to go to NFPA Member Association page on the net. Then click on the state you would like more information about.Should I ask my attorney if a paralegal would be assisting with my case?
It's perfectly proper to inquire of the attorney who will be assisting him or her on your case. In fact, some consumers insist that a paralegal aid the attorney in order to minimize costs.How do courts, legislatures and bar associations define paralegals?Click on the title above to find out information.What type of formal education does a paralegal have?
Paralegals may have a variety of formal education. Some obtain a one-year certificate, while others have two-year or four-year degrees in paralegal studies. Some paralegals have a combination of some form of paralegal education and a four-year degree in some other area of study. Click here to go to NFPA's Getting Started web page.Is there other training aside from formal education?
Yes. Most employers provide on-the-job training in addition to formal education. While on-the-job training used to be the sole form of paralegal education, most employers now prefer some form of formal education in addition to what is learned on the job. In addition, paralegals routinely take continuing legal education courses presented by legal seminar providers, colleges, and universities. Click here to go to NFPA's Calendar or NFPA's CLE On-line web page.Are paralegals regulated?
Unlike attorneys, paralegals are not currently regulated in any state. They are not required to hold a license in order to perform their duties as paralegals. The majority of paralegals work under the supervision of an attorney. Click here to go to NFPA's Registered Paralegal page on the net.NFPA has an active pro bono program that involves paralegals.
Click here to view NFPA's Pro Bono page on the net.I'm not a paralegal. Can I join NFPA?
Click here for Eligibility Requirement listing.For information on California law regarding legal assistance from non-lawyers such as "legal document assistants" as authorized under the Business and Professions Code (Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 6400, et seq.) contact CALegalDoc@paralegals.org.
Other Sites You May Find Useful
www.aarp.org - American Association of Retired Persons
www.seniornet.org - especially designed for senior citizens
www.FreeAdvice.com - for consumers seeking legal information and attorneys
www.seniors.gov - useful information on getting social security forms, managing a change of address, etc.
www.consumerworld.org - consumer-based website
www.findlegalhelp.org - American Bar Association web site offering help in resolving legal matters
www.nolo.com - NOLO Press, a resource for self-help publications
Useful Publications from NFPA
NFPA's Publications page on the net.
Additional Questions?
If you have additional questions about paralegals and/or the NFPA, please send your e-mail to info@paralegals.org.This site was whacked using the TRIAL version of WebWhacker. This message does not appear on a licensed copy of WebWhacker.
