New ways of doing business have opened the doors for a new breed of legal professionals, including emerging technology, vanishing jobs, and budget-conscious clients. As legal professionals are learning these new ways of doing business, a rising number of law firms and legal professionals are outsourcing legal work to freelancers to handle the large amounts of work overflow, bring in new expertise and serve their clients more cost-effectively.
What is a Legal Freelancer?
Independent contractors who work from home or from a remote workplace are called freelancers. Among this growing group of individuals are the new and upcoming legal freelancers, who work from a “virtual” office as opposed to a traditional law firm. They are generally not tied to one single employer, and they serve a variety of clients across the globe, work on the projects of their choosing and maintain the hours of their choice.
These freelancers represent great value to the employer as the employer/firm does not need to pay benefits, supply workspace, office supplies or a secretary. Therefore, the traditional overhead is eliminated. Not to mention, these firms can often hire freelancers at a lower rate than a traditional employee.
Freelancers can often provide the expertise that is not offered within the confines of their firm, and consequently can also offer local work on behalf of an out-of-town firm, i.e. court appearances, filing papers with the local court, to name a few. This conveniently eliminates the need for the firm to travel to that location.
Freelance Careers in Law
Many careers and work in the legal industry are opening up to freelancers including:
- Lawyers
- Law Students
- Paralegals
- Legal Assistants
- Court Reporters
- Secretaries
- Litigation Support Personnel
- Legal Nurse Consultants
The growth of legal outsourcing is being fueled by the wide range of legal services.
Advantages of Freelancing
- Working from Home
- Flexible Schedules
- Increased Earnings
- Being Your Own Boss
- Work-Life Balance
The start-up costs of launching a freelance career in this field is much lower than costs for other business start-ups.
Building an Asset
In owning and operating a successful freelance business, you create an asset that could be saleable down the road. If you earn a good income, have a good reputation, a list of returning clients and any other business assets, you will be able to sell your business to another.
National Exposure
Legal freelancers are not geographically confined or limited to serving clients within their city or town. You are able to effectively work across the country or even the globe. National exposure enables you to learn new skills, new areas of law, and opens doors to new clients and opportunities.
Let us not forget – no office politics, no commute, personal freedom, income control, respect, tax benefits, casual attire (pajamas and slippers if you’d like), diversification and new networks!
Get your resume done today and get started. You won’t regret it!
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