Is My Paralegal Productive Enough?
[PLEASE NOTE: The following is not written using AI, these are my personal thoughts]
A common small law firm growth catch 22 is being slightly understaffed needing your core team members (aka paralegals and associates) to work some overtime. Many firms face this peril at some point and it’s actually a great problem to have because it means you’re growing! The stress (and financial implications) of that growth can often lead to turnover. Staff can feel overwhelmed and managers unsure whether team members are pulling their weight. I’d like to address the latter and help you not only determine whether a paralegal is being as productive as they should be, but also offer one solution to the problem.
This issue typically comes up as the question, “does it take that long to do __ task”? And to that, my answer is always, “it did that time”.
There is no set amount of time it takes to do a particular task, because there are so many variables to each time the task is accomplished. The best way to find out if your paralegal is being productive is through historical data. Here is the process:
-We can leverage AI and get a range for the task (be careful to give as much information as possible in the prompt).
-Then we can run a report from the billing software to find out how much time the task takes firmwide (including the attorneys).
- Lastly, we can run another report to see how long a particular paralegal is taking to accomplish the task.
IF the paralegal consistently takes slightly longer, I wouldn’t fret, but if you find it to be a general theme with their work, you may address it. Be mindful, asking a paralegal to speed up may leave a larger margin for error.
The true fix is a review of the firm’s SOPs, technology use and the paralegal’s adherence to these. Often a slower paralegal is slower because they are accomplishing tasks in a less efficient manner.
With that, my advice is to talk with your team and review your SOPs and use of technology on tasks your paralegal is responsible for. You may address slower productivity from a firm wide angle, in which everyone on the team may be able to expand their bandwidth. Instead of pointing out how one team member is the weak link, you may strengthen the entire team; including yourself. Of course, this will cost the firm more time initially, in evaluating, developing and launching new protocols and technologies.
In the meantime, I suggest getting some part-time and/or temporary support for your firm. If you're a small to medium sized law firm navigating the balance between growing your team and managing overhead, Asked + Answered can help! Whether you need help recruiting the right paralegal for a permanent hire or want outsourced paralegal support while you figure out your next move, we specialize in connecting attorneys with experienced legal talent — on your timeline and your terms. Reach out at: support@a3socal.com