Paralegals -- What Is Their Use? (From Improving Access to Justice: The Future of Paralegal Professionals -- Conference Proceedings, 1990, Canberra, Australia, P 73-79, 1991, Julia Vernon and Francis Regan, eds. -- See NCJ-129734)

• NCJ Number: 129743
• Author(s): L Matthews
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This article contends that 80 to 90 percent of all legal inquiries can be handled by trained paralegal professionals.

Abstract

Paralegals who have received appropriate training can perform various tasks which have traditionally been regarded as the exclusive province of lawyers. This is because the type of legal information and advice sought by most people is usually not complicated, many people are reluctant to go to lawyers due to the cost, some clients fear their lawyers will not understand them or be able to explain what they need to know, and the cost of legal services is increasingly outside the reach of many individuals. Paralegals may be particularly effective in the area of family law and in dealing with the needs of disadvantaged groups such as women and migrants. Paralegals bring a different approach to legal problems that often results in a less traumatic resolution than the formal legal process. Training and accreditation for paralegals should emphasize the resolution of legal problems without litigation wherever possible. The author's experience in working with single mothers and in the legal aid field is described.