The Truth in Finding Relief with Your Freelance Paralegal Support
By Molly Gulbrandson, ParaOne Legal Services, LLC
When solo practitioners or small firms reach out to freelance paralegals looking for assistance, they often share the same message: they’re overwhelmed. They don’t have enough hours in the day for all the work. They’re fully capable and managing on their own, but they could also use some paralegal support.
While getting a paralegal involved feels like an obvious solution, it’s the way in which a paralegal provides support that is the crucial piece in finding a sense of relief.
Task-Based v. Strategy-Based Paralegal Support
Task-Based
There is a difference in the level of support a paralegal offers. Task-based paralegal support can be incredibly valuable as work gets delegated, assignments are completed, and progress is made. The attorney assigns a task, the paralegal completes it and the job is done.
However, while work is accomplished, the mental load of the attorney often stays put.
The attorney is still tasked with tracking deadlines, anticipating issues, and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. The responsibility remains centralized with the attorney or firm, even if the work itself is shared with the paralegal.
When that happens, attorneys often feel they’re still the ones carrying most of the load.
The feeling isn’t rooted in the quality of the paralegal support; it comes from ownership in the work.
Strategy-Based
Relief shows up when support extends beyond completing tasks.
When a paralegal is experienced and understands how the work fits together and why timing matters, task-based work shifts to strategy-based support. Some examples of strategy-based paralegal support are as follows:
Paralegal spotting deadlines and calendaring prior to being asked (also assumes responsibility for tracking and following up with deadlines)
Paralegal viewing a task as part of a larger matter and case strategy as opposed to a one-time task
Paralegal recognizing any issues associated with a task and handling or flagging before problems ensue
Paralegal utilizing tasks to identify further work as part of a matter as opposed to a single item
Relief is subtle. It may not be noticed. Follow-ups will come from the paralegal as opposed to the attorney. Deadlines appear on the calendar as opposed to requesting them to be added. Problems that may have resulted were either handled before they had a chance to happen or were flagged so they could be handled long in advance of any last-minute scramble.
The difference of strategy-based paralegal support shows up when the attorney’s stress level goes down.
Why Experience Makes the Difference
Strategy-based paralegal support brings a clearer understanding of how details interrelate within a case. These paralegals understand how the details connect and can help distinguish between steps that require closer attention and those that can move efficiently without increasing risk. That judgment helps balance efficiency with the right level of collaboration.
The work delegated in both support systems may look similar from the outside, but it is approached differently by the paralegal. The perspective changes. You will see the work in the strategy-based support model is more proactive than reactive and more intentional than transactional.
That difference here is often what turns support into relief.
Why This Distinction Matters as Practices Grow
As caseloads grow, the way attorneys rely on support naturally changes. The volume of work increases, decisions move faster and collaboration becomes more central to keeping matters on track. Support that can operate with judgment and context becomes essential.
Task-based support can keep things moving. Strategy-based support will build trust, increase efficiency and provide relief.
For growing practices, that distinction matters. Not just for productivity, but for sustainability.
Sometimes what an attorney is really looking for is not just another set of hands, but a reliable presence that helps carry the responsibility of keeping track of details and the full picture of the cases.
That is the difference between getting support and getting relief.