If you are planning to set up your own Paralegal practice, delivering legal services direct to businesses and consumers, there are several issues to consider.

Competency

Although you may be confident that you have the knowledge to perform legal tasks and offer advice and assistance, it is important you are able to provide evidence to back this up. Clients want to be sure that the person handling their (often delicate) legal issues is in fact competent to do so.

Although it is not necessary to have a recognised qualification, it will certainly help. It will ensure you are fully informed, and it will give clients confidence too. Gaining an Ofqual recognised paralegal qualification will help to cement that experience and prove that you are competent to perform the work you are being asked to do.

There are various levels of qualifications and which one you choose will depend on how much experience you have. These qualifications start with an entry level qualification which is the Level 3 Award in Paralegal Practice (2 units of study) to the Level 3 Certificate (4 units of study) and finally the Level 3 Diploma (6 units of study). There is also the Level 4 Diploma in Paralegal Studies (10 units of study) and the Level 7 Diploma in Paralegal Practice for those who already have gained a Law Degree (6 units of study).

Even if you do have a recognised qualification, it’s always best to keep your knowledge up to date (which you have to do if you have a NALP Licence to Practise) by completing CPD courses each year.

Demand

Before thinking about setting up on your own, you have to be sure that there is sufficient demand out there for your particular type of work. Failure to do so means that you will not succeed in having a sustainable business. This means that you must know your market. It is important to have experienced the area in which you wish to work and to understand the services clients may want from you: Who are your potential clients? Where will you find them? What services will they want? Can you fulfil that need? How much competition is there? How will you set yourself apart?

Ensuring you understand the market and the demand is key to building a profitable business.

Setting up the business

With your professional membership and your Licence to Practise, should you incorporate your business straight away? I would say, no. The best way to test whether a business works is to commence as a sole trader. If it is successful enough after the first few years, then you could consider converting it to a limited company. However, it’s always best to get some independent financial advice from an accountant first in respect of the pros and cons of each type of business.

Marketing and PR

In order to ensure your business is sustainable there should be consistent, and ongoing marketing. This can range from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to ensure your website (and you really should have one) is found easily on any search engine, to PR activity involving the publication of articles written by you in relevant magazines and websites, which will really help to get your name and expertise known.

You also need to decide whether to outsource to an expert, which in the first instance, is probably the best option as you can control the costs and it frees you up to do the work you love – being a paralegal.

Protection

Being a member of a professional body, such as the National Association for Licensed Paralegals (NALP) is another way to give you extra kudos and credibility, and your clients confidence. It also offers both you, and them, protection.

Gaining a Licence to Practise from NALP, for example, shows that a level of due diligence has been performed to ascertain an individual’s experience and/or qualifications which have been thoroughly checked and scrutinised. In addition, the eligibility to gain a Licence to Practise requires the applicant to have PII (Professional Indemnity Insurance) and this gives any potential client confidence that you have the back-up should there be an issue.

Should there be a grievance, NALP can act as an independent arbiter ensuring you are not the victim of vexatious complaints, while also helping to ensure that the reputation of the paralegal sector is properly protected.

Being a NALP member also offers you the opportunity to get support and advice from highly experienced individuals within the organisation about your practice and career.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Hamilton is the Patron of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit membership body and the only paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its Centres around the country, accredited and recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for those looking for a career as a paralegal professional.

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