In 2024, there were about 463,600 law firms in the USA. More importantly, the number of law firms has grown by 1.8 percent per year between 2020 and 2025. However, while the numbers look good, everything is not okay when it comes to the way law firms operate. Research reveals that law firms in the US face three major challenges: growth struggles, efficiency concerns, and employee burnout.
In other words, firms have been struggling to grow while trying to reduce headcounts and operate as lean organizations. At the same time, they are also dealing with increasing cases of employee burnout due to overwork. While technology can address some of these issues, a more sustainable solution lies in partnering with a legal outsourcing company. Let us explain how.
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Why Partner with a Legal Outsourcing Company?
While law firms aim to eliminate waste and downtime, they still spend too much time on back-office work that adds little value to the bottom line. This is where outsourcing can make a meaningful difference. You can delegate paralegal tasks and other time-consuming support functions that contribute little to your firm’s growth.
Additionally, when the bulk of back-office work is outsourced to a legal outsourcing company, your lawyers and in-house staff can focus on more strategic, value-driven tasks. Your outsourcing partner can manage not only routine administrative duties but also other operational tasks. This move saves time and internal resources, allowing your team to concentrate on core legal functions. It also helps reduce overhead costs and improve your firm’s profitability.
A legal outsourcing company can also support your digital marketing needs—helping your firm attract new clients through SEO, social media, and paid advertising. For example, digital marketers can implement on-page and off-page SEO strategies to improve your visibility on Google search results. They also ensure your content is optimized for discoverability across platforms, including digital assistants and search engines.
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Five Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Outsourced Paralegal
The discussion above clearly outlines the importance of outsourcing and how it can be a game changer for law firms in the US. But finding the perfect outsourcing partner is no easy task, given the hundreds of legal outsourcing companies in the market. Moreover, there are hundreds of paralegals on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, and choosing one can be daunting.
Figure 1: Fiverr has about 250 results for freelancers offering paralegal services
Therefore, to make the right choice and find the needle in the haystack, you need to ask specific questions to evaluate their communication skills, experience, ability to handle sensitive information, and pricing. You should also inquire about how they communicate with lawyers and clients, along with their proficiency in using relevant software. Here are 5 such questions you should ask-
2.1 Previous Experience
Before hiring, the first question you should ask a candidate is about their previous experience handling legal cases. This will help you understand whether they are familiar with the specific needs of the practice and allow you to assess their ability to perform necessary tasks like document preparation, legal research, and client communication. You can also use this question to evaluate the qualifications of a partner you choose for paralegal outsourcing services. By choosing an outsourcing partner who has prior experience providing paralegal services in your specific domain, you can be confident in their ability to meet your needs.
2.2 Communication
Clear communication is essential in the field of paralegal work. Therefore, before hiring a potential paralegal, you should ask specific questions about their communication skills and assess their ability to convey information in a clear, professional, and efficient manner. Similarly, before choosing a legal outsourcing partner, ask about the communication skills and experience of the talents they have on board. It is always good to partner with an agency that has previously worked with or served firms in the same domain as yours.
2.3 Software Proficiency
Today, technology is used to handle a lot of work in the legal field. Therefore, before hiring a potential candidate as a paralegal, you should determine their technical skillset and their ability to handle necessary legal software like case management tools, document preparation software, and legal research databases.
2.4 Fees
It is important to understand the fees of a potential paralegal and how they will bill you before you finally sign on the dotted line. Having clarity about the fee structure will help you avoid unnecessary issues later on.
2.5 Data Security
Legal firms often deal with large volumes of sensitive information. Maintaining the confidentiality of such information is of paramount importance for any legal firm. So, whether you are looking for a partner offering paralegal outsourcing services or hiring a freelancer providing paralegal support, you should ask questions about data security.
Final Words
Legal firms in the US face several challenges. The solution to these challenges often lies in outsourcing or hiring a freelancer. However, with so many companies offering paralegal outsourcing services, it can be difficult to choose the right legal outsourcing company. In this context, you can always ask the five questions discussed above to make the right choice.
However, you don’t have to deal with any such hassles if you partner with Remote Resource. Our experienced HR professionals use their expertise to find the perfect candidate who matches your requirements. We go beyond the job description to find candidates who truly care about your brand. The virtual employees you hire from us work as an extension of your in-house team and ensure that you remain in control.
Connect with us now to learn more and experience our offerings firsthand with one week free trial.
