Paralegal Chula Vista

Posts Tagged ‘than’

Question by Dolkite: Is it OK that I’m using a paralegal rather than an attorney for my bankruptcy?
I’ve decided to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy…my employment hasn’t been steady in the last year and my debts eclipsed my rent even though I was on a debt mgmt company. All my accounts are closed and I haven’t used a card for anything since July (and that was at best a $ 25 grocery purchase). I’ve been living off of temporary jobs and the occasional two-week unemployment benefit. I’m single, live alone in a small apartment, have no assets (not even a car). I have approximately $ 25K in old credit card debt. I’m not a shopaholic…most of the debt was incurred either to help me stay afloat while unemployed (and not receiving UE benefits).

I know bankruptcy will screw my credit, but I don’t really care…I don’t plan on moving anytime soon or buying anything on credit within the next few years. It would be wonderful to be able to put away some savings after paying my bills ($ 1500 a month would pay all my bills and allow me a modest budget of disposable income) would feel wonderful after scraping by for years and praying I don’t lose a job.

I can’t afford to hire an attorney, so I’m having a paralegal help me out. I know an atty would be better, but since I have nothing to save (no assets), I figure things would be pretty cut and dried.

At the moment, I am subsisting on temporary jobs and unemployment benefits during the weeks I am not working. A permanent job could come along, but I’m guessing not for at least another month.
wash – you can make payments to an attorney? I visited one early on in my decision and they quoted me $ 1700, all upfront. I’ve heard that if you screw up your paperwork, you cant file for bankruptcy for a whole year, so I realize the value of an attorney…however, I also have a pretty simple financial matter: no assets, no kids, no mortgage.

Yahir – I don’t know if you’re a real person or not since I see a lot of these links, but just FYI – I was working with a debt mgmt company for about three years before I lost a job and could no longer pay them.
I’m single, no kids, never married.

This paralegal is not working for an attorney…she has her own business. She also told me she has filed for bankruptcy herself a number of times….I don’t know if this is a warning sign or it proves that she knows the ropes as far as what to expect.

Best answer:

Answer by washtocal
You know you can make payments to an attorney.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by Jacob L. D: What do paralegals working for the federal government do differently than other paralegals working elsewhere?
As I understand, paralegals who work for the federal gov’t earn the most than state or local gov’t. If this is the case, what differences in job requirements exist? And what qualifications (degrees, experience, etc.) would one need in order to land a job as one?

Best answer:

Answer by Prorkycake
My caveat: I am currently employed as a construction litigation paralegal in the state of Texas. My answer is based on my CURRENT knowledge, experience and education.

With that said, I know only ONE federal government paralegal and she does NOT make more than most of the private firm paralegals that I know. I am very active in my local and state bar paralegal associations and I do network quite a bit. If you are only inquiring about a federal position for the salary, you will be surprised to find that many private firm paralegals make quite a bit more through bonuses and better benefits.

I can tell you that salary is always going to be dependent on experience and education. As far as qualifications, that is going to be wholly dependent on what they are looking for. No one can predict that.

This particular individual that I know had 10 years of experience before getting hired by the State of Texas to work in the attorney general’s office. At her 15 year mark, on a whim, she told me she applied for a position in the Federal Court and got the job; however, technically, she is no longer considered a paralegal, but a law clerk.

I have seen even fewer advertisements for state/local/federal paralegal positions. I would not hold my breath for one of these positions. Usually, like all government jobs, once they are filled, they stay there until retirement.

With that said, these positions are highly competitive. The individual I know possesses an associate’s degree in paralegal studies and completed her bachelor’s degree in social work. She is a Certified Paralegal and Registered Paralegal with 33 years of civil litigation/family law and criminal law experience.

I would venture to say that unless you have a similar resume, landing a federal position would be difficult to capture. They will be looking for individuals with government experience. In this case, she had experience working for the attorney general so she was already familiar with how things are done.

I would say that you would need no less than a proper associate’s degree but would not be surprised if they required a bachelor’s degree. I would also venture to assume that they would want previous government experience at a lower level and would probably want 3-5 years experience minimum. I would also assume that writing samples would need to be submitted such as a sample legal brief. You would need to be strong in legal research and writing. I seriously and highly doubt that one could secure an “entry-level” position at that level. They are going to want lots of experience, knowledge and know that you are capable of hitting the ground running.

Again, this is my experience talking. If you are truly interested, your best bet is to contact their hiring offices directly and ask.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by klav: Why am I seeing job postings where some paralegals are making more than associate attorneys?
When looking at legal job postings, I see a lot of posts for paralegals. Some of the salaries are more than associate attorneys I know are making. Some are even more than senior lawyers I know make at small law firms, and definitely more than a lot of solo attorney I know.

Why is this? Are paralegals becoming more valuable than attorneys to some companies? Do you think this profession will continue to grow and evolve? Will they become more valuable and make more money?

Also I am talking “real” paralegal positions here, not legal assistant jobs or legal secretaries.

Best answer:

Answer by T E
that isnt surprising, as that could be a 30 yrs experienced paralegal vs a rookie associate attorney.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!