The definition of a paralegal (often called a legal assistant) is an individual who is not an attorney, but performs tasks requiring knowledge of the law. Paralegals are commonly employed by law offices and work for lawyers. They may also work independently in private practice as freelance paralegals, for the government, or in corporations.

Paralegals often handle the legal paperwork involved with many areas of the law as it is less expensive to allow a paralegal to handle this than an attorney.

Want to learn more about becoming a paralegal?

You will need to learn about paralegal education requirements and paralegal certifications.

We also have a section of our site dedicated to paralegal career info which we hope you will find invaluable for deciding if this career field is the right one for you.

There are many other resources and valuable articles on this site, please feel free to review them.

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"Discover How Money Rains Onto Paralegals Faster Than All Occupations Through 2010!" So you're ready to consider a career as a paralegal? Like most, I'm sure you're wondering about the pay. Rest assured, paralegals can earn a significant salary. As a paralegal, you will start at a minimum of about $25,000 per year and work your way up to about $60,000 a year. » More on Paralegal Salaries

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