Like a lot of other fields, Law is also very vast. It also consists of different professional capacities, some common everywhere while some differ country wise and region wise.
Naturally, these individuals working in different professional capacities perform tasks that are more or less similar yet different in nature because they are all a part of the legal system. In other words, we have professionals like Legal Document Assistants, Paralegals, Attorneys, Lawyers, Barristers, etc, all of whom are related to the law system in different ways. Due to this difference, one needs to be careful while choosing the type of professional for one’s work.
This leads us to the question, ‘how to know which professional to approach for which type of work?’ So, in this article, we will try to throw some light on who is a ‘Legal Document Assistant’, a ‘Paralegal’ and an ‘Attorney’ to help you get some clarity.
Legal Document Assistant
A Legal Document Assistant is a person who has undertaken the study of law. He/she, thus, knows how the legal system works. But, a Legal Document Assistant is a person who hasn’t cleared the bar examination. Hence, he/she is not authorized to have the right to audience; in simple words, fight cases in a court of law. But, they can perform the task of preparing all the necessary documents for any task. They can be hired by private individuals, institutions or firms for their work, without hiring an attorney as well.
Paralegal
A Paralegal is also a person who has completed the study of law but hasn’t cleared the bar examination. Hence, he/she is also not authorized to have the right to audience. The task of a Paralegal is to prepare the documents and case details for an attorney. Unlike Legal Document Assistants, Paralegals cannot be hired by individuals, etc because Paralegals are authorized to work with attorneys only.
Attorney
An attorney is a person who has undertaken the study of law and has cleared the bar examination as well. Due to this, he/she is authorized to have the right to audience. But, this right is restricted to the location/s at which he/she has cleared the bar examination and holds the license of practice. An attorney can advise you on the various acts and provisions relevant to your case and the possible outcomes if the case is fought in a court of law. He/she will take care of everything related to your case and will keep you updated too about the developments thereof.
The above details are subject to the different laws and amendments in them, at different locations.
From the above discussions, it can be concluded that certain matters can be solved by Legal Document Assistants whereas certain matters need the expertise of attorneys. You may not be able to spot the exact need always, therefore it is advisable to approach a reliable legal professional to get the best and correct advice and avoid the unnecessary hassles.
