Time-Saving Hacks Every Paralegal Should Know
You take your work seriously and want to do a good job. Each day brings new challenges and you find you’re being pulled in different directions. How can you deliver on all you’re expected to do when a million emails and texts and Slacks and alerts are pinging at you? Here are some low-tech and high-tech ways you can make the most of your time at work. It’s time to commit to strategic shifts that help elevate you professionally and give you some time to breathe...
Automation & Tech Mastery
Know your legal tech: Don't just use your law firm's software; be a power user!
Explore every feature of your legal tech software that was put in place to save you time and reduce errors.
Automated workflows: Set up automated triggers for routine tasks (e.g., document routing post-filing, deadline alerts based on service, etc.).
Reporting: Learn how to create custom reports from internal tools and databases that illustrate case progress and eliminate the need for manual data compilation for attorneys.
Integrations: Understand how your systems can communicate with each other. Can your e-filing tool push service data directly to your LPMS? Can your billing software pull time entries from your case management system? Can your service or process company send data to your internal systems? Maximize all of these connections.
Use Trusted AI-Powered Legal Tools (Cautiously)
Document review & analysis: For large document sets, consider AI-driven tools that can identify key terms, patterns, or even draft summaries, significantly reducing manual review hours.
Automated proofreading & redlining: Beyond checking for spelling or grammar errors (though those can be helpful, too!), use tools that can spot legal inconsistencies, formatting errors, or compare documents in a flash.
Check your work: Remember that not all AI tools are created equally. Make sure your use of any external AI-powered tools you want to use are OK with your law practice.
Scale and Sync
Batch processing: Learn to upload multiple documents or initiate multiple service requests simultaneously if your portal supports it.
Affidavit auto-population: Utilize systems that pull service data directly into pre-formatted affidavits, minimizing re-typing and error.
Case status synching: Look for legal service providers that provide real-time status updates directly into your case management system, eliminating the need for manual tracking and phone calls.
Workflow Optimization
Create and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs). Document the most efficient, step-by-step process for critical paralegal tasks (e.g., serving process, Requests for Admissions, medical record ordering, deposition prep)...and follow them each time. When you establish the best way to do something, you won’t need to re-think it each time. (This consistency also ensures faster onboarding for new team members.)
Consider Delegation
For every task you do, quickly assess: Can this be automated (delegated to software)? Can it be delegated to a junior paralegal or admin? Focus your time on tasks only you can do.
Turn Off and Tune In: Focus
Set dedicated blocks of time in your calendar for deep work. You need uninterrupted blocks of time (e.g., 60–90 minutes) for complex tasks that require full concentration (drafting, detailed research). Mute all of your notifications and inform colleagues you're unavailable during that time.
End-of-Day Review & Next-Day Planning
Dedicate 10–15 minutes at the close of each day to review all of your accomplishments and outline the top 3 priorities for the next morning. This ensures you start your next work day focused.
Keep Calm and Paralegal On
If you’re on an airplane and the cabin loses pressure, you need to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. You’ll be of no help to anyone if you can’t breathe. And you won't operate at your full potential if you're not managing stress.
Start by taking a deep breath. Seriously. Science has proven that focusing on your breathing is a powerful way to bring calm back to your body and mind, ease anxiety and manage stress. [American Heart Association]
Try counting to 10 as you breathe: “1” as you breathe in, and “1” as you breathe out; “2” as you breathe in, and “2” as you breathe out…
If you can, take a break from what you’re working on and walk around the office, your home, or around the block. Walking, like other physical activities, produces endorphins and they help to alleviate the negative effects of stress. [Mayo Clinic]
By adopting these high-impact strategies, paralegals can complete routine tasks with great efficiency, enhance their strategic contribution to their firms, and ultimately reclaim valuable time in a most demanding profession.
Optimize your process serving with Proof and save hours on service logistics, affidavits, and field coordination.
