The Paralegal

Lawyers are much in demand these days -- overworked and, as some would claim, overpriced. More and more people find themselves needing legal advice in such matters as making a will, buying a house, defending a suit for damages (or entering one), starting a business, securing one's rights as a consumer, obtaining a divorce. How is the gap to be bridged between the supply of lawyers and demand for services? One answer, growing in popularity everywhere, is the paralegal, also called the lawyer's assistant, legal assistant, paralegal assistant, or paralegal associate.