A paralegal is the professional of legal science that performs procedures autonomously or semi autonomously, as part of a legal assistance system, and performs tasks that require understanding of the legislation for its proper execution.
What exactly does a paralegal do?
Paralegals perform tasks such as conducting legal and factual research, drafting court documents and correspondence, reviewing and summarizing records, filing documents with the court, maintaining files, and communicating with clients.
Do paralegals go to law school?
The law states that a paralegal needs to either have a BA degree with one year of law-related work experience verified by a practicing attorney or hold a paralegal certification from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved program. They are also required to take a continuing education course in ethics every 3 years.
Can I hire a paralegal instead of a lawyer?
A paralegal may not be a licensed attorney, but it may be a budget-friendly decision to hire a paralegal for certain legal matters but not all scenarios. All too often, attorneys who are overbooked and constantly in court will employ paralegals to handle clients until it is time to go to court.
How To Become A Paralegal In South Africa: Paralegal Courses & More
Are you looking for a way to become a paralegal in South Africa? If yes, then this informative article is for you. You will be given detailed information about Paralegal, where you can study to become a paralegal in South Africa, Paralegal Courses, and More.
Who is a paralegal? What does this career entail? Would you like to be more informed about what individuals in this field do and what it takes for one to be recognised as a paralegal? This list of paralegal courses shades more light on the responsibilities of an individual in this line of work.
Paralegal Studies
These are the essential details you ought to be familiar with before making up your mind about joining this field. The details will help you better understand the scope that the job title covers as well as the paralegal meaning.
What Is A Paralegal?
Paralegals are individuals who perform legal research as well as business-related research for lawyers. In most cases, they work for legal departments, law offices, or courts. Their scope of work also involves providing legal support services to attorneys.
Their job position does not allow them to assume the duties of a lawyer or an attorney to sign official documents. Neither are paralegals permitted to advocate for the rights of the clients whom they represent nor give them legal advice.
Paralegal Salary In South Africa
On average, an individual working in this field earns an average salary of R166,899.
How Do I Become A Paralegal In South Africa?
If you wish to venture into this field, here is all about the required courses that you should pursue:
Wills And Estates
Wills and Statesmen compasses testate succession and matters drafting of wills and codicils, evaluation of wills and codicils, the legal formalities entailing execution, and the revocation of wills.
Family Law And Divorce
Family Law and Divorce focuses on the institution of legal marriages, engagement, and breach of promise. It also encompasses the consequences of marriage and the ante-nuptial contract.
Family Court Practice
Family Court Practice is a continuation of the family law and divorce course. It provides a more detailed insight into the issues that are related to family law and divorce. These areas of interest include domestic violence, child guardianship, and custody.
Debt Collecting
Debt Collecting deals with the legal procedures entailing the recovery of debts. This procedure involves the drafting of summonses and letters of demand.
Labour Law
Labour Law focuses on the relationship between the employer and the employee concerning the details provided in the employment contract.
Legal Writing
This course is designated to empower students with the required tools for the construction of legal documents like debt collecting documents and pleadings.
As a paralegal, you can offer your services to any of the following institutions:
Government Departments
Estate Agents
Legal Firms
Legal Aids
Paralegal Courses
Unlike most legal careers that require one to have pursued their LLB and spent not less than four years studying, paralegal studies do not require that much time.
If you are passionate about this line of work and would like to pursue your studies in the field, you can check out the courses that these institutions have to offer.
The South African School Of Paralegal Studies
The courses are divided into two categories: the core courses and the additional courses. The core courses are:
Property Law & Conveyancing
Business Law
Criminal Law & Procedure
Wills & Estates
Debt Collecting Civil Litigation
The additional courses are:
Introduction to the legal profession
Introduction to the South African law.
The South African School of Paralegal Studies also offers distance learning paralegal courses. The courses are subdivided into three categories; the short courses which comprise of the six core courses, the senior paralegal course, and the commercial law course. You might want to know more about these programmes before enrolling.
The South African Law School
This institution offers a National Certificate in Paralegal Practice. The course is offered on both a full-time and part-time basis; hence, it is more convenient for employed students.
The University Of South Africa
The University of South Africa offers Introduction to Paralegal Studies under NQF level 5. Before proceeding to enroll, going through the details about the programme is crucial.
University Of Johannesburg
Are you looking forward to enrolling for a Diploma in Paralegal Studies? If that is so, you might want to check out the National Diploma Law (Paralegal Studies) that the University of Johannesburg offers. It is a three-year programme that will qualify you for the job.
Cape Peninsula University Of Technology
This institution offers a Bachelors’s degree in Paralegal studies. Since it is a new programme in the institution, you might want to go through further details about it before enrolling.
Below are steps to How to Become A Paralegal In South Africa
Step 1. Fulfill Paralegal Education Requirements
Paralegals are not licensed at the national level, meaning there are no federal regulations dictating the standards to which paralegals should be held. With the exception of a few states, paralegals are not directly regulated at the state level either. While it is not required in all 50 states, several professional organizations do provide paralegal certification.
In the absence of state and federal regulations, employers establish the hiring standards for paralegals. At the most basic level, you must have some formal education to become a paralegal. You may consider earning one of the following:
An associate degree in paralegal studies. An associate degree generally takes about two years to complete. The minimum admissions requirements vary from school to school but will typically include a high school diploma.
A bachelor’s degree in legal studies or a related field. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years to complete. According to the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), employers are placing increasing emphasis on earning at least a bachelor’s degree.
A master’s degree in legal studies. If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you may want to consider a master’s degree. A master’s degree in legal studies (MLS) may cover courses such as negotiation, intellectual property law, employment law, legal writing and trial advocacy. These may prepare graduates to take on a variety of tasks as a paralegal or other legal professional.
Those looking to transition from another career field as well as those with unique lifestyle needs may consider enrolling in an online Master of Legal Studies program, which grants you the freedom to pursue a degree while working.
Step 2. Determine a Specialty
There are a number of specializations to choose from when considering your path to becoming a paralegal. If you’re interested in pursuing a master’s degree, you may select one of the numerous legal studies concentrations offered by programs across the country, allowing you to specialize in a specific area of law. Different concentrations can lead to different careers. For instance:
Litigation paralegals work with trial attorneys throughout various phases of a trial from investigations to pleadings and discovery.
Government paralegals work with regulatory agencies, law enforcement or politicians.
Estate planning and probate paralegals communicate with families, tax auditors and trustees in handling estates.
Labor law paralegals work on issues between employers and employees such as discrimination or poor working conditions.
If you’re not interested in a career in government, you may pursue jobs in real estate, hospitals, social work, human resources or other fields within the private sector. Naturally, paralegals can be found working at law firms or corporations as well.
Step 3. Complete a Paralegal Certification (Recommended)
Beyond your education, the NFPA recommends that you complete a certifying examination to receive paralegal certification. Paralegal certifications are available through a number of professional organizations. Your options for paralegal certifications include, but are not limited to:
The Certified Paralegal certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).
The Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) certification also from NALA.
The Professional Paralegal certification from NALS, a national association for legal professionals.
Remember, you don’t need a certification to be a paralegal. However, pursuing one is encouraged. As noted by the ABA, certification may enhance your employment prospects. That’s because for some employers, certification demonstrates your competency in and commitment to your chosen field.
Skills Required for Paralegals
Paralegals use a combination of hard and soft skills to get their work done. Continually developing such skills may prove beneficial to your career. Whether you’re pursuing a master’s degree in legal studies or a certification, be sure to familiarize yourself with in-demand paralegal skills. Here are a few common skills paralegals use:
Organization skills
Legal research
Reading comprehension
Active listening
Judgment and decision-making
Legal writing
Critical thinking
Emotional intelligence
Complex problem-solving
Public speaking
What qualifications do I need to be a paralegal?
You’ll need:
to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
the ability to read English.
excellent verbal communication skills.
excellent written communication skills.
administration skills.
the ability to work well with others.
legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations.
Are paralegals in demand in South Africa?
Due to the efficiency paralegals provide in their legal services, their expertise is in high demand.
Where can I study paralegal in South Africa?
The Diploma in Law (Paralegal Studies) presented by the Faculty of Law of the University of Johannesburg is a qualification that focuses on the basic principles of law in combination with the skills that a paralegal needs to work with in the field of law.
Is South African School of Paralegal Studies registered?
Although these courses are not an accredited NQF qualification, our courses have been developed specifically for the specialized training of paralegal and legal support staff in professional practices, financial institutions, corporations and those wanting to embark upon a paralegal career.
Can I be a paralegal without a degree?
While there are no mandatory educational requirements to become a Paralegal, it’s common for Paralegals to have some legal training.
What is a paralegal salary in South Africa?
about R3000, 00 per month
Salaries will vary according to where you work and the kind of organization you work for, but generally a paralegal will start out at about R3000, 00 per month.
Is paralegal a good career in South Africa?
The legal field is one of the most lucrative career paths in the country. Not only do the individuals in this profession work towards ensuring that laws are formulated, but they also ensure that the enacted laws are followed. Some of the individuals working under this field are the paralegal officers.
Can a paralegal open their own business in South Africa?
There’s a catch, of course; paralegals cannot practice law, so the most natural type of business to be in is one you can’t open. But a law practice isn’t the only sort of firm in legal services, and the alternatives are becoming more and more widespread.
How many years does it take to be a paralegal?
It can take anywhere between two and seven years to become a paralegal, depending on where you are in your journey and what degree you want to pursue. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete, a bachelor’s takes four years and a master’s generally takes two years.
Whats the difference between a legal assistant and a paralegal?
Both paralegals and legal assistants present alternative career opportunities in the legal field; however, their work and responsibilities differ. Paralegals perform more specialized, litigative work and require a more demanding educational background. Legal assistants are much more administratively focused.
Is it hard to find a job as a paralegal in South Africa ?
My best advice for getting hired as a paralegal is training, experience and networking. As a new paralegal getting that first job is tough because employers are looking for experience. Any internships a paralegal student can do would be beneficial in the long run and worth the legal experience gained in the field.
How much does it cost to get a paralegal certificate in South Africa ?
An undergraduate paralegal certificate or post-associate’s or post-bachelor’s program through a proprietary school will cost you between R 102110.54 while undergraduate certificate programs through community colleges typically cost between R 43761.66- R 116697.76.