Originally, I titled this article “Hire a Lawyer,” but I changed my mind. While having an attorney on staff can save a company a lot of money, smaller companies probably can’t afford the luxury of an in-house counsel. Thus, my decision to change, not downgrade, to a paralegal.
All companies should have a lawyer to whom they can turn when they have an issue. That’s a good way to stop an “issue” from becoming a “problem.” There are three people a business owner needs to stop them from doing something stupid: An accountant (CFO), think audits; a lawyer, think lawsuits; and a marketer/PR person, think Bud Light and Target. (In three weeks, read my article on PR crisis management!) Stupidity can cost millions, even billions. Just consider the $25 million Starbucks has been ordered to pay the manager they fired. And I am certain Starbucks has a platoon of lawyers and HR personnel, which, I guess, undermines the entire premise of this article!
But let’s ignore that. The reason I believe hiring a paralegal is smart is that they can communicate with outside counsels and make sure that the company is not being overcharged. After all, some lawyers charge for everything they do, according to the amount of time it takes. It’s not simply by the hour, but could be in six-minute increments. So, reading an email could cost $50. Your guess is as good as mine about how much reviewing a contract would cost.
When I was working at a nursing home, I wandered into the executive offices. The president was sitting with the board chair who invited me to join them. They were reviewing the budget. I had never seen it before. There was no reason I should have. I was responsible for fundraising and marketing, by no means a significant part of the budget.
My first shock was what we paid for medications. We are talking tens of millions of dollars! But then I saw the legal fees. Every time someone called the lawyer he charged us. Being paranoid, I thought that was why I was invited to join the meeting. I spoke with the lawyer at least a couple of times a month. But, as I surveyed the detailed billings, which showed with whom he spoke and about what, I was nowhere to be found.
That made me curious. So, when I got back to my office, I called him. “Why,” I asked, “did he not bill for my calls.” It was a good thing no one was around. After all, I could have called from the president’s office. His reply, “You don’t aggravate me!” I thanked him, we both laughed, and I understood the subtext. I had seen why my colleagues called him. My calls were of a different nature.
In any event, hiring a paralegal, for example to be the CEO’s executive assistant, (a position I am currently trying to fill in Florida), makes sense. A paralegal can read letters and contracts, track the corporate calendar, and should have a good gut feeling if an actual lawyer should be consulted about something. They also have the secretarial (that’s not a bad word) and people skills to represent the CEO properly and professionally. After all, paralegals work for demanding attorneys, and with demanding judges and clients. It’s great on-the-job training for being in the executive suite.
Employment Edification 