A lawyer is a person learned in the law and licensed to practice. A lawyer applies legal theories to solve individual problems, either to compensate a party who has suffered a loss or to defend the party who is accused of causing the loss. A paralegal is not a lawyer, but assists the lawyer in his work. The paralegal is trained to perform legal duties but is not legally authorized to complete them.



Part of a lawyers job may include researching facts, prior cases and general statutes of the law and then drafting the legal papers. They may also brief the court in writing on the details of a case prior to trial. The paralegal may also assist in these duties to help the lawyer prepare for court.

Generally, a lawyer has attended law school and obtained a Masters or Bachelor of Laws degree. They may have also earned another Bachelors degree simultaneously. In some countries law students work full time to pay tuition while attending a part time program. Paralegals may have earned a Bachelors and also gained extensive work experience that gives them the knowledge to perform the same work, but without the credentials. Both the lawyer and the paralegal follow the same ethical guidelines within the law.

After completing their schooling, a lawyer will need to decide whether to work in private practice or another venue such as a corporate business atmosphere or government service or continue on to be a prosecutor or judge. Initially, some lawyers will take any case that comes their way. Others are specialized and only take certain types of cases such as personal injury, divorce or malpractice. A specialized attorney is bound have experienced more scenarios relevant to each following case and therefore become more effective. In each venue, there is undoubtedly a paralegal present to take on some of the work load and prepare the case files in order to streamline the focus of the lawyer.

Compensation. There are a number of ways that lawyers are paid for their work. Most lawyers require a non-refundable retainer. Some lawyers work on a pro-bono basis. Legal aid attorneys represent those who cannot afford the charges so the attorneys are compensated on a case by case basis by the government. A lawyer working for a corporation is generally on the payroll and earns a regular salary. A private practice attorney may receive an hourly pay rate, a contingency fee or a lump sum payment. Paralegals in a federal government environment earn the highest level of pay, though the length of experience has more to do with where they fall on the pay scale. Paralegals with 10 years experience earn a reasonable wage overall.

Paralegals help the lawyer that they are working for to become more profitable. They are also permitted to work for themselves contracting their services to firms or as freelancers. Whatever experience the paralegal obtains is valuable and can be applied as they move up the ladder. The paralegal field is one of the fastest growing and many go on to pursue studies in law school and even become lawyers themselves. Their background as a paralegal gives them the advantage to succeed quickly.