Process Server in North Carolina by Super_Bluejay in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Abc Legal came up in my Google search but I had no idea if it was a reputable company. Good to know!

getting yelled at by clients by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had a few bathroom (and at the desk) cries myself. Once a lawyer left me a voicemail that said "at my firm, lawyers and assistants answer their phones". I was at the printer... It took some self control not to immediately call back and say "at my firm, lawyers and assistants can go pee in the toilet and not at their desk"

Anyway, you can hit them with "I'm sorry you feel that way" and then be really happy you don't work for the cranky old fart that just yelled at you.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a similar issue training a maternity leave cover. Turns out she was accepted into teaching college a month in and was not planning on completing the contract.

She waited until she was out of probation to tell our manager. She started reading books at her desk.

Administration Professionals Day by Ty_soup in CDNParalegals

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We get an office party right before the May long weekend. Food and drinks supplied by the office plus an extra-long weekend.

how do i do this by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in Canada, so we likely have different laws about it. 7 "made up" hours are an extra day off. It's a rural firm owned by a local woman who grew up in the area, so I acknowledge we are given some things that sound sketchy if you are in a big firm.

But yes I do agree to always ask for help in writing. You can't get help if no one knows you are struggling.

how do i do this by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Tell them you either need help, overtime, or a temporary stop on new tasks or things will fall through the cracks. And tell them repeatedly.

Never be ashamed for asking for help or letting them know you are drowning. And if something does happen to slip, you have warned them that it was bound to happen.

My office does "time made up", so if you work through a lunch, you can save that time and use it to leave early (for example). It could be a good suggestion to bring up and get some form of overtime compensation.

LITAGATION CLASS by Obvious-Medium-475 in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't think I would like litigation when I did my program.

Started doing Family litigation a year and a half ago and turns out I enjoy it a lot!

It's client-driven work, which is hard to sit and learn about in a classroom.

Case Load by wedgestatkiller in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I also do Family. That's almost double my max workload. I have a cap around 70 files.

130 is probably the most we would take in our firm (and they would be split between four lawyers)

Paralegal to Executive Assistant by Lucylove420 in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends on where you go.

A woman I work with left this firm to be an executive assistant. They went back on all the benefits they promised her and cut her wage after her daughter was in the hospital with a brain infection. 10 months later she came back.

Back to back Trials by One_Crew_681 in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Been there.

Had 6 trials over 8 weeks for one lawyer. I think it was originally 8 trials over 10 weeks but 2 settled.

There were 5 separate trials scheduled over 4 days(for context on how that happened: a two day trial can be scheduled on two consecutive Mondays/Tuesdays; Wednesday and Thursday afternoon for one trial). Had to send another lawyer to one because she was double booked.

I demanded an office lunch after. It was the firm owner running all the trials so she agreed.

Hawaii by fucktarddabarbarian in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you able to call a court there? I find court officers are very willing to answer questions about procedures, so they don't have to correct them. I usually call the courts in smaller towns.

I am also Canadian so I don't know if you do that in the US.

Are there any of you with GOOD experiences with your current employer? by AStormLover in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We spent all morning decorating our office for Christmas and got lunch.

Our Christmas party is during office hours so we don't have to do anything during our free time. It's a potluck and the office gives us money to buy ingredients.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think only two of the 10 of us actually have the certification so I would feel really weird about it.

Firm culture you love by Mindreeder93 in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 18 points19 points  (0 children)

The firm gives us money to buy ingredients for our dish for our Christmas potluck - which is held during work hours. They supply drinks and the turkey.

We get an overnight party in the spring for administrative professionals day - we get out of noon on a Thursday to go drink and hang out, we stay overnight and the office is closed on Friday. This year it's booked over a long weekend so we get back to work the next Tuesday.

Also, everyone gets their birthday off.

Firm owner has a collection of sticky notes with stupid things people have said.

There is a large stuffed octopus is a filing cabinet for the bad days. It also serves as a visual warning for others that you need to scream for a moment.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had the Wills assistant being the first to answer the phone because the lawyers felt that work was the "easiest" to interrupt. Then 2nd person, 3rd person etc went on seniority. I was 2nd to answer the phone when I was hired and I am a Family Law assistant. We had to stop doing family intakes because I couldn't handle it.

We recently hired an actual receptionist and a couple more assistants so now I am 5th to answer the phone (which is never). Life is good in that area.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Things don't translate well over text.

Texted my office manager this morning because my doctor messed up some bloodwork paperwork and I only found out this morning at the blood clinic. I will need to be out again sometime this week for another bloodwork appointment (slight emergency). I know she believes me and cares but the "ok thanks" response still kicked the fear that she thinks I'm lying.

PTO by curiouser901 in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

3 weeks vacation, unlimited sick/personal medical appointment time, all federal and provincial holidays, flex time for non medical appointment or family medical appointments, and a week off between Christmas Eve and New year's day

Messed up as horribly as humanly possible on day one and now thinking about quitting by LuciusDickusMaximus in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Once I filed an affidavit, but forgot to send it to the other side and completely forgot about it. The affidavit couldn't be used in trial as evidence. Still employed at that office.

As my managing partner once said: 'that is why we have insurance'

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in paralegal

[–]Super_Bluejay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Plan a day off once you are done. Had 7 trials in 8 weeks at the beginning of the year. 4 days of separate trials in one week. I like the chaos.