Jurisprudence Support
Precision, Partnership and Progress through paralegal services.
Office: 702 570 9931
Molly Zelvonberger Legal Society Ltd. offers comprehensive jurisprudence legal support and paralegal services. With over 10 years of experience, we are also proud participants in the ABA Military Pro Bono Project.
Services
Client Intake and Communication
This is the initial phase of a client relationship and is crucial for setting a professional tone and gathering essential information.
- Initial Client Screening and Information Gathering: A paralegal might spend time on the phone or in a virtual meeting with a potential client to gather basic facts about their case, perform a conflict check to ensure the firm can represent them, and explain the firm’s intake process.
- Time Estimate: 1-2 hours per new client
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $250
- Drafting and Sending Engagement Letters: Once the firm decides to take on the client, the paralegal drafts the engagement letter (the contract for legal services) for the attorney’s review and signature.
- Time Estimate: 1-2 hours per client
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $250
- General Correspondence: This includes drafting emails, letters, and other communications to clients, opposing counsel, or court staff. While seemingly simple, this correspondence must be professional, accurate, and often requires knowledge of legal terminology and procedures.
- Time Estimate: This is an ongoing, intermittent task. A paralegal might spend 15-30 minutes per day on general correspondence related to a specific client file.
- Estimated Cost: $31.25 – $62.50 per day (for correspondence)
2. Scheduling and Calendar Management
A law firm’s success depends heavily on meticulous scheduling and deadline management. A paralegal is the central figure in this process.
- Court and Meeting Scheduling: This involves coordinating with all parties—clients, opposing counsel, judges’ clerks—to schedule depositions, court hearings, and other meetings. This can be a complex, time-consuming task with multiple back-and-forth communications.
- Time Estimate: 1-3 hours per scheduled event (depending on complexity)
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $375
- Deadline Management and Docketing: The paralegal is often responsible for tracking all case deadlines and entering them into the firm’s calendar system (docketing). Missing a deadline can have severe consequences for a client’s case.
- Time Estimate: Ongoing task, approximately 1-2 hours per week per active case.
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $250 per week per case
3. Billing and Financial Administration
While the attorney sets the rates, the paralegal is often responsible for tracking their own billable hours and preparing invoices for clients.
- Timekeeping and Expense Tracking: The paralegal must accurately record their time and any related expenses (e.g., filing fees, copy costs, postage) using the firm’s billing software.
- Time Estimate: 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, depending on the number of clients and tasks.
- Estimated Cost: $62.50 – $125 per day
- Invoice Preparation: At the end of a billing cycle, the paralegal may be responsible for generating pre-bills and final invoices for the attorney’s review.
- Time Estimate: 2-4 hours per billing cycle (e.g., monthly)
- Estimated Cost: $250 – $500 per billing cycle
This breakdown illustrates that while the tasks themselves may not be highly complex, the accumulated time spent on them can represent a significant portion of a legal bill. The $125/hour rate reflects not just the task being done, but the professional expertise and responsibility required to ensure all administrative and operational support is executed flawlessly, a key component of a successful legal practice.
Our pricing model is transparent and reflects the high level of expertise you receive. Instead of a flat fee, which can be inefficient for projects that vary in complexity, we charge an hourly rate of $125. This ensures you only pay for the time spent directly on your project.
Here’s a breakdown of the value you get for the hourly rate:
- Initial Review & Risk Assessment (Approx. 1-2 hours): We’ll conduct a comprehensive review of your contract to identify potential risks, liabilities, and areas for improvement. This includes an analysis of key clauses like indemnification, termination, and dispute resolution.
- Drafting & Redlining (Approx. 2-4 hours): We will draft new contracts from scratch or meticulously redline existing ones with proposed changes. Our work focuses on ensuring the language is clear, legally sound, and aligns with your business goals.
- Legal Research (As Needed): If the contract involves complex legal issues, we will conduct thorough legal research to support our recommendations. This ensures your contracts are compliant with current laws and regulations.
- Negotiation Support (As Needed): We will prepare summaries of complex contracts, highlighting key terms and obligations to help you prepare for negotiations with other parties.
- Template Creation & Maintenance (As Needed): We can create, revise, and update standard contract templates for future use, saving you time and money on subsequent agreements.
Example Scenario: A typical, moderately complex contract review might take 2-3 hours. At our rate, the cost would be $250-$375. This is a highly cost-effective alternative to hiring an attorney for the same task.
Estate planning is a preventative legal service that involves preparing documents that dictate how a person’s assets will be managed and distributed after their death or if they become incapacitated. Legal support is often used for the meticulous work of preparing and organizing these critical documents.
- Will and Trust Drafting: Preparing the initial drafts of wills, revocable living trusts, and other trusts based on the client’s instructions and the attorney’s guidance.
- Powers of Attorney: Drafting financial and healthcare powers of attorney.
- Asset Inventory and Organization: Compiling a detailed list of the client’s assets, including real estate, bank accounts, investments, and personal property.
- Document Execution and Notarization: Assisting with the proper signing and notarization of all legal documents to ensure their validity.
Breakdown for an Estate Planning Package (Will, POA, Health Directive)
A standard estate planning package for an individual or couple often includes a will, a durable power of attorney, and a healthcare directive.
- Initial Consultation and Information Gathering: 1-2 hours
- Cost: $125/hour x 1.5 hours = $187.50
- Drafting a Simple Will: 3-4 hours
- Cost: $125/hour x 3.5 hours = $437.50
- Drafting Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive: 2 hours
- Cost: $125/hour x 2 hours = $250
- Final Document Preparation and Notarization Coordination: 1-2 hours
- Cost: $125/hour x 1.5 hours = $187.50
Total Estimated Legal Support Cost for an Estate Planning Package: $1,062.50
“full-service” divorce paralegal handles a wide range of responsibilities to ensure a case moves forward efficiently. These duties often include:
- Client Communication: Acting as a primary point of contact for the client, providing updates, and answering procedural questions. They gather necessary information and documentation from the client and keep them informed about the case’s progress.
- Document Management: Organizing and managing extensive case files, which can include financial records, discovery documents, and disclosures. They ensure all paperwork is accurate, complete, and filed correctly and on time.
- Drafting Legal Documents: Preparing a variety of legal documents, such as:
- Divorce petitions and summons
- Financial affidavits and disclosures
- Parenting plans and child custody agreements
- Marital settlement agreements
- Subpoenas and interrogatories
- Legal Research: Conducting thorough research on relevant statutes, case law, and court regulations to support the attorney in building a strong case.
- Investigation: Depending on the case, a paralegal may be responsible for investigating a party’s assets, liabilities, and income sources.
- Trial Preparation: Assisting the attorney with preparing for hearings and trials by organizing exhibits, coordinating witnesses, and preparing court filings.
- Scheduling: Managing the attorney’s calendar, scheduling client appointments, court appearances, and mediations.
Fee Breakdown
Paralegal fees can vary widely depending on location, experience, and the complexity of the case. A $125 hourly rate falls within the typical range for divorce paralegals. Because a full-service paralegal’s work is billed by the hour, the total cost will depend directly on the time spent on the case.
Here is a breakdown of potential costs for a divorce case with a paralegal billing at a rate of $125 per hour. This is an illustrative example, and actual costs can differ significantly.
- Initial Document Preparation and Filing (e.g., Petition for Divorce):
- Time: 4-8 hours
- Cost: $500 – $1,000
- Financial Disclosure and Discovery: This is often the most time-consuming part of the process, involving gathering and organizing financial documents from both parties.
- Time: 10-20+ hours
- Cost: $1,250 – $2,500+
- Negotiation and Drafting Settlement Agreements:
- Time: 5-10 hours
- Cost: $625 – $1,250
- Trial Preparation (if applicable): This can involve organizing exhibits, creating a witness list, and preparing other court-related documents.
- Time: 10-15+ hours
- Cost: $1,250 – $1,875+
- General Case Management and Client Communication: This includes time spent on emails, phone calls, and managing the overall case.
- Time: 5-10+ hours per month
- Cost: $625 – $1,250+ per month
Important Considerations:
- Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce: An uncontested divorce, where both parties agree on all terms, will require significantly less time and be much less expensive. A contested divorce with disputes over property, custody, or support can increase costs dramatically due to the additional time needed for discovery, negotiation, and potential litigation.
- Attorney Supervision: A paralegal’s work is always done under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The attorney will bill for their time at a much higher hourly rate (often $200-$500 or more) for tasks only they can perform, such as providing legal advice, developing case strategy, and representing the client in court.
- Flat Fee Services: Some paralegals or law firms may offer flat fees for specific services, such as preparing the initial divorce documents for an uncontested case. This can provide a clear picture of costs upfront.
- Additional Costs: The fees listed above are only for paralegal services. They do not include court filing fees, process server fees, or other costs associated with the divorce process.
The first step is reviewing the purchase agreement and other initial documents. The paralegal ensures all key terms are included, that the contract is complete, and that it adheres to legal requirements.
- Reviewing and Summarizing the Purchase Agreement: The paralegal reads the contract to identify key dates, contingencies, and special provisions.
- Time Estimate: 1-3 hours
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $375
- Drafting Addenda or Riders: If there are changes or new terms, the paralegal drafts the necessary addenda for the attorney’s approval.
- Time Estimate: 1-2 hours per addendum
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $250
2. Title and Due Diligence
This is a critical phase to ensure the property’s title is clear and free of liens, which is necessary before a closing can occur.
- Ordering Title Search and Survey: The paralegal orders the title search from a title company and a survey from a land surveyor.
- Time Estimate: 1 hour
- Estimated Cost: $125
- Reviewing Title Commitment and Documents: The paralegal reviews the title commitment, which outlines the property’s chain of ownership, any liens, easements, or other issues. They summarize this for the attorney and the client.
- Time Estimate: 2-4 hours
- Estimated Cost: $250 – $500
3. Loan and Closing Documents
The paralegal is the primary contact for coordinating with the lender and title company to ensure all necessary closing documents are ready.
- Coordinating with Lender and Title Company: The paralegal communicates with all parties to ensure all required documents (e.g., loan commitment, closing disclosure) are received and prepared.
- Time Estimate: 2-5 hours (this is often a back-and-forth process)
- Estimated Cost: $250 – $625
- Preparing a Closing Statement: The paralegal drafts the settlement statement, or reviews the one provided by the title company, which details all financial aspects of the transaction, including credits, debits, and fees.
- Time Estimate: 2-4 hours
- Estimated Cost: $250 – $500
4. Post-Closing Services
After the closing is complete, there are still tasks that need to be handled to finalize the transaction.
- Preparing and Recording the Deed: The paralegal drafts the deed and ensures it’s properly executed and sent to the county recorder’s office for recording.
- Time Estimate: 1-2 hours
- Estimated Cost: $125 – $250
- Assembling Final Closing Binders: The paralegal compiles all executed documents, a final closing statement, and other relevant paperwork into a complete closing binder for the client’s records.
- Time Estimate: 2-3 hours
- Estimated Cost: $250 – $375
Total Estimated Cost for a Simple Real Estate Transaction
Based on the breakdown above, the total estimated cost for paralegal services alone for a simple residential real estate transaction would be:
Total Estimated Hours: 12 to 24 hours Total Estimated Cost: $1,500 to $3,000
This estimate is for the paralegal’s time only and doesn’t include attorney fees, title insurance premiums, recording fees, or other costs associated with the transaction.
These services are crucial for preparing for a lawsuit. They may include e-discovery (collecting and managing electronic evidence), organizing and Bates-stamping documents, preparing exhibits, and assisting with trial presentations.
E-Discovery and Document Management
E-discovery, or electronic discovery, is the process of collecting, reviewing, and producing electronically stored information (ESI) for a lawsuit. The time required for this work can vary wildly depending on the volume of data.
- Initial Data Collection & Processing: This includes collecting emails, files, and other digital data from various sources. A paralegal’s work in this phase would be to manage the collection process, organize the data, and prepare it for review. This could take a significant number of hours depending on the size of the data set.
- Time Estimate: 10-40 hours (or more)
- Estimated Cost: $1,250 to $5,000+
- Document Review & Tagging: Once the data is processed, the paralegal reviews documents to identify relevance to the case. They tag documents as “relevant,” “privileged,” or “not relevant.” A paralegal’s hourly rate of $125 is at the high end for this work, and for very large cases, a law firm may use a team of junior attorneys or a less expensive managed review service.
- Time Estimate: Varies significantly based on the number of documents (e.g., a small case might have 1,000 documents, a large case could have millions). For 5,000 documents, it might take 20-50 hours.
- Estimated Cost: $2,500 to $6,250
- Bates-Stamping & Production: This is a crucial administrative step where each page of a document set is labeled with a unique identifier (a “Bates number”) for tracking purposes.
- Time Estimate: 5-10 hours for a standard-sized production, though this can increase with complexity.
- Estimated Cost: $625 to $1,250
Trial Preparation and Exhibits
Trial preparation involves compiling and organizing all evidence, documents, and materials for presentation in court. A paralegal is an essential part of this process, acting as the primary organizer and coordinator.
- Organizing & Indexing Exhibits: The paralegal will organize and create a master list of all exhibits to be used at trial, often in a “trial binder” or “trial notebook.” This includes both documentary evidence and physical exhibits.
- Time Estimate: 8-15 hours
- Estimated Cost: $1,000 to $1,875
- Drafting & Finalizing Witness Binders: For each witness, the paralegal creates a binder containing all relevant documents, deposition transcripts, and exhibits to be used during their testimony.
- Time Estimate: 4-8 hours per witness (depending on complexity)
- Estimated Cost: $500 to $1,000 per witness
- Assisting with Trial Presentations: The paralegal can help the attorney prepare presentations, such as PowerPoint slides, to be used in court. They may also assist with technology setup and exhibit display during the trial itself.
- Time Estimate: 5-10 hours for preparation, plus ongoing hourly work during the trial.
- Estimated Cost: $625 to $1,250+
General Litigation Support
This category covers the foundational, day-to-day work that keeps a lawsuit moving forward.
- File Organization & Case Management: The paralegal is responsible for the systematic organization of the entire case file, both physical and digital. This is an ongoing task throughout the litigation.
- Time Estimate: 5-10 hours for initial setup, with 2-5 hours per week for maintenance.
- Estimated Cost: $625 to $1,250 (initial) + $250 to $625 per week
- Drafting Standard Pleadings & Correspondence: This involves drafting routine legal documents, such as notices, standard motions, and letters to opposing counsel or the court, under the supervision of an attorney.
- Time Estimate: 2-5 hours per document
- Estimated Cost: $250 to $625 per document
ON THE DOCKET: CASES TO WATCH
Molly Zelvonberger Legal Society Ltd. is not a law firm. We provide research, technical, and administrative support exclusively to licensed attorneys and solo practitioners who retain full professional responsibility for their clients. We offer limited, non-legal assistance to the general public, such as help with completing pro se (self-represented) court forms or notarizing documents. No legal advice is given, and no attorney-client relationship is formed.
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