Carrollegal-Virtual Legal Assistant

A Parasecressistant?

Today, a client asked me if I mind doing tasks that are not paralegal in nature.  I told her "No!"  I enjoy and have years of experience providing both administrative and paralegal support.

I was reminded of a post I made to a VA networking group when asked how I would classify my services.  I said I was a parasecressistant.  (Para-secre-ssistant=someone who can do whatever a solo attorney might need to help run his/her practice more efficiently.)

So, whether you decide to work with a virtual assistant or an on-site assistant, make sure the person with whom you are working is able to provide you with a broad range of services.  There are lots of us who don't mind some word processing, bookkeeping, marketing support and clerical work along with our document drafting and legal research! 

Listen to the Experts!

I drove several places in my new area today.  I wanted to find the Springfield Mall,  Home Depot and the Fort Belvoir Comissary.  I took the van because I wanted to get a cabinet at Home Depot.  I had my GPS with me--definitely an expert in finding places.  The trip to the mall was without incident.  I used the GPS, followed her directions, everything was great!  After I finished at the mall, I saw the Home Depot building across the highway and started on my way out of the parking lot.  GPS said to go right, but I saw a way that looked quicker and easier, so I ignored her.

I drove across the highway into a shopping center adjacent to The Home Depot and proceeded to drive through the parking lot.  I reached a location and

Note:  If you are my husband reading this, please read Optional Paragraph B only.  Do not read Optional Paragraph A.  If you are anyone else,  please read Optional Paragraph A only.)

Optional Paragraph A:  turned down what looked like an entrance.  Two car lengths ahead, I saw the "Do Not Enter" sign.  So I backed up to turn around... right up and over a curb.  Heard a thump.  Heard some scraping.  Pulled into the semi-truck loading and unloading area of Home Depot.  I got out of the van and saw that the trim along the bottom of the van between the two wheels was dragging on the ground held on by one screw.

Optional Paragraph B (for my husband): was driving along to Home Depot heading in the right direction, on a flat surface and doing the speed limit when, all of a sudden, the trim panel on the passenger side of the van fell off!  I couldn't believe it!

So, I pulled (ever so slowly)  into the area of Home Depot where a couple of trailers are backed up to the loading docks and surveyed the problem.  Held on by one screw?  "I can take care of this", I said, and looked in the van for a tool kit that might contain a screwdriver.  I even knew that I needed a phillips screwdriver.  I knew we didn't have a tool kit in the van--I just was hoping that there was a spare screwdriver rollling around  somewhere.  There wasn't.

I did find a nail clipper, though, and used that to turn the screw.  Do you recall that I was parked in the middle of an shipping area?  Along came a driver who wanted to get to a dock.  He pointed to the loading dock and I held up the loose end of the dragging piece of trim and shrugged my shoulders.  He parked next to the curb that had caused all of the trouble and came over to see what he could do.  He tried to get the screw out with the nail clipper.  It wasn't working.  He decided to see if he had a screwdriver in his truck--I continued using the nail clipper.  Right about the time he came back with a screwdriver, I gave the nail clipper one last turn and the trailing trim came free.   I put the trim in the back of the van and went into Home Depot.  I added "tool kit for the van" to my list.  I purchased a good kit with everything I could possibly need:

The moral of the story:  Listen to the experts.  I am navagationally impaired--I admit it.  I need to listen to the GPS and go where she tells me.  If I had, I probably wouldn't be carting a piece of my van in the van.  Carrollegal is an administrative expert and can help you get where you want to be in your solo law practice--unless I have to drive you there.

How 'Bout Them Rockies?

We are fans of the Rockies and the Sky Sox (their AAA Affiliate  in Colorado Springs).  My husband and son stayed up to watch the game last night (which would have ended at a more reasonable hour of 9:30 p.m. if we were still living in Colorado).  I heard about the highlights this morning. 

Here is a link to a FoxSports story:  http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7288396?MSNHPHMA

Raking Leaves & Outsourcing

Now that we live in Virginia we we have trees--really big trees--and shrubs in the yard.   In Colorado--no trees.  Before Colorado, we lived in Student Family Housing at New Mexico State University--no trees.   The last time I raked leaves, I lived in Massachusetts and I helped my sisters and cousins rake up a giant pile for jumping at my granparents' house on Middle Street in Amherst.  None of us had bad backs and we weren't old then.  It was a long time ago.

The pile of leaves I raked up today wouldn't have been suitable for jumping anyway, as it had branches from the shrubs and pointy leaves from what I think is a holly bush.  I didn't even suggest to the kids that they jump in it.  (Hmmm....maybe next time they start acting up,  I'll gather a special leaf pile just for them...I digress.)

Anyway, on to the point of my post.  I spent a lot of time this morning getting my arms scratched trying to trim shrubs without the right equipment and raking and sweeping (while being eaten alive by mosquitos) to get rid of the leaves on the lawn and driveway.  This is time that I could have spent on billable work.  People offer their services to come to the house and remove leaves.  I think I'll take them up on the offer over the next month or so.   Outsourcing is a great thing.

The yard is clear for the time being.  Now I need to make time to decorate the front door with some artificial leaves.