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When we talk about these two terms, paralegal and lawyer, many of the students need clarification on these two. A lawyer is a person who has a degree in a BA LLB course. On the other hand, a paralegal is a person who is a qualified assistant to a lawyer. There is a huge difference between the roles and responsibilities and definitions of paralegal and Lawyer. To help you understand this difference, we will go through this article till the end.
Table of Contents
What is a Lawyer?
A lawyer is a person who has completed a BA LLB course. If we talk about India, there are two types of law, i.e., 3 years and 5 years. In easy terms, any person who has been trained in law is termed a lawyer.
Additionally, lawyers are licenced to represent clients and are more trained in comparison to Paralegals.
Also Read: Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Law
Roles and Responsibilities of a Lawyer
There are various roles and responsibilities of a lawyer, some of which are stated in the given section of the article.
- Legal Advice to the Clients
- Represent Clients in the courtroom.
- Deal with Settlements
- Drafting Legal Documents
- Adhering to Strict Professional Conduct
- Protection of the Rights of Clients
- Conducting Legal Research
- Communication with the Clients
- Protect the Confidential Information of the Client.
What is a Paralegal?
A paralegal is a qualified assistant to a lawyer. Their duties include conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, and facilitating communication with clients. Paralegals own a certificate or degree in paralegal studies. they can also choose to specialize in a specific legal area, such as corporate law, intellectual property, or family law. However, they are not authorised to provide legal advice or represent clients in court but to support lawyers and ensure efficient and effective management of legal matters.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Paralegal
There are various roles and responsibilities of a paralegal, some of which are stated in the given section of the article.
- Case Planning
- Case Development
- Case Management
- Legal Research
- Client Interviews
- Collection of Facts and Information
- Making Drafts
- Analyse Legal Documents
- Collection of Technical Information
- Making Recommendations to an Attorney
Difference Between Paralegal and Lawyer
There are various points where a lawyer differs from a paralegal. First of all, a lawyer is a person who has completed a BA.LLB course. On the other hand, A paralegal is a qualified assistant to a lawyer. A lawyer is a person who has the authority to represent clients in court. Whereas, paralegals do not have any such rights.
Further, paralegals have a degree in paralegal studies. They can choose to specialize in a specific legal area, such as corporate law, intellectual property, or family law. Still, they are not authorised to provide legal advice or represent clients in court but to support lawyers and ensure efficient and effective management of legal matters. To understand the difference between these two terms in more detail, you can go through the given table of differences.
Paralegal Vs Lawyer
| Particulars | Paralegal | Lawyer |
| Definition | A paralegal is a qualified assistant to a lawyer. Paralegals own a certificate or degree in paralegal studies. | A lawyer is a person who has completed a BA.LLB course. |
| Courtroom Role | May not represent clients | Represents clients in court. |
| Qualification | Paralegals own a certificate or degree in paralegal studies. | Owns degree in BA LLB course. |
| Client Appointment | NA | Directly or through a solicitor |
| Duties | Their duties include conducting legal research, drafting legal documents, and facilitating communication with clients. | Their duties include providing legal advice to Clients, representing clients in the courtroom, dealing with settlements, drafting legal documents, and more. |
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FAQs
lawyers are more powerful in terms of qualification, as a paralegal is a qualified assistant to a lawyer.
No, a Paralegal be called a lawyer as a paralegal is a qualified assistant to a lawyer.
Paralegals have a degree in paralegal studies. they can choose to specialise in a specific legal area, such as corporate law, intellectual property, or family law.
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