Episodes

  • 5 - Virtual Assistant vs. Virtual Paralegal vs. Online Business Manager

    5 - Virtual Assistant vs. Virtual Paralegal vs. Online Business Manager
    Feb 12 2022
    Podcast Narration Script – EPISODE 5 Virtual Assistant vs. Virtual Paralegal vs. Online Business ManagerVirtual Assistant vs. Virtual Paralegal vs. Online Business ManagerBy: Holly A. Sheriff on behalf of Best Virtual Paralegal LLCThe Narration is provided by a professional Voiceover Actress & is not that of the author.What are the differences are between a Virtual Assistant (V.A.), Virtual Paralegal (VP), and Online Business Manager (O.B.M.). Learn more here! At Best Virtual Paralegal, we love answering this question! COVID has undoubtedly changed the legal industry a bit. The world has finally caught up to Best Virtual Paralegal! We have worked remotely for decades. You're in luck because we are highly skilled virtual assistants, virtual paralegals, and online business managers every day!First, let's define the three roles!Because there is some overlap between what these three roles do, virtual assistants, virtual paralegals, and online business managers may be defined similarly depending on the source. This overlap causes most people to confuse the three roles.Virtual Assistants are defined by sources like Fiverr, Upwork, and Time Doctor as an "independent contractor who provides administrative, technical, and creative support to other professionals (2022)."The A.B.A., the State Bar Association of Texas, and Best Virtual Paralegal define a virtual paralegal as "an independent contractor who  is self-employed  and works outside the traditional law firm or corporate setting (2022)."Indeed, Upwork and Time Doctor describe an online business manager as "a self-employed independent contractor working remotely to manage a business by providing administrative, technical, and creative support (2022)."Let's discuss the differences!The definitions of these roles seem similar, as you can see. In this section, we will examine how these three roles can support firms in diverse ways. The differences between these three roles may vary from company to company. In other words, what Best Virtual Paralegal believes is a virtual assistant role or task might be listed by another source such as Upwork under a virtual paralegal role/task. These roles are subjective, based on the company providing the service.Virtual assistants are the doers. Generally, they are task-oriented professionals who assist clients in achieving their goals. Often, this means virtual assistants perform tasks that an attorney cannot bill the client or pass through to the client, such as legal secretary duties.  Our article has discussed virtual assistants, virtual paralegals, and online business managers in this particular order. In this section, however, we're going to skip virtual paralegal for a minute and jump straight to an online business manager.We will discuss virtual paralegals after online business managers.Business managers are the people who can help clients manage their online businesses in a wide range of ways. In many ways, the online business manager takes care of the responsibilities of the business owner, as well as those of consultant, coach, strategist, and marketer. In most cases, the business owner remains the conductor, while the online business manager becomes their right-hand person.Let's go back around and talk about virtual paralegals.In many cases, virtual paralegals who have owned their own businesses for a while or who have received extensive education and experience help their clients as both business managers and paralegals. However, this is not always the case - it depends on the virtual paralegal's skillset and mindset. Previously, we discussed this topic in the article titled "Paralegal Entrepreneurs are more." A firm is more likely to find a business manager & paralegal in one person or one company if the virtual paralegal is more experienced.Let's explore some of the tasks one may delegate now that we know how the roles differ. This is not all-inclusive. And not all V.A.s, VPs, O.B.M.s. offer all the tasks listed below. With that said, this list will be semi-cohesive in terms of the services we offer here at Best Virtual Paralegal!Before we have you take a look at the chart of duties for each role, there are a few caveats, which we added to the narration for extra context. Due to time restraints, we have omitted the obvious paralegal duties and tasks from the list. For example, lawyers can use Best Virtual Paralegal to summarize documents, medical records, and financial reports. In addition, paralegals are typically responsible for summarizing records—however, the author omitted that task from the list.  For those of you following along on our blog, let's begin by taking a look at the virtual assistance column.  Here at Best Virtual Paralegal, the following tasks are usually performed by a virtual assistant or virtual legal assistant:Inbox and Calendar Management Don't let your inbox get out of control! You can have the support of a V.A. who can look after your inbox and calendar for you. Social Media ...
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    10 mins
  • Do you have a disaster plan for your law firm?

    Do you have a disaster plan for your law firm?
    Feb 6 2022

    Do you have a disaster plan for your law firm?

     

    This article first appeared on Best Virtual Paralegal LLC’s blog in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy!  Revised: 01/22/2022

    Do you have a disaster plan for your law firm? What would your staff and clients do if your office was a victim of a disaster? You might want to read on. A disaster can range from the minor, such as losing your phone service for the day, to the catastrophic, such as a hurricane, a bomb threat, or a power outage caused by the weather. There is no disaster too small for you not to have a plan. Do your support staff and paralegals know what to do if your internet shuts down?

    My blog post was inspired by this very question. A few days ago, I was in my office working when a friend called and asked if I could do some legal research for her firm. Her answer stunned me. Her office suffered a long-term power outage due to a storm. As a result of the power outage, she asked her paralegal to conduct manual research at the local law library. She was shocked to discover that her paralegal knew nothing about doing legal research with books. She had no choice but to turn to me.

    After completing the research, I called my friend to help her develop a disaster plan. Had my friend implemented a disaster plan before the power outage, her office and clients would have been prepared for the unforeseen disaster and remained productive.

    In conclusion, if your office does not have a disaster plan in place, can you see why it is so imperative to have one? In addition to being a virtual paralegal, I also serve as a consultant for law firms at times. Not only do I assist attorneys and law firms in becoming more productive by preparing their case documents and contacting their clients, but I also help train their staff on how to be more tech-savvy and assist them in developing disaster plans. We strive to be the go-to service for all attorneys and law firms.

    Jennifer and I will share tips for putting together a disaster plan with you and your staff in future posts. 

    Thank you for reading! It was our pleasure to write it! Don't forget to share this post!

     
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    3 mins
  • 3 The ACE up our sleeve

    3 The ACE up our sleeve
    Feb 6 2022

    Company, Community, & Culture

    Best Virtual Paralegal—First Quarter Update 2022

    January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022 

    It is an unpredictable time for the legal profession. On one day, courts are open, but the next day they are closed or all working remotely. On one hand, Best Virtual Paralegal is all over the moon that the world finally caught up to us.  Holly Sheriff has worked remotely as a paralegal since the early 1990s. We understand your pain points because we have been in your shoes. Our team of Best Virtual Paralegals can help!

    At Best Virtual Paralegal, we believe we are living in extraordinary times. Technology empowers people, and technology has shaped Best Virtual Paralegal’s products and services. The cycle has begun again! Yet, one thing is true, through the years, as paralegals, consultants, coaches, & digital marketers, we can’t be successful alone. Your success is our success! 

    As clients and communities, we understand you are facing new challenges. To succeed, we must consistently perform in a way that fosters trust and quality.  This has been at the core of our client commitment since we opened back in 1990, operating under Holly’s name (1990 to 1991), and then later HAT’S Paralegal & Secretarial Services (1991 to 2011). 

    Here we are in 2022, and Best Virtual Paralegal is going back to our core commitment, by focusing on these primary principles: Alignment, Client Focus, & Excellent Execution. This is more than an acronym. It is how Best Virtual Paralegal, as individuals and collectively as a community dive toward a positive impact and journey for our clients. 

    Together, Our Future is Bright

     

    Best Virtual Paralegal has made progress toward offering robust services and streamlining operations, but we must always strive to improve. Plans are already in motion! Here’s what you can expect:

    Continue development of solutions that extend the value of our award-winning paralegal services & attorney support.

    Scrutinizing processes and structures and assessing the ways we can become more efficient while driving toward performance for paralegal services, consulting, services, coaching services, & digital marketing services.

    Providing tools and new approaches that deepen the client relationship.

    Best Virtual Paralegals have always been thought leaders!  In addition, we are always learning and improving. To achieve our goals, we will measure our progress against the highest standards and maintain a deep commitment to addressing our challenges in a transparent and ethical manner. Our focus will always be on you, your clients, communities, & your evolving goals! 

    As we move into 2022, Best Virtual Paralegal will continue to adapt, staying at the forefront of industry trends and client needs. We will bring you more innovative ways to deliver outstanding legal services to your clientele. We’re humbled and honored to be part of your journey. Thank you for being a client, supporter, follower, & friend. We are looking forward to a bright future ahead!

    Sincerely,

    Holly, Marc, Kate, Cheryl, Jay, Cheryl, & the Part-time Staff

    The narration for this article was provided by a paid voiceover artist as a part of Best Virtual Paralegal LLC’s commitment to EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) at work & public spaces. The narrator’s voice is not that of the owner of Best Virtual Paralegal or her spouse. It is that of a paid artist on staff with the Best Virtual Paralegal LLC.
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    4 mins
  • Episode 2 I will never be a juggler

    Episode 2 I will never be a juggler
    Jan 23 2022
    I'll Never Be a Juggler in the CircusBy: Holly Sheriff, MSLS  God has a sense of humor; I am living proof. How else can you explain being born with a movement disorder like cerebral palsy? This makes it impossible for me to walk in a straight line, walk across a room without falling over at least once, wiggle my toes, or button my shirts! That's right I have never wiggled my toes. It does not matter how many times I try. I can't do it. Maintaining my balance, while I stand still is something I will never do. No amount of medicine will enable me to do these things. There is no quick fix to my body's inability to move on my command. It would take a miracle for me to do all of these things.  Yet, despite, my lack of motor skills, I have been able to balance running a business, being a full-time bonus mom to a daughter with special needs, a wife, a bonus grandmother of 6, a paralegal, a consultant, a life coach, a career coach, and a digital publisher to arguably the best family and the best legal professionals in the USA, Canada, & London.4-year-old me wanted nothing more than to be a juggler in the CircusCircus or a ballerina juggler, but that will never happen – God had other plans. However, my prayers were answered if you really look at my life. As a paralegal, I am a professional juggler. The joke's on me because I juggle schedules, court dates, legal theories, defenses, and more.How does a woman with a movement disorder like cerebral palsy become a professional juggler for attorneys, have the time to run a business, be available to homeschool her bonus kid or bonus grandkids, and keep a cheery outlook on life? I'd be lying if I said it is because I love to drink coffee. Although the coffee helps, it doesn't explain how a woman with no physical balance can balance everything I have going on in my life. The only answer I believe is I must experience divine intervention every day. I may never become a dancer, a juggler in a circus, or be able to wiggle my toes in the sand. I may never drive a car, either. But, even with a list a mile long of things cerebral palsy takes from my life, there are millions of things I can do and become just by being who I am.In the past, I focused on what my cerebral palsy prevented me from doing. For many years, I was too afraid to tell employers, coworkers, and business associates that I have cerebral palsy. Because I feared being fired or suffering from some other forms of job discrimination, or some form of a hate crime. All of which have happened to me at one time or another.  And back in the day, I did everything possible to blend in (and appear normal). My physical impairment was a secret. Yet, all I have ever wanted to do is for every step I take, every word I write to mean something to someone else. I want to be that person who changed someone's life. It is not for fame or fortune, but to show each and every person that even in the face of their greatest failure, everyone is destined for greatness.After that, I realized that I needed to embrace my cerebral palsy to succeed professionally and personally. Once I embraced my authentic self, something happened. Suddenly, I realized that juggling the demands of being a full-time entrepreneur, a case-juggling paralegal, a coffee-loving Christian, and a bonus mom was easy for me since I genuinely enjoyed all these things. I cherish and enjoy every minute of every day.  I am grateful for the opportunities my career as a paralegal, legal consultant, and coach has provided. My family and I love helping legal professionals achieve the work-life balance they deserve.Sure, some days are better than others. Clients may come and go. While some clients disappear without a word, others stay, fade, and then return. The foundation for my business's success is forming relationships and networking, but some of my clients do not take the time to get to know me, my family, and my business the way they should.  Some days, homeschooling a kid with Autism makes me feel like I am Ann Sullivan meeting Helen Keller for the first time. Some days running a business can feel like I am the captain of the Titanic. When you add my role as a full-time coffee-loving Christian to the day, well, you've got yourself one hot mess.Nevertheless, it is my life, and it works for me. I may not be financially wealthy, but to take the words of one of my dearest friends, "I have never seen a U-Haul truck behind a hearse" so why not do what I love instead of focusing on the things I can't change or the things I can't do. I can't take the money with me when I die, so why focus on money? It wasn't until I realized I was focusing on all the wrong things that balancing my roles as a full-time entrepreneur, a Bonus mom, and a coffee-loving Christian became a joyous daily event.God may not have given me the ability to be a famous ballerina juggler in the Circus, or drive a car, walk up and downstairs, button my own shirt, walk straight, or maintain my balance ...
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    8 mins
  • Trailer 00

    Trailer 00
    Oct 7 2021

    Hey, Holly here with Best Virtual Paralegal LLC. I'm here to tell you after nine years of a break, Best Virtual Paralegal's podcast is back! We're calling this series The Paralegal View™. I'm excited because we're going to have hot conversations about life love, working for lawyers, mindset, work-life balance, empowerment, wheelchairs, workflows, unsolved crimes, serial killers, coffee, and more! And I'm going to invite all my paralegal friends, maybe some lawyers, maybe even just people in general, and we're going to keep the conversations going on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels. 

    You can follow the show the channel and us by following @bvparalegal on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And you can also learn more about the show's products and services offered by Best Virtual Paralegal by visiting bestvirtualparalegal.com. So until next time, folks, be kind, have fun, laugh more, spread joy, make good choices, and make yesterday jealous by having an awesome today. Until next time, talk later.

    Disclaimer: The show notes may not be verbatim. The audio was transcribed with AI technology to make it more accessible for our friends with disabilities & physical challenges. Trailer 00 is voice audio-only/no sound effects or music. 

     
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    2 mins