Paralegal Profile: Laurie Mapp, Virtual Paralegal, and Blogger at Halo Secretarial

Job Title: Virtual Legal Assistant/Paralegal

Employer: Self employed (Halo Secretarial Services), Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada

Years of Paralegal Experience: 10

Specialty Areas: Civil litigation, family law, tax law

Career Highlight: Starting my own paralegal practice from home of course!

Paralegal Practice Tip: Be organized – having a good feel for what needs to get accomplished every day can make your life so much easier. I've always used daily and weekly to-do lists to keep me on target.

How did you get started as a virtual paralegal?
I loved being a paralegal, but after my third child was born I knew things needed to change. I needed more control than was available in my job, more flexibility. So I did a ton of research and realized that there was a way to do the work I loved from my home, by being my own boss!

Do you have any tips for people thinking about starting a virtual paralegal business?
The biggest thing to know is that it isn't going to be enough to be a great paralegal. Suddenly you will be the paralegal, the accounting department, the marketing department and more. You have to be committed to owning a business and finding clients, which can be really challenging. Like any business it can take months or years to develop a substantial client base. So if you really want to try being a virtual paralegal, you will want to find a good support network to mentor you through the process, and you will need to have real faith in yourself!

Favorite Internet Resource: Home Office Warrior (http://www.homeofficewarrior.com/) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/)!

Fun Fact: I LOVE games – from board games like scrabble to Zelda or MarioKart on the Wii. Games allow me to enjoy my competitive side in a fun way!

Professional Bio Link: http://halosecretarialservices.com/about-laurie/
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Readers may be wondering, "How the heck did you meet a Canadian paralegal?" Via Twitter, of course, which makes the big world suddenly seem very small and cozy! Also, check out Laurie’s well-done blog, Halo Secretarial Services, at http://halosecretarialservices.com/blog/