Could being a paralegal make a good living?

gettingby

Yes, you can, but what you need to realize is that experience is what will get you the best salaries. Going to an ABA-approved school is definitely important, too. I would go for your Associates degree. Check for an approved community college near you. I just started a paralegal program. I already have a BA in a liberal arts field, so I will be earning a certificate-the BA was required to enter the program. My school also has an Associates program, so I am taking the same classes, but since I have the BA, I don't need the general ed. classes. Most of the people in my classes are in the Associates program, including several who are already working as paralegals.

Most of the certificate programs that do not require a BA are not approved. You do not want those. They tend to be very expensive and not the best in education. Some are very short-term programs, which is not going to look nearly as good as a longer program.

I would not worry too much about the math. You will probably need a math elective or 2, but what you should do is sit down with an advisor at the school and see exactly what you need to take. Your written and verbal skills are extremely important for this field, as well as your people skills.

If you decide to enroll, try to get an entry-level job in a law firm as soon as possible (filing,etc.). If you do not, you will most likely have to start out in an entry job once you graduate. It is very rare for a firm to hire a paralegal with no experience. They usually want at least 1-2 years, so getting the exposure to a firm before you graduate is important. I am trying to do this now, because it will take me 2 years to graduate and I don't want to have to spend 2 more in an entry job. The schools will not tell you this, but it is definitely the truth.

Once you get the experience, your salary will depend on where you work and for whom you work. Smaller firms tend to pay less than larger ones. Working in a city will pay more than working in a small town. You have to balance it all out. More employers are starting to ask for the ABA-approved school. That is why there are paralegals in my class; they want the chance to move on and cannot do that until they get their degrees. One of them is single and just bought a home, so I would say she is making great money. The other has her own office and great benefits. They had to work their way up to these jobs. They love the work, but they are both ready for new firms. I figure if they are in my class and paying this money and investing this time, they must have a nice career. In my area, it seems that 2 years of experience can get you around 45K. Sometimes 50K. I have seen salaries ranging from 30K to 70K, so it varies. My school did a study and said the average is 38K-53K-that was 2 years ago. Just be aware that the entry jobs pay close to nothing. I want the experience, so that is OK with me. Many people in my class are expecting to make huge salaries right away and I think they are going to be unpleasantly surprised. You have to be realistic.

Good luck to you!

captaincrash008

Well, my mothers a paralegal, and we live pretty well off. And it's not my father making all the dough, cause he barely makes money. As long as you don't have an alcohol or nicotine addiction, paralegal is a pretty good career choice. For the past two summers, I worked with my mother in her firm, and yes, it is somewhat of a hectic life style, but if you're really interested in the field of law you chose, for instance, criminology, it's a very entertaining job. My mother also hates math, and she became a paralegal off of an associates degree, and got C's in all her college math courses, but since you do enjoy english, that's good because you will have to write summarys for depositions. If you have anymore questions or concerns, e-mail me, I'm sure I can answer more questions, and if not, I'll have my mother answer. lol. She is a paralegal. But over all, it is, and as years go buy, you'll make more and more money, and if you're consistnat with keeping deadlines, making good choices, you'll enjoy it een more because the more right things you do, the more money you get. Also, this job requires alot of patience and peope skills, because if you work for lawyers, you can only imagine their stress level, and patience will come in handy in this field of study, so try it for a while, and if you don't enjoy it, try something else, because this has to be a job you emjoy, or you'll end up hating life.

harold gardner1946

yes go for it it sounds good you could make a very good living at being a paralegal

chatsplas

Depends on job market near you, but most employers will want an Associates Degree in new hires. There is tutoring available, so get help to get through algebra. Good money, good job, and can be interesting work--can be deadly, doing same thing over and over.

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