A full-time paralegal needs 173 hours of legal work a month. Most small practices have about 40.
I've sat across the table from a lot of attorneys thinking about hiring their first paralegal, and the math almost never gets talked through honestly. A full-time paralegal needs 173 hours of legal work a month to stay fully engaged and on your payroll. In full disclosure, most solo and small practices I talk to have something closer to 40 hours of consistent, high-value paralegal work to actually delegate. That gap — 173 versus 40 — is where underutilization, boredom, and turnover live. It's also where a lot of good paralegals quietly start looking for their next job.
Average attorney utilization rate — just 2.96 billable hours in an 8-hour day. Every hour spent on paralegal-level tasks at attorney rates is an hour that can't be billed to clients.
Clio 2024 Legal Trends Report
Annual opportunity cost when one attorney does 2 hrs/day of paralegal work — at an average billing rate of $349/hour × 250 working days.
LeanLaw
Average vacancy window when a paralegal leaves — during which the attorney absorbs that work at unbillable rates.
Snelling / SHRM
Of annual salary — the cost of replacing one paralegal. On a $61,000 median salary, that's $30,500–$122,000 per departure.
SHRM / BLS 2024
NALA — The Paralegal Association — put a number on something I'd been watching for years: in their Q1 2024 journal, they confirmed paralegal underutilization is a recognized, documented problem in the profession, not just an Amata talking point. Most paralegals I've met know they can handle more complex, more essential work. The volume just isn't there in a small practice, and when underutilization sets in, the profession sees notably high early-career turnover. Here's the number that should get your attention: replacing a paralegal costs 50–200% of their annual salary (SHRM) — on the BLS 2024 median of $61,000, that's $30,500–$122,000 per departure, with an eight-week average vacancy window where that work lands right back on you, the attorney. That's the whole reason Paralegal-40 is built around 40 focused, documented hours of dedicated legal work per month — enough to move every active matter forward consistently, and enough to keep a skilled paralegal genuinely engaged in your practice instead of counting the days until something better comes along.
"Fractional" describes how you engage them — not who they are.
I get asked this in almost every intake call: "so is this like hiring a virtual assistant?" No. Every Amata paralegal is a full-time, on-site Amata employee with full benefits, working from our Chicago Loop offices. Not a remote contractor, not a rotating freelancer — a long-term, U.S.-based legal professional accountable to your firm, engaged for exactly the hours you need.
And because they're here in Chicago, they show up in person when it counts — making court runs, handling clerk filings, and sitting at counsel table with you at trial. That's something a remote virtual paralegal simply can't do.
Why it matters: Paralegal work is exactly the kind of high-value, time-consuming work that pulls attorneys away from billable hours and client relationships. I've watched a solo practice run fine for months and then a trial or a complex matter lands, and suddenly the need for real help isn't theoretical anymore — it's due Friday. Fractional paralegal support matches the help to the moment. And because paralegal time is typically billable to clients under Illinois practice norms, most Chicago attorneys recover the cost directly on their invoices.
Meet a Paralegal Already on Staff
I'll introduce you to Sarah — a New York–licensed attorney based here in Chicago. She holds an LL.M. from Chicago-Kent, a Master's in Law from France, and is bilingual in French and English. Sarah provides fractional paralegal and legal support to Amata member firms across litigation, family law, and corporate matters, and she's exactly the caliber of person I mean when I say "dedicated to your account."
Substantive legal support — without the full-time hire.
- The average lawyer spends only about 38% of the workday on billable work — substantive support recovers the rest.1
- A fully-loaded full-time paralegal in Illinois runs well over $80,000 a year in salary, benefits, and overhead — before a single hour of slow weeks.2
- Your paralegal is dedicated to your account — the same professional each month, learning your cases and building institutional knowledge.
- Scale up for trial, scale down when it settles — with detailed accounting of every task, billed in 1/6th-hour increments.
On a monthly program
Your paralegal works under your firm's email address — operating as part of your team, not as an outside vendor.
Monthly reporting, unlike any hire
Every program includes a detailed monthly report — sortable by day, type of work, and matter (where appropriate) — so you can bill paralegal time back to the client where it applies.
Sources: 1. Clio Legal Trends Report (lawyer utilization rate and average billable rate). 2. Amata estimate of the fully-loaded annual cost (salary, benefits, taxes, and overhead) of a full-time paralegal in Illinois; consistent with BLS and market salary data. Individual results vary.
Full paralegal support for Chicago law firms.
Amata's paralegals handle the substantive legal work that keeps matters moving — and anything else a paralegal would do for your practice.
Document Drafting
Pleadings, motions, correspondence, and standard filings prepared to your specifications.
Document Review
Reviewing and organizing case materials, discovery, and production.
Case Management
Keeping matters, deadlines, and files organized and on track.
Trial Preparation
Exhibits, binders, witness materials, and courtesy copies ready for court.
Legal Research
Researching issues and assembling the materials you need to move a matter forward.
E-Filing
Filing in Illinois state courts, federal courts, and with the Cook County Clerk — accurately and on time.
Court Runs & Courtesy Copies
In-person deliveries to the Daley Center, the Dirksen Federal Building, and clerk's offices across the Loop.
Discovery & Deposition Support
Organizing production, preparing summaries, and keeping discovery deadlines on track.
Paralegal support that can walk to the courthouse.
This is the kind of call our team gets more often than you'd think: a motion needs to be in the clerk's hands at the Daley Center before it closes, and there's nobody free to run it over. That's the whole case for on-site, honestly. Amata's paralegal team works from four offices in the heart of the Chicago Loop — 77 W Wacker, 150 S Wacker, 181 W Madison, and 33 N Dearborn — blocks from the Daley Center, the Dirksen Federal Building, and the Cook County Clerk's office. When a filing needs to be in a clerk's hands today, or you need a second set of hands at counsel table, your paralegal is already downtown.
That's the difference between Amata and a freelance or remote virtual paralegal: our paralegals serve law firms across Chicago, Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, and Northwest Indiana with both remote support and in-person presence. We've supported Chicago's legal community for more than 24 years — since 2002 — and I still think the in-person part is what makes the difference on the days it actually matters.
Amata's paralegal services support every practice area — family law, personal injury, criminal defense, civil litigation, real estate, estate planning, immigration, and business law. Whatever you practice, your dedicated paralegal learns your matters, your templates, and your filing requirements in the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Northern District of Illinois.
What's the difference between a virtual paralegal and Amata's on-site paralegal support?
A virtual paralegal works remotely — often as a remote contractor or freelancer — while Amata's paralegals are full-time, on-site employees in the Chicago Loop. You get everything a virtual paralegal offers, plus what they can't do. Here's how the options actually compare:
| Feature | Amata | Remote Virtual Paralegal | Freelance Paralegal | Full-Time Hire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated to your firm | ✓ Same professional every month | Often rotating staff | Depends on workload | ✓ Yes |
| On-site in Chicago | ✓ Chicago Loop offices | ✕ No | Sometimes | ✓ Yes |
| Court runs & clerk filings in person | ✓ Daley Center & Dirksen, often same day | ✕ No | Extra arrangement | ✓ Yes |
| Counsel table at trial | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | Negotiated | ✓ Yes |
| Employment, benefits & payroll carried by | ✓ Amata | Remote agency | Themselves (1099 risk) | ✕ Your firm |
| Detailed monthly reporting | ✓ Sortable by day, type of work & matter | Varies | Varies | ✕ Build it yourself |
| Annual cost at 40 hrs/mo | ✓ $30,240 ($2,520/mo) | Varies by agency | ~$40–75/hr typical | $80,000+ fully loaded |
| Scale up or down with caseload | ✓ Adjust your program anytime | Contract terms vary | Availability varies | ✕ Fixed salary either way |
A monthly program, or support by the hour.
Two ways to engage paralegal services in Chicago: the Paralegal-40 monthly program for steady caseloads, or hourly support when you need to hire a paralegal for a single matter, a trial surge, or a project — no retainer, no minimums.
Paralegal-40
40 hours / month
$2,520 / month
- Document drafting & document review
- Case management & e-filing
- Trial preparation
- Legal research
- Any other task a paralegal would perform, dedicated to your practice
- Detailed monthly report — sortable by day, type of work & matter
By the hour
$90/hrParalegal support billed in 1/6th-hour increments — no monthly commitment. Document drafting, case management, trial prep, e-filing.
Save 32%
On hourly rates when you pre-purchase Amata Coins or enroll in a program. Hours don't roll over; overages billed at the same rate as the base program.
Custom
Need a different number of hours, or a mix of paralegal and admin support? We'll build a program around exactly what your practice needs.
A backup is always assigned.
Every Paralegal-40 program includes a primary and backup paralegal, both familiar with your matters before the backup ever needs to step in. Active matters continue without interruption.
Paralegal-40 covers legal work only. Marketing Lab pairs with Admin-20 or EA-30, not with Paralegal-40.
What do Chicago attorneys say about Amata's paralegals?
The hourly paralegal model is brilliant. I use them for discovery and trial prep, bill the time directly to clients, and everyone wins. The quality of legal support here is on par with any large firm.
Amata has been a game changer for my solo practice. The paralegals are sharp, the admin team handles my calls professionally, and I pay a fraction of what a full-time hire would cost.
I've recommended Amata to four other attorneys. The fractional support packages save me over 60% compared to hiring full-time. Professional, responsive, and they genuinely care about your success.
Common questions about fractional paralegal support
Fractional paralegal support gives your firm an experienced paralegal for a set number of hours each month, instead of hiring one full-time yourself. Amata's paralegals are full-time, on-site Amata employees dedicated to your account — handling drafting, document review, case management, trial prep, and legal research, the same work an in-house paralegal would.
Amata's paralegals do everything a virtual paralegal does — remote drafting, document review, case management, and legal research — but they're full-time, on-site Amata employees in our Chicago offices, not remote contractors. That means they can also appear in person: court runs, clerk filings, and sitting at counsel table with you at trial. You get a virtual paralegal's flexibility plus U.S.-based, in-person support.
Document drafting, document review, case management, trial preparation, legal research, and e-filing — plus any other task a paralegal would perform for your practice. The Paralegal-40 program provides 40 hours a month of this substantive legal support, dedicated to your account.
Your paralegal is dedicated to your account — the same professional each month, learning your cases, systems, and preferences. They're a full-time, on-site Amata employee with full benefits and long tenure, so you get the consistency of an in-house hire without the hiring, onboarding, or turnover risk.
The Paralegal-40 program is $2,520 a month for 40 hours of dedicated paralegal support. Prefer no monthly commitment? Paralegal work is also available at $90 an hour, billed in 1/6th-hour increments — with a 32% discount when you pre-purchase Amata Coins or enroll in a program.
Yes. You can draw on Amata's paralegal team as you need them at $90 an hour, billed in 1/6th-hour increments, with no monthly commitment. Many firms start hourly and move to the Paralegal-40 program once they see steady demand. With a monthly program, your paralegal is dedicated to your firm and works under your firm's email address — operating as part of your team — and the program rate plus the 32% Amata Coins discount lower the effective cost.
Unlike a full-time hire, every paralegal program includes a detailed monthly report — the work completed, the hours spent, and the outcomes delivered. It's sortable by day, type of work, and matter (where appropriate), so you can see exactly what was done on each case and bill that paralegal time back to the client where it applies.
A full-time paralegal costs a full salary plus benefits and overhead — well over $80,000 a year in Illinois — whether your caseload fills the week or not. Fractional paralegal support sizes the help to your actual caseload, with a dedicated professional you scale up for trial and down when it settles, and no hiring, onboarding, or turnover risk.
Solo and small law firms across Chicagoland that need substantive legal support but don't have 40 hours a week to justify a full-time paralegal — especially during trial surges, complex matters, or growth. Amata has supported Chicago's legal community for more than 24 years.
Call 312.924.0200 or schedule a free consultation, and Amata will match you with a dedicated paralegal — no retainer, no minimum hours, no long-term contract. All paralegal work is performed under the supervision of a licensed attorney, as Illinois rules require, and most attorneys bill that paralegal time directly to their clients.
Hiring a full-time paralegal in Chicago runs well over $80,000 a year in salary, benefits, and overhead. Amata's paralegal services cost $90 an hour, billed in 1/6th-hour increments, or $2,520 a month for 40 dedicated hours on the Paralegal-40 program — and because paralegal time is typically billable to clients, the service often pays for itself.
Yes. Amata's paralegals work from four Chicago Loop offices, blocks from the Daley Center, the Dirksen Federal Building, and the Cook County Clerk's office — so court runs, clerk filings, and courtesy copies are handled in person, often same day. They can also sit at counsel table with you at trial.
Need a different kind of support?
Administrative Support
On-site admin & marketing execution — 20 hrs/mo from $980.
Explore Admin Support →Executive Assistant Support
Email, scheduling & client intake — 30 hrs/mo at $1,650.
Explore EA Support →Fractional Services
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