Recently, I have been appointed by my supervising lawyers, Jennette Vopicka and Danielle (Dani) Brito, as their “Designated Paralegal”! Yay me!
Designated Paralegals are new(ish) to British Columbia, but not as new as you may think. By way of a recommendation from the Delivery of Legal Services Task Force of 2012, the term “Designated Paralegal” was born, as were its powers. A Designated Paralegal is a paralegal who works under the direct supervision of their lawyer (in my case, Jennette and Dani), and can assist by handling routine files in an increased capacity. This means I can provide legal advice to clients and give/accept undertakings on a case by case basis when Jennette/Dani and I deem that the matter is routine in nature and that I have the correct qualifications and experience to handle the matter competently for our clients. The supervising lawyer must always keep themselves in contact with the client and it should be noted that the client must be made aware that I am a Designated Paralegal, not a lawyer, and what exactly my roll is prior to any agreement allowing me to work on the client’s behalf in the Designated Paralegal capacity.
While we are new to this process, and I have only taken on a few matters where I hold myself out as a Designated Paralegal carrying conduct of the file (under lawyer supervision of course), we are excited at the prospect of what value this service may provide to our current and future clients.
If you are interested in this increased capacity roll, please head on over to the Law Society of BC’s page on Designated Paralegals for more information Paralegals | The Law Society of British Columbia
If you have any questions regarding the above or any other legal matter, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (778) 940-3768 or [email protected].
Author: Tracy Lerfold, Designated Paralegal to Jennette Vopicka and Danielle (Dani) Brito
This information is general in nature only. You should consult a lawyer before acting on any of this information. This information should not be considered as legal advice. To learn more about your legal needs, please contact our office at (778) 940-3768 or any of our practicing lawyers at the following:
Danielle (Dani) Brito: [email protected]
Jennette Vopicka: [email protected]
