What paralegals do: a functional view of modern legal support

The Australian legal landscape is shifting. To combat rising costs and improve operational efficiency, modern firms are redefining the role of the paralegal.

Today, paralegals do more than just administrative tasks. They conduct legal research, prepare and manage legal documents, assist with court filings and procedural requirements, and support matter coordination and case management. By handling routine, repeatable, and process-driven work, paralegals improve law firm efficiency, reduce legal costs, and enable lawyers to focus on complex legal analysis, advocacy, and client advisory services.

The evolving paralegal role

In the Australian context, a paralegal is a legal professional who, while not admitted to practise as a solicitor or barrister, possesses the technical knowledge and procedural expertise to perform substantive legal work under supervision.

The paralegal role in law firms has transitioned from clerical support to a pillar of legal operations support. Today’s paralegals are often law students, graduates, or career professionals who understand the lifecycle of a matter.

Core paralegal duties in Australia

Paralegal duties are diverse, but they generally fall into three functional categories: procedural management, document production, and factual investigation.

Procedural management

Paralegals maintain file integrity. They commonly:

Handling early case preparation, including client interviews, legal research, and case law review.

• Manage complex calendars and monitor court deadlines.
• Ensure filings comply with relevant practice directions.
• Mitigate risk by tracking every procedural step in high-volume litigation.

Document production & management

Legal matters generate vast amounts of data. Paralegals are responsible for structuring and managing this information so it can be used effectively by lawyers. Typical tasks include:

• Collate evidence and index briefs to counsel.
• Drafting legal documents, including subpoenas, contracts, complaints and briefs.
• Prepare tender bundles for trial.
• Organise discovery materials so lead solicitors can access them instantly.

Factual investigation

Paralegals perform the “heavy lifting” of factual analysis. They summarise witness statements and identify evidentiary gaps before the lawyer applies the legal strategy.

How paralegals power family law matters

Family law is one of the most procedurally intensive areas of practice. Paralegals play a vital role in managing complexity while keeping costs proportionate and matters on track.

Managing client intake

Paralegals often handle the first touchpoint for new matters. They gather critical history regarding:

Relationship timelines and asset pools.

• Parenting proceeding details.
• Asset, liability, and superannuation information

By delivering a structured, complete file to the solicitor, paralegals allow first consultations to focus on legal advice rather than administrative tasks.

Leading the disclosure process

Disclosure obligations in family law are extensive. Paralegals commonly assist by:

• Liaising with clients to gather financial documents
• Reviewing, indexing, and categorising disclosure material
• Maintaining disclosure schedules
• Tracking when documents are exchanged with the other side

This work supports compliance with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021, while reducing the risk of omissions, inconsistencies or late disclosure

For example, in a property settlement involving multiple bank accounts, trusts, or self-managed superannuation funds, a paralegal may review and organise financial disclosure documents into a structured Disclosure Schedule, Balance Sheet, and/or Chronology, allowing the solicitor to focus on strategic legal advice.

Drafting supporting documents

Under solicitor supervision, paralegals may prepare draft documents such as:

• Affidavits and Financial Statements.
• Orders by Consent.
• Chronologies
• Subpoenas
• Orders

The solicitor retains responsibility for advice, legal content and final review and for ensuring the document reflects appropriate legal judgment.

Paralegal work vs lawyer work: functional boundaries

The distinction between paralegal and lawyer work is well established in Australian legal practice.

Section 10 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law prohibits unqualified entities from engaging in legal practice, meaning only qualified entities may provide legal services in Australia. Paralegals and legal technology, including AI-assisted paralegal tools, do not engage in legal practice. They perform defined support functions under solicitor supervision, while the solicitor or law practice remains the qualified entity responsible for legal advice, compliance, and outcomes.

Paralegals must not:

• Provide legal advice
• Represent themselves as solicitors
• Exercise independent legal judgment

Their role is to execute procedural and factual tasks under supervision. Lawyers remain responsible for strategic decisions, legal advice, and final outputs.

The value of paralegals in modern legal operations

When firms hire or deploy paralegal support, they are investing in efficiency and risk management, not just staffing.

The benefits are clear:

• Lower client costs through appropriate delegation
• Faster matter progression without inflating fees
• Reduced lawyer burnout by removing administrative load
• Improved accuracy through structured document handling

As firms increasingly blend skilled human staff with intelligent legal technology, the paralegal function continues to evolve, not disappear.

Maximising Australian legal support services

Paralegals remain essential to modern legal practice. The most effective firms now combine experienced lawyers, skilled paralegals, and supervised legal technology to deliver faster, more cost-effective outcomes.

By automating time-consuming tasks such as document analysis and factual summaries, tools like CORTO AI paralegal allow your team to work faster and with more precision. This seamless blend of skilled staff and intelligent automation ensures your practice remains a high-efficiency powerhouse.

Ready to revolutionise your practice? Discover how an AI paralegal can streamline your operations.