Confidentiality and Your Legal VA

One big concern a lot of lawyers might have with hiring a virtual paralegal or virtual legal assistant is how privacy and confidentiality will be handled.

Even with in-house staff this is a legitimate concern that must be managed carefully. The ABA had an article that discussed some potential pitfalls in this regard. I think that hiring a virtual legal assistant would actually assist in this aspect, as if you hire a virtual assistant from another state or even another country, she is less likely to have any involvement with the principals of your specific litigation.

Once you have decided to retain a virtual legal assistant you can do a couple of things to protect your interests. First you can have her perform a conflict search of her current client list to see if there is any reason for concern. If there is a conflict she can refer you to another LVA who will be able to assist you. Second, have her sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of her contract. These safeguards should lessen your worries and set you up for a successful partnership.