The research sitting in your queue. The documents that need drafting. The matters that need organizing. Every hour you spend on paralegal-level work is an hour you can't bill. Paralegal-40 gives you a dedicated paralegal — the same person every month — so your time stays where it belongs. Every minute documented. Monthly report by the 5th. A backup paralegal assigned from day one.
Start the Client Intake FormWhat does Paralegal 40 include? Paralegal 40 provides 40 hours per month of dedicated paralegal support at $2,520/month — document drafting, document review, case management, trial preparation, legal research, e-filing, and all other paralegal tasks. Legal work only — this program does not include marketing, admin, or EA tasks. The same dedicated paralegal is assigned every month. Every minute is documented in a monthly report delivered by the 5th business day.
A full-time paralegal needs 173 hours of legal work a month to stay fully engaged and on your payroll. The average small or growing practice has roughly 40 hours of consistent, high-value paralegal work to delegate. The gap between those two numbers is where underutilization, boredom, and turnover live — and where the revolving door begins.
NALA — The Paralegal Association — directly addressed it in their Q1 2024 journal: paralegal underutilization is a recognized, documented problem in the profession. Many paralegals know they can handle more complex, more essential work — but the volume isn't there consistently enough to keep them fully engaged in a small practice.
The paralegal profession experiences notably high early-career turnover. SHRM estimates that replacing a paralegal costs 50–200% of their annual salary — using the BLS 2024 median of $61,000, that's $30,500–$122,000 per departure. The average vacancy window before someone new is in the chair: eight weeks — during which that work shifts to the attorney.
And here's what that actually costs. Clio's 2024 Legal Trends Report found attorneys average only a 37% utilization rate — 2.96 billable hours in an 8-hour workday. Every hour spent on paralegal-level tasks at attorney rates is an unbillable hour. LeanLaw calculated that two hours a day of attorney-doing-paralegal-work, at an average billing rate of $341/hour, represents $170,500 in annual opportunity cost for a single attorney.
Paralegal-40 is built around 40 focused, documented hours of dedicated legal work per month. Enough to move every active matter forward consistently. Enough to keep a skilled paralegal genuinely engaged in your practice. When a heavy month hits — trial prep, major discovery — overages are available at the same rate. The program is built for the work that actually exists, not a full-time schedule that your practice isn't ready to sustain.
Sources: NALA Q1 2024 Facts & Findings · SHRM employee replacement cost data · Clio 2024 Legal Trends Report · LeanLaw ROI research · Snelling legal staffing data · BLS paralegal salary data 2024
Document drafting, case management, trial prep, research — the full scope of paralegal support, handled by the same dedicated paralegal every month.
Paralegal 40 covers legal work only. It does not include marketing tasks, administrative support, executive assistant work, or social media. If you need marketing or administrative support alongside your paralegal, Admin 20 or EA 30 are the programs for those needs — and can be combined in a custom program. Marketing Lab pairs with Admin 20 or EA 30 only — not with Paralegal 40.
A full-time paralegal in Chicago costs far more than their salary alone. Paralegal 40 delivers the same dedicated professional output — without a single dollar of employment overhead.
Salary data sourced from Chicago market averages (Glassdoor, Indeed, Salary.com, April 2026). Actual savings vary by practice size and hours used.
Amata handles the matching and logistics. You invest approximately two hours before your paralegal's first day — then your Account Executive facilitates the rest.
Amata handles the matching and onboarding logistics. Your pre-start investment — approximately two hours — sets your paralegal up to produce value from their first day on your matters.
Best practice: Block two hours before your paralegal's start date. Attorneys who show up to day one with a written task list and ready system access get dramatically more value in month one.
Your Amata Account Executive facilitates a dedicated 60–90 minute intake session before your paralegal's first day. This is where context transfers — the single most important investment you'll make in this relationship. Think of it as briefing a trusted associate before handing them a matter.
Best practice: Record this session if your paralegal is remote. It becomes a reference they can revisit as new situations arise — and saves you from answering the same questions twice.
Month one is a calibration period. Your paralegal is building context, learning your practice's standards, and earning trust. The goal isn't full productivity on day one — it's a foundation that compounds quickly.
Best practice: Write the first 30 days down and share it. A one-page outline of responsibilities, standards, and check-in cadence signals that you're invested in making this work.
The difference between a productive Paralegal 40 relationship and an exceptional one comes down to delegation and communication.
At the end of month one, your Account Executive facilitates a structured review anchored on the first monthly report. Not a performance evaluation — a recalibration.
A paralegal who has worked your matters for six months knows your practice the way a junior associate would — with the cost structure of a fractional contract.
The compounding principle: A Paralegal 40 relationship at six months is exponentially more valuable than one at week one. The institutional knowledge of your practice, your judges, and your standards builds over time. Protect and invest in it.
Unlike a full-time hire, your Paralegal 40 delivers a formal monthly report by the 5th business day — the work completed, the hours spent, the outcomes delivered. Every 1/6th-hour increment is documented.
Amata assigns both a primary paralegal and a backup to every Paralegal 40 program. If your primary is out for PTO, illness, or unexpected turnover, the backup steps in — already familiar with your matters and your practice's standards. Active matters don't pause.
Paralegal 40 is legal work only. For administrative support, executive assistant work, or marketing — Admin 20 and EA 30 are designed for those needs. A custom program can combine elements.
Start the intake form or call us. Amata handles the matching. Your paralegal is on your first matters within week one.
