Paralegal Burn Out Essay

The practice of law, or any career related to it, can be very stressful. Paralegals have to face some kind of stress almost every day. Paralegals who manage their careers and lives well can resolve some of the stress, but failure to do so can lead to burnout. This paper explores some of the common causes of paralegal burnout, the effect of burnout itself, and how to resolve it. Too much overtime, busy schedules with tight deadlines, and a lack of organization can lead to burnout in the paralegal profession.Paralegals choose to work overtime for a few reasons. Some simply fall into the habit of working overtime (Diaz and Voisin, 173). Some paralegals feel that they need to work harder than most, even when nobody realizes it. On occasion, a

paralegal may be forced to work overtime either because of a looming deadline or another person’s procrastination. However, the more time a paralegal spends at the office, the less there is for spending time with family or relaxing. This naturally leads to stress; and, if not handled correctly, to burnout.
As previously stated, a paralegal may work overtime because of looming deadlines.

Looming deadlines are stressful by themselves, and it doesn’t help when most paralegals have a very full schedule. A paralegal may receive requests from coworkers to take on another task. Or, the attorney may suddenly take on a new case, which brings more work that must somehow be completed before the deadline. Tight deadlines create a stressful environment. The ability to be cool under pressure, and knowing how to de-stress after a long day, are vital in the paralegal profession. Paralegals who fail to manage their schedules face the possibility of

burnout.
Organization might relieve some of the stress associated with tight deadlines. But even though organization is a necessary skill for a paralegal to possess, some paralegals lack it. The same is true for some attorneys. Disorganized paralegals cause stress not only for themselves, but also for others in the law firm. A disorganized paralegal may require a colleague to save them with deadlines a few times. And if that paralegal paralegal prefers to work in this way, it can cause his or her colleagues to postpone other important tasks. This will cause stress in the firm.
An overabundance of stress, if not taken care of, can lead to burnout. Although burnout and depression were once regarded as different syndromes, a study has shown that there are striking similarities between the two (Schonfeld and Bianchi, 22). Depression can at times lead to suicidal thoughts, or even attempted suicide. Schonfeld and Bianchi suggest that burnout can betreated by seeking efficacious treatments for depression (33).Although burnout may be treated in this way, if the root of the problem is not solved, the burnout will simply return. Although there are circumstances beyond an individual’s control, a paralegal can help to reduce personal stress in the law firm by altering his or her habits. One of the things a paralegal can control, at least to some extent, is overtime.
Diaz and Voisin point out that one of the reasons that people work overtime is that they cannot make themselves sit in their chairs long enough to do a task (173), and that those who work overtime regularly may simply not be productive during the regular work hours of their day (174).

Setting a timer for twenty or thirty minutes and then getting up to stretch can truly be helpful in keeping an individual on task. Also, if a paralegal is working overtime because someone in the law firm puts off the work until the very last minute, a paralegal can choose to get the small things out of the way so that there are fewer things to worry about once the deadline hits. Diaz and Voisin suggest another strategy for this situation: Paralegals who refuse to constantly work overtime may find that the procrastination on the part of the colleague may stop.

Busy schedules are an inevitable part of the paralegal profession, but there are some strategies to fix this problem as well. If a colleague comes and asks the paralegal to perform a task for him or her when the paralegal has deadlines looming, the paralegal may accept the work while making sure somebody else finishes or helps to finish a project that is almost due (Diaz and Voisin, 170). Making a deal with a colleague or trading work, may help alleviate concerns associated with a busy

schedule.
Inevitably, however, a paralegal may have to say “no” when asked to take on a new assignment. It is difficult to say “no,” but Diaz and Voisin reveal that saying no to a new task means saying “yes” to another (171). Saying “no” is not always easy, but it does leave a paralegal with the opportunity to finish a task already assigned to him or her. And saying “no” to a new task now may allow the paralegal to say “yes” to a more important task sometime in the future.
Perhaps the troubles of a busy schedule would be somewhat alleviated with organization. It is very important for paralegals to be organized (Diaz and Voisin, 30). Sometimes, however, it is another person’s lack of organization that is troubling the paralegal. In those cases, it is better to offer assistance, such as organizing files or delivering packages. A paralegal should never imply that the colleague is at fault for his or her lack of organization. It may be that the colleague’s lack of organization is due someone else’s organization problems.
Although overtime, busy schedules, tight deadlines, and a lack of organization can contribute to paralegal burnout, there are ways to alleviate if not totally solve the problem. Paralegals who want mastery in their careers have to know how to manage their work. Burnout is a real danger in the paralegal field; but if the paralegal is aware of the problem, and knows how to fix it, he or she can conquer the menace and enjoy the variety and excitement the paralegal profession has to offer.