How Much Does a Legal Virtual Assistant Cost?
A legal virtual assistant costs the hours you use. Here is how to compare that price with an in-house hire, using federal wage data.
The in-house benchmark
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the US median wage for paralegals and legal assistants at $30.24 an hour and $62,890 a year (May 2025). About 404,900 people held these jobs in 2025.
Wages for the same hours, at the median rate, before any other employer cost:
| Hours a week | Wages a week at the median |
|---|---|
| 10 | $302.40 |
| 20 | $604.80 |
| 40 | $1,209.60 |
An employee also costs payroll tax, benefits, paid time off, a desk, a computer and software seats. Recruiting and training take attorney time before the first useful hour. Add those costs to the wage before you compare it with a remote quote.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paralegals and Legal Assistants. Weekly figures are hours multiplied by the median hourly wage.
How remote legal support is priced
- Hourly. You pay for the hours worked. Good for uneven workloads.
- Monthly block. A set number of hours a month at a fixed price. Good for steady admin work.
- Full-time dedicated. One assistant works only for your firm, at a monthly price.
Five things that change the price
- Skill level. Paralegal work, such as drafting and discovery, costs more than administrative work.
- Legal experience. An assistant who knows your practice area and your court needs less training.
- Hours and coverage. Live phone coverage during your business hours costs more than tasks done on a deadline.
- Location. Rates differ between US-based and offshore assistants.
- Management. A provider that recruits, trains and replaces staff charges more than a freelancer, and takes that work off your desk.
How to compare quotes
- Ask what the price includes: recruiting, training, replacement and a supervisor on the provider's side.
- Ask whether the assistant works only for your firm or shares time with other firms.
- Ask for the assistant's legal experience and the software they know.
- Ask how they protect client data, and who signs the confidentiality agreement.
- Start with a short list of tasks and measure the attorney hours you get back.
For the work you can hand off, see what a legal virtual assistant does, or compare virtual paralegal services.
Cost questions
How much does a paralegal cost per hour?
The US median wage for paralegals and legal assistants was $30.24 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the wage alone. An employer also pays payroll tax, benefits and overhead on top of it.
Is a legal virtual assistant cheaper than an employee?
Usually, for part-time needs. You pay only for the hours you use, and you do not pay for benefits, a desk or equipment. For a full-time, in-office role with a lot of in-person work, an employee can be the better fit.
What changes the price of a legal virtual assistant?
Five things: the skill level (admin work or paralegal work), legal experience and practice area, the hours and time-zone coverage you need, the location of the assistant, and whether the provider recruits, trains and replaces staff for you.
Get a price for your firm
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