Apex Law Service is a paralegal services vendor — not a law firm. This page explains, in plain terms, how we structure our work to align with the ABA Model Guidelines for the Utilization of Paralegal Services (2018). The Guidelines are addressed to the attorneys who use paralegals; we describe our practices here so the attorneys who work with us, and the clients they serve, understand exactly how we operate and where the lines are drawn.
The full Guidelines are available here.
This page describes our own business practices. It is not legal advice, and it is not a determination that any particular arrangement complies with the rules of any particular state. Each attorney who works with us remains independently responsible for compliance with the professional-conduct rules of the jurisdiction(s) in which they are licensed, and we encourage attorneys to confirm any questions with their own state bar.
We do not practice law
Apex Law Service does not give legal advice and does not represent anyone in a legal matter. Only the independent attorney a client hires practices law. Our role is the document-heavy, organizational work of a paralegal — evidence and discovery indexing, chronologies, records requests, drafting at the attorney’s direction, transcript summaries, and trial-preparation materials. We do not select legal strategy, advise on the law, or draw legal conclusions.
Our work is directed and supervised by the client’s attorney
We perform only the tasks the client’s independent attorney directs us to perform, and the attorney reviews and is responsible for that work. The attorney does not need to share our office to supervise us, but supervision means genuine direction and review — the attorney remains the responsible professional for everything that goes into the client’s matter. Where our personnel communicate directly with a client, it is for logistics — requesting a document, confirming information, scheduling — and never to interpret or expand on the attorney’s legal advice. Any legal question a client raises is routed to the attorney, and the client may always contact their attorney directly.
Fees: work-based, separate, and never shared
The attorney sets and discusses the attorney’s fees directly with the client; we are not a party to that decision. Our charge is separate, is only for paralegal hours actually worked, and is billed at a flat hourly rate. We do not:
- share in or split any legal fee,
- take any percentage of a recovery or any outcome-based or contingency payment,
- mark up or profit from another vendor’s work, or
- require an attorney to use us for any fixed quota of hours.
The number of paralegal hours used on any matter is the attorney’s professional judgment, based on what the matter actually requires.
Marketing is not the same as a referral fee
The Guidelines prohibit paying a paralegal, directly or indirectly, for referring clients or legal work to an attorney. We honor that. We do not charge attorneys a referral fee, and we do not accept a referral fee. No payment we receive is determined by, or tied to, the fees an attorney charges in a matter. When we introduce a client to an independent attorney, the introduction is neutral and uncompensated, and we do not rank, rate, recommend, or vouch for any attorney — the client’s choice of counsel is entirely the client’s own.
Appearances before tribunals
A paralegal may appear on a client’s behalf before an administrative tribunal only where that tribunal’s own rules expressly permit non-lawyer representation, and only when the client’s attorney has directed us to do so. Whether that is permitted depends entirely on the rules of the specific tribunal and jurisdiction, and is a question for the supervising attorney to decide and instruct us on.
Conflicts of interest
We take reasonable steps to identify and avoid conflicts of interest arising from our work for multiple clients and attorneys, and we maintain separation of files and information accordingly.
Continuing education and pro bono service
Our paralegals complete their required continuing legal education, and we support pro bono work — including coordinating volunteer paralegal support for pro bono attorneys representing sex-trafficking victims through PraxisProfessional.com, and community service for kids on juvenile probation through AllInService.org.