Overworked Solicitor? 25 Legal Tasks You Should Stop Doing Yourself

An overworked solicitor is not always dealing with too much difficult legal work.

Often, the problem is that a qualified fee-earner is spending the day doing work that does not require their level of expertise.

They are updating case management systems. Chasing documents. Preparing bundles. Reviewing thousands of pages for relevance. Formatting correspondence. Checking whether a client has returned a form. Drafting the first version of a routine letter. Then, after the office is quiet, they finally get to the work only they can do.

That is how a solicitor becomes the bottleneck in their own practice.

For small and mid-sized law firms, the answer is not always another permanent hire. A firm may have too much work for its existing team but not enough predictable work to justify another full-time employee. The practical alternative is to identify which tasks can be delegated, establish appropriate supervision and move recurring work away from the people whose time is most valuable.

Below are 25 legal and legal-adjacent tasks that an overworked solicitor should consider stopping doing personally.

The principle: keep responsibility, delegate the work

Before looking at the list, one distinction matters.

Delegating a task does not mean abandoning responsibility for the matter. The instructing firm remains responsible for ensuring that work is properly directed, managed, supervised and controlled.

The SRA’s Effective Supervision guidance addresses arrangements where regulated individuals supervise work carried out by individuals who are not authorised by the SRA. Following the Court of Appeal’s decision in CILEX and others v Mazur and others, an unauthorised person may carry out certain tasks within the conduct of litigation for and on behalf of an authorised individual, provided appropriate arrangements for delegation and supervision are in place. The authorised individual retains responsibility for the delegated work.

The practical question is therefore not simply, “Can someone else do this?”

It is:

Can this work be delegated safely, with the right instructions, supervision, quality control and final sign-off?

For many routine tasks, the answer is yes.

1. File opening and matter setup

Opening a new matter often involves repetitive administrative work: entering client details, creating folders, setting up the case management system and recording key dates.

The solicitor should decide whether the firm can act and what the matter requires. They do not necessarily need to personally perform every data-entry step that follows.

A supervised legal support team can help create the matter, organise the initial information and ensure that the file is ready for the fee-earner to begin substantive work.

2. Client onboarding administration

New instructions often create a long list of administrative tasks before substantive legal work begins.

A supervised paralegal can help collect required information, track outstanding documents, organise the client file and flag missing information for review.

The solicitor remains responsible for the legal and regulatory decisions. The administrative process does not need to consume the fee-earner’s entire afternoon.

The firm’s procedures should also reflect its obligations under the SRA Standards and Regulations, including the need to maintain appropriate standards of service and protect client interests.

3. Conflict-check administration

Conflict checking is a serious professional responsibility. It is not something to treat as a box-ticking exercise.

However, the process of gathering the relevant names, entities and information for a conflict search can often be organised and prepared by support staff. The solicitor or appropriate authorised person should retain responsibility for reviewing the results and making the professional decision on whether the firm can act.

The SRA’s guidance on conflicts of interest sets out the professional obligations that apply. The important distinction is between delegating the administrative preparation and delegating the professional decision.

4. Updating case management systems

A solicitor’s time is valuable. A case management system still needs accurate information.

Updating task statuses, recording routine correspondence, uploading documents, maintaining chronology fields and keeping deadlines visible are all important. They are also often repetitive.

A reliable support process can keep the system current without requiring the fee-earner to personally perform every update.

This is particularly important where the firm uses digital systems to manage limitation dates, court deadlines and client commitments. A system is only useful if the information within it is kept accurate.

5. Chasing documents

Missing documents delay matters.

Medical records, bank statements, identity documents, disclosure documents, signed statements and expert information often require repeated follow-up.

The solicitor should decide what evidence is required. A supervised member of the legal support team can often manage the chasing process, maintain an outstanding-items list and escalate anything that requires a legal decision.

A simple document tracker can remove dozens of unnecessary interruptions from a solicitor’s week.

6. Reviewing incoming correspondence

Not every email requires immediate solicitor attention.

A trained paralegal can organise incoming correspondence, identify urgent deadlines, categorise routine communications and prepare a concise summary for the fee-earner.

The objective is not to hide information from the solicitor. It is to ensure that the solicitor sees the important information in a usable form.

The Law Society’s guidance on email management also reflects a wider reality of modern legal practice: firms need effective systems for managing the volume of electronic communications that can otherwise overwhelm fee-earners.

7. Routine correspondence

Many firms spend significant time producing letters and emails that follow established patterns.

Examples include requests for documents, routine procedural correspondence, confirmation letters and administrative updates.

A first draft can be prepared to the firm’s house style, with the solicitor reviewing and approving the final communication where appropriate.

The objective is not to remove professional judgment. It is to stop a solicitor spending twenty minutes creating a first draft of a letter that can be prepared from clear instructions and an approved precedent.

8. Chronologies

A good chronology can save hours later in a matter.

A supervised paralegal can review the available documents, identify dates and events, organise the information chronologically and flag gaps or inconsistencies for the solicitor.

The fee-earner can then focus on the legal significance of the chronology rather than spending an entire day building the first version from scratch.

This is especially useful in litigation, where the relationship between documents, events and procedural history can be critical.

9. Schedules and factual summaries

Schedules of events, loss, payments, documents or issues often require careful organisation before they can be used effectively.

The underlying legal judgment remains with the solicitor. The preparation, checking and formatting of the underlying material can often be delegated.

A properly structured schedule can also make it easier for the solicitor to identify inconsistencies and focus on the points that require legal analysis.

10. Legal research

Legal research is one of the clearest areas where delegation can increase a solicitor’s capacity.

A paralegal can research relevant authorities, legislation and procedural rules and prepare a properly cited research note addressing the question asked.

The solicitor should still review the research and apply professional judgment before relying on it.

Depending on the issue, research may involve sources such as legislation.gov.uk, BAILII, the official UK Supreme Court judgments, the Civil Procedure Rules or relevant regulator guidance.

The key is that the research should answer the question the solicitor actually asked.

11. First drafts of routine legal documents

The first version of a document often takes longer than the final version.

Depending on the nature of the document, supervised support can assist with first drafts of routine correspondence, applications, pleadings and other legal documents based on clear instructions and established precedents.

The solicitor remains responsible for the legal analysis, strategy, accuracy and final decision to approve or use the document.

A first draft is not the finished legal product. It is a structured starting point that allows the solicitor to spend more time on judgment and less time staring at a blank page.

12. Witness statement preparation support

Witness statements require care. They must accurately reflect the witness’s evidence and should not simply become a lawyer’s reconstruction of events.

However, a paralegal can assist by organising attendance notes, reviewing relevant disclosure, preparing a structured first draft from the witness’s evidence and identifying factual gaps for the solicitor to address.

The final statement must be reviewed carefully and remain grounded in the witness’s own evidence.

The Civil Procedure Rules and associated Practice Directions provide the procedural framework for civil litigation, while the solicitor remains responsible for ensuring that the evidence is properly prepared and presented.

13. Disclosure review

Disclosure is one of the most obvious sources of pressure in litigation.

A large document set can consume days or weeks of fee-earner time. Relevance review, categorisation, privilege screening and redaction can often be organised as a structured review exercise with appropriate supervision and quality control.

The Disclosure Pilot Scheme and the current disclosure provisions within the Civil Procedure Rules demonstrate the importance of a structured approach to disclosure.

A consistent review methodology and clear audit trail are particularly important where the volume of documents is substantial.

14. Document review at volume

Disclosure is not the only situation where document review creates a bottleneck.

Due diligence, employment disputes, commercial disputes, investigations and regulatory matters may all involve large collections of documents.

A supervised paralegal team can help organise, review and classify material so that the solicitor can focus on the documents and issues that require professional judgment.

The solicitor should define the review methodology and escalation criteria. The support team can then work within that framework.

15. Redaction support

Redaction requires care and should never be treated as an automatic administrative task.

However, appropriately trained support staff can assist with applying defined redaction instructions, maintaining consistency and identifying material requiring escalation.

The firm’s procedures should make clear what can be handled under established instructions and what must be referred to the supervising solicitor.

This is an area where quality control matters. A second-level review may be appropriate depending on the sensitivity and significance of the material.

16. Trial bundle preparation

Trial bundles are a classic example of work that is important but should not necessarily consume a solicitor’s evening.

Preparing an index, organising documents, checking pagination, compiling electronic materials and working to the relevant court requirements can be handled through a structured process.

The solicitor should retain responsibility for ensuring that the bundle contains the documents required for the case.

The relevant Civil Procedure Rules and Practice Directions should be checked for the applicable requirements, particularly where the matter involves electronic bundles or specific directions from the court.

A missing exhibit or incorrect reference can cause serious problems. That is precisely why the process should be systematic rather than left to a tired fee-earner at midnight.

17. Court filing administration

Court deadlines do not become less important because the task is administrative.

Preparing documents for filing, checking that the correct materials are ready, maintaining deadline records and confirming submission can all be supported by a dedicated legal operations process.

The solicitor remains responsible for the substantive legal decision and the firm’s compliance with the applicable procedural requirements.

Where online court services are used, the support process should include clear confirmation that the correct documents were filed and that evidence of submission has been retained.

18. Hearing preparation

A solicitor should be preparing for the hearing, not searching through an unstructured folder for the documents they need.

A paralegal can assist with preparing hearing packs, summarising key documents, checking chronology and ensuring that relevant materials are accessible.

This allows the solicitor to spend more time on strategy, submissions and preparation for the issues likely to arise.

The Judiciary’s guidance and publications can also be relevant depending on the type of hearing and the court involved.

19. Matter status reporting

Partners and practice managers need to know what is happening across the firm’s matters.

Preparing internal updates, maintaining task trackers and producing structured status summaries can often be delegated.

The value lies in giving the fee-earner a reliable system that highlights what requires a decision rather than asking them to create a report from scratch.

This can also help a practice manager identify where matters are becoming stuck before the problem becomes a missed deadline or dissatisfied client.

20. AML and client due diligence administration

Anti-money laundering compliance cannot simply be outsourced as a way of avoiding responsibility.

The firm must retain appropriate oversight of its compliance obligations and ensure that its arrangements are effective.

However, collecting information, checking that required documents have been provided, organising source-of-funds information and maintaining file records can be supported by trained staff operating within the firm’s procedures.

The SRA’s anti-money laundering guidance and the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017 should inform the firm’s processes and controls.

The person performing the administrative task does not automatically become the person responsible for the firm’s compliance decision.

21. Source-of-funds document organisation

Source-of-funds work can involve repeated requests, multiple documents and incomplete explanations.

A support team can help organise the information received, identify obvious gaps against the firm’s checklist and prepare the file for review.

The decision as to whether the information is satisfactory remains a matter for the person with the appropriate responsibility within the firm.

The SRA’s guidance on financial crime compliance provides further context for the firm’s obligations.

22. Proofreading and document formatting

A solicitor should not be spending valuable legal time fixing inconsistent headings, numbering, spacing and formatting.

Proofreading and formatting are small tasks individually. Across hundreds of documents, they become a significant capacity problem.

A reliable support process can make documents easier to review and reduce the amount of time a fee-earner spends on presentation.

The solicitor should be able to concentrate on whether the argument is correct, not whether paragraph 14 has the wrong indentation.

23. Diary and deadline administration

A missed deadline can be serious. That does not mean the solicitor must personally perform every diary-management task.

A structured system can help maintain hearing dates, limitation dates, filing deadlines, client appointments and internal review dates.

The firm’s procedures should make clear who is responsible for recording, checking and escalating critical dates.

The SRA’s guidance on competence and standards reinforces the wider importance of effective systems and competent service delivery.

The critical point is that delegation should not create ambiguity. Everyone should know what is recorded, who checks it and what happens when a deadline approaches.

24. Routine file housekeeping

Files become difficult to manage when documents are duplicated, names are inconsistent and important information is scattered across systems.

File housekeeping can include document naming, folder organisation, closing completed tasks and maintaining an orderly digital file.

Good housekeeping is not glamorous. It is also one of the easiest ways to make a solicitor’s working day more efficient.

A well-organised file reduces the time spent searching for information and makes supervision easier.

25. The work that sits between every other task

The final category is the most important.

It is the work that does not appear on a job description but occupies the gaps between substantive legal tasks.

Checking whether something has been done. Looking for a missing attachment. Re-reading an email thread. Updating a spreadsheet. Searching for a document. Formatting a letter. Chasing a client. Rebuilding a chronology.

Individually, these tasks appear minor.

Together, they create the workload that leaves solicitors working late despite having spent much of the day on matters that could have been delegated.

What does effective delegation of legal work mean?

Effective delegation means assigning appropriate work to a competent person while the responsible solicitor or authorised individual retains appropriate direction, management, supervision and control. It is not a transfer of professional responsibility simply because another person performs the task.

The SRA’s Effective Supervision guidance explains that supervision should be appropriate to the circumstances and that firms should have arrangements allowing authorised individuals to exercise proper direction, management, supervision and control over delegated work.

That means a good delegation process should answer four questions:

1. What exactly is being delegated?
2. Who is competent to perform it?
3. What level of supervision is appropriate?
4. Who makes the final professional decision?

The answer will differ depending on the risk, complexity and importance of the task.

A routine document-organisation task may require a different level of supervision from a complex legal research assignment or a sensitive disclosure exercise.

How does outsourcing legal work work without losing control of the file?

A firm can outsource appropriate legal support while retaining control by defining the scope of work, establishing clear instructions, controlling access to information and maintaining appropriate supervision and sign-off arrangements. The outsourced support team performs agreed tasks, while the instructing firm retains responsibility for the matter and its professional obligations.

Data protection must also be addressed properly. Under the UK GDPR, a controller remains responsible for compliance when using a processor and must only appoint processors that provide sufficient guarantees regarding appropriate technical and organisational measures.

The ICO’s guidance on controllers and processors provides further guidance on the relationship between organisations controlling personal data and those processing it on their behalf.

For a law firm, outsourcing should not be treated as simply sending client files to another organisation and hoping for the best.

The firm should understand:

• what information is being shared
• why it is being processed
• who has access
• what contractual arrangements apply
• what security measures are in place
• how instructions are given
• how work is reviewed
• how the arrangement fits with the firm’s confidentiality obligations

The SRA’s guidance on confidentiality and client information should also be considered when establishing arrangements involving confidential client information.

What should an overworked solicitor delegate first?

The best starting point is usually repetitive, document-heavy or process-driven work that is important but does not require the solicitor to make the final professional judgment at every stage.

In practice, this often means starting with disclosure review, legal research, chronology preparation, bundle preparation, document organisation, routine drafting and administrative legal support.

A firm does not need to delegate an entire matter on day one. It can begin with one clearly defined bottleneck, establish a working process and expand the arrangement as confidence develops.

A useful first step is to review the solicitor’s working week and identify the tasks that are:

• repeated frequently
• governed by a clear process
• document-heavy
• time-consuming
• capable of being reviewed at defined stages
• important to the matter but not dependent on the solicitor personally performing every step

The practical test

A useful question for any practice manager or partner is:

If a solicitor is doing this task at 10pm, does it genuinely require a solicitor’s judgment, or does it require a reliable process?

If the answer is the second, the work may be a candidate for delegation.

At Paralegal Outsourcing UK, firms can use outsourced paralegal support across litigation support, legal drafting, legal research, disclosure and document review, trial bundles, witness statement drafting support, court filing support, AML and compliance support, back-office legal operations and administrative legal support.

The work is delivered within the firm’s systems and workflows, with the instructing firm retaining conduct, supervision and final sign-off.

For firms that need a more dedicated arrangement, Paralegal Outsourcing UK’s pricing includes Single Paralegal at £800 per month, Team of Three at £2,250 per month and Complete Back Office from £3,000 per month.

The point is not to delegate everything.

It is to stop asking qualified solicitors to spend their most valuable hours on work that someone else can perform properly, under the firm’s direction and supervision.

If you want to identify which tasks are slowing your practice down, you can explore How It Works or contact Paralegal Outsourcing UK to discuss where additional capacity could fit.