Running a U.S. law firm has never been more expensive. Salaries continue to rise, office leases increase annually, and administrative tasks keep attorneys away from billable work.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hiring a full-time in-house legal assistant can cost $55,000–$75,000 annually. Once benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and workspace are added, that number can increase by 30–40%.
Meanwhile, offshore virtual assistants—particularly from the Philippines and Latin America—provide the same level of legal and administrative support at a fraction of the cost.
One of the largest differences comes from salary and benefits.
What onshore staff costs typically include:
According to BLS and industry data, employee benefits typically add around 30% to base salary.
In contrast, offshore virtual assistants from the Philippines or Latin America—many with legal training or U.S. law firm experience—can be hired at 45–55% lower cost. Additionally, because they work remotely through a staffing agency like Legal Support Help, your firm avoids costs for benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and workspace entirely.
Hiring in-house staff comes with office overhead, equipment, software, and ongoing maintenance—costs that add up quickly. Virtual assistants work remotely with their own setup, removing this burden entirely.
Additionally, in-house employees are typically paid for full shifts, even during downtime or slow periods. Virtual assistants, on the other hand, work on a task-based or hourly model, meaning firms pay only for work completed.
Key benefits include:
A common misconception is that lower cost equals lower quality. Agencies like Legal Support Help ensure that virtual assistants deliver professional, accurate, and efficient work through:
Supervising or onboarding staff consumes valuable time. Delegating non-billable tasks—like document preparation, client follow-ups, CRM updates, and scheduling—to trained virtual assistants allows attorneys to:
For more details on services, see delegate law firm tasks to virtual assistants.
LSH was referred to me by another attorney who spoke highly of the company, and my experience also reflected her praise. The team at LSH is very professional. They took the time to determine my needs, sent me many qualified options, and my assistant, Enrique, has been an integral asset to my practice. He is motivated, skilled, eager to learn, and anticipates my needs extremely well. I am so thankful that LSH trained him so well and connected me with someone who fits our firm culture seamlessly. The follow-up and check-ins also show how much they care and that they want to ensure that the match is a success. I have referred them to other friends and colleagues and highly recommend Legal Support Help.
– Andrea Paris, Attorney, Andrea Paris Law, PC
Q1: Why is a virtual assistant less expensive than an in-house employee?
Benefits like FLSA, FICA, FMLA, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, retirement plan, and any other benefits typically provided to in-house regular employees are not required to be paid to your virtual assistant.
Q2: Do I need to purchase my virtual assistant’s equipment?
No. Virtual assistants set up their own home office, including computers, monitors, headsets, and internet
While virtual assistants are issued by LSH with a work email, time tracking account, basic word document editing tool, and temporary VOIP/soft phone, upon onboarding you should provide a law firm email, VOIP/soft phone for calling-related tasks, other tools and applications login information, subscriptions and licenses, additional equipment, and third-party support that you may need or require from time to time. The costs as mentioned earlier and any related fees are considered your expenses and are not covered by either the virtual assistant or LSH.
Q3: How can I reduce cybersecurity risks and protect privacy?
If your company has an IT team or tech support, it’s a good idea to have them routinely monitor for any unusual activity and perform security checks on your network. Be sure to manage access permissions carefully—only grant your virtual assistant the credentials they need to complete their assigned tasks. If there are several users in one account and a staff member leaves, you can also change your password once a month or more frequently as needed.
Sensitive details, such as credit card or personal information, should be shared only when necessary and ideally after a level of trust has been built over time. As you establish confidence, your virtual assistant may initially provide you with a screenshot of a filled-out form or purchase summary, which allows you to review and confirm before your virtual assistant completes the transaction or task.
Offshore virtual assistants provide a cost-efficient solution for administrative and support tasks, allowing your firm to scale while significantly reducing the expenses and operational burden of onshore staff.
Whether your firm struggles with client intake, falling behind on invoice collections, or losing valuable billable hours, delegating these tasks to a trained legal virtual assistant is not just cost-effective—it’s a strategic move that maximizes efficiency.
Ready to save on staffing and reclaim your time? Claim your special offer (mention that you came from the blog) when you hire a virtual assistant today.
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