October 23 is National Paralegal Day, a day to recognize the skilled professionals whose work is an essential part of a successful legal team.
At Lifescape Elder Care Law & Estate Planning, our paralegal, Kelsey Eastridge, plays an important role in helping our attorneys serve individuals and families with their estate planning needs.
Much of a paralegal’s work happens behind the scenes. Preparing and drafting documents, keeping details organized, answering questions, and supporting the rest of the legal team may not always be the parts of estate planning that clients see, but they are essential to keeping the process moving smoothly.
In honor of National Paralegal Day, we asked Kelsey to tell us how she found her way into the legal profession, what her work at Lifescape looks like, and what she would tell someone who thinks a paralegal career might be right for them.
Kelsey Eastridge: Finding the Career That Fit
Becoming a paralegal wasn’t exactly Kelsey’s original career plan. In fact, she had already considered a few others.
When Kelsey returned to the workforce after having children, she began looking for opportunities in the legal field.
“I had run through all my other dreams,” she jokes. Nursing was out because blood made her woozy. Teaching hadn’t worked out. Becoming an attorney was still on the list, but the idea of returning to school for an expensive degree wasn’t particularly appealing.
Instead, Kelsey decided to take a more practical approach: get into the legal field first and find out whether she actually liked the work before committing to law school.
She was hired by a law firm, and the beginning wasn’t easy.
“For three months, I struggled,” Kelsey admits. “Then something in me clicked, and I started looking for ways to add value to the firm.”
That change in perspective helped her discover something important about herself.
“I found that I had a skill set for a paralegal role, and not only could I do this job, but I was good at it.”
And with that, a career she hadn’t originally planned began to feel like exactly where she belonged.
Helping Families Through Estate Planning
At Lifescape, Kelsey focuses primarily on estate planning.
A typical day — to the extent that there is such a thing — includes preparing and drafting documents and helping other members of the Lifescape team when questions arise.
The work draws on many of the administrative and organizational skills that initially helped Kelsey realize she was well suited to being a paralegal.
“I enjoy being a paralegal because it uses a lot of the administrative skills that I am good at,” she says. “The role is defined, and we get to help people make difficult challenges easier.”
That last part is especially important.
Estate planning involves much more than documents. Families are making decisions about their property, finances, health care, loved ones, and what should happen if they can no longer make decisions for themselves. Those conversations and decisions can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Having a knowledgeable legal team guiding the process can make those difficult tasks more manageable — and Kelsey helps make that happen.
Thinking About Becoming a Paralegal? Give It a Try.
Kelsey’s advice for someone considering a paralegal career is refreshingly straightforward:
“Do it.”
More specifically, she recommends finding a way to get your foot in the door and experience the legal environment firsthand rather than assuming you need to have your entire career mapped out before you begin.
And even if you ultimately discover that being a paralegal isn’t for you, she believes the experience is worthwhile.
“A paralegal’s skills are transferable,” Kelsey says. “So even if you decide later that it is not for you, you can take what you learned to many office jobs.”
Her own career is proof that sometimes the best way to discover what you’re good at is simply to give yourself the opportunity to try.
Celebrating Kelsey on National Paralegal Day
National Paralegal Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the work paralegals do every day to support attorneys, clients, and the entire legal process.
For Lifescape, it’s also an opportunity to say thank you to Kelsey.
Her organizational skills, attention to detail, willingness to help, and commitment to making difficult challenges a little easier for the people we serve make her an important part of the Lifescape team.
Happy National Paralegal Day, Kelsey. We’re glad you found your way to the legal field, even if nursing and teaching had to be crossed off the list first.😉
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