50 Tasks to Delegate to a Legal Virtual Assistant

Solo attorneys and small firm partners spend up to 48% of their workday on tasks that generate zero billable revenue—and every non-billable hour is money left on the table.

Running a law practice means juggling client communication, document drafting, court deadlines, billing, and marketing while trying to actually practice law. The administrative side of legal work is enormous, and most of it does not require a law degree. A trained legal virtual assistant (VA) can take ownership of these functions so you can focus on case strategy, client counsel, and courtroom preparation.

This guide maps out 50 specific tasks a legal VA can handle, organized into 8 functional categories. Whether you run a solo practice, a boutique firm, or a growing multi-attorney operation, these are the tasks that free up your highest-value hours.

"The single biggest lever for law firm profitability is not higher billing rates—it's reducing the time attorneys spend on non-billable administrative work." — Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute

Before hiring, review our guide on how to hire a virtual assistant and check the signs your business needs a virtual assistant.

Client Intake and Communication (1–8)

First impressions and ongoing communication define client relationships in legal practice. A VA who manages this function ensures no lead slips through the cracks and every client feels attended to.

1. Screen potential client inquiries — Answer initial phone calls and emails from prospective clients, collect basic case information, and determine whether they meet your practice area criteria before scheduling a consultation.

2. Schedule consultations and meetings — Coordinate attorney calendars with client availability, send calendar invitations with meeting details, and manage rescheduling requests.

3. Send intake forms and collect documentation — Distribute client intake questionnaires, follow up on incomplete submissions, and organize returned documents in the case file.

4. Prepare conflict of interest checks — Run names and parties through your conflict database before the attorney accepts a new matter, flagging any potential issues.

5. Draft and send engagement letters — Prepare retainer agreements and engagement letters from your templates, send them for e-signature, and track execution status.

6. Manage client communication follow-ups — Send case status updates on a regular schedule so clients are never left wondering what is happening with their matter.

7. Handle client portal management — Upload documents to client-facing portals, respond to portal messages, and ensure clients can access everything they need.

8. Coordinate client onboarding workflows — Manage the step-by-step onboarding process from signed engagement letter through the first substantive meeting with the attorney.

Document Preparation and Management (9–18)

Legal work runs on documents. A VA with training on legal templates and formatting standards can handle the preparation, organization, and management that keeps cases moving.

9. Draft legal correspondence — Prepare letters to opposing counsel, clients, courts, and third parties from your firm's templates and style guidelines.

10. Prepare legal documents from templates — Generate contracts, agreements, motions, and pleadings using your document automation tools or template library.

11. Proofread and format legal documents — Review documents for spelling, grammar, formatting consistency, citation accuracy, and compliance with court-specific requirements.

12. Manage document version control — Track revisions across multiple drafts, maintain a clean version history, and ensure all parties are working from the most current document.

13. Organize and maintain case files — Build and maintain logical file structures for each matter—physical and digital—so any team member can find what they need immediately.

14. Compile discovery documents — Gather, organize, label, and index documents responsive to discovery requests, preparing them for attorney review.

15. Prepare exhibit binders and trial materials — Assemble exhibit packages, witness binders, and demonstrative materials for hearings, depositions, and trial.

16. Manage electronic filing systems — Maintain your document management system (Clio, NetDocuments, iManage) with consistent naming conventions and metadata tagging.

17. Process incoming legal mail and documents — Open, scan, categorize, and route incoming correspondence and filings to the appropriate attorney and case file.

18. Create and maintain form libraries — Keep your template library updated as laws change and new practice area needs emerge, ensuring every template reflects current requirements.

Calendar and Deadline Management (19–24)

Missing a deadline in legal practice can mean malpractice exposure. A VA dedicated to deadline tracking provides a critical safety net.

19. Track court deadlines and statutes of limitations — Enter and monitor all case deadlines using your practice management system, sending advance warnings at multiple intervals.

20. Manage court hearing schedules — Track hearing dates, coordinate attorney availability, arrange courtroom logistics, and send reminders with case details and preparation notes.

21. Calculate and docket filing deadlines — Compute response deadlines based on service dates, court rules, and local practice requirements, then enter them into your calendar system.

22. Coordinate deposition schedules — Arrange dates, locations, and court reporters for depositions, send notices, and confirm attendance from all parties.

23. Send deadline reminders to attorneys — Provide daily or weekly deadline reports so no filing window, response date, or appearance is overlooked.

24. Maintain a master litigation calendar — Keep a centralized calendar showing all active case deadlines across the firm, giving partners visibility into upcoming workload peaks.

Billing and Financial Administration (25–32)

Legal billing is notoriously tedious, and delayed invoicing directly impacts cash flow. A VA who owns the billing function keeps revenue flowing.

25. Enter and review attorney time entries — Transcribe attorney timesheets, verify billing codes, and flag entries that need more descriptive narratives before invoicing.

26. Generate and send client invoices — Prepare monthly invoices from time and expense records, format them according to client billing guidelines, and distribute on schedule.

27. Track trust account deposits and disbursements — Monitor IOLTA and client trust accounts, log deposits, and record disbursements with proper documentation.

28. Follow up on outstanding invoices — Send payment reminders at 30, 60, and 90 days, escalate persistent non-payment, and maintain accounts receivable records.

29. Process vendor and court filing fee payments — Pay court fees, expert witness invoices, filing charges, and other case-related expenses, recording them to the correct matter.

30. Reconcile monthly billing reports — Compare billed versus collected amounts by attorney, practice area, and client, identifying trends and collection issues.

31. Prepare financial reports for partners — Compile monthly revenue, collections, and expense summaries for partner review and firm management decisions.

32. Manage expense reimbursements — Process attorney and staff expense reports, verify receipts, categorize expenses, and submit for approval and payment.

Legal Research Support (33–37)

While attorneys make the strategic decisions about research direction, a VA can handle the legwork of locating, organizing, and summarizing source materials.

33. Conduct preliminary case law research — Search legal databases for relevant statutes, case law, and regulations based on attorney-provided search terms and parameters.

34. Compile research memoranda summaries — Organize research findings into structured summaries with proper citations, saving the attorney hours of reading and sorting.

35. Monitor regulatory and legislative updates — Track changes in laws and regulations relevant to your practice areas and flag developments that may affect active cases or client advisories.

36. Research opposing parties and counsel — Gather background information on opposing parties, their attorneys, and expert witnesses to support case strategy development.

37. Maintain a research database — Catalog completed research by topic, jurisdiction, and practice area so the firm can reuse past work product efficiently.

Court Filing and Litigation Support (38–43)

Court procedures are process-heavy and deadline-sensitive—ideal territory for a detail-oriented VA.

38. File documents with courts electronically — Submit filings through e-filing systems (ECF, Odyssey, state-specific platforms), ensuring compliance with formatting and filing requirements.

39. Arrange service of process — Coordinate with process servers or sheriff's departments to ensure proper service, then file proofs of service with the court.

40. Order court transcripts and records — Request hearing transcripts, deposition transcripts, and court records from reporting services and court clerks.

41. Prepare subpoenas and notices — Draft subpoenas for documents and testimony, arrange service, and track compliance deadlines.

42. Coordinate with expert witnesses — Schedule expert consultations, transmit case materials for review, and manage expert fee agreements and invoicing.

43. Manage post-trial and appellate logistics — Handle the administrative side of appeals: ordering transcripts, compiling the record on appeal, and tracking appellate briefing deadlines.

Firm Marketing and Business Development (44–48)

Most law firms underinvest in marketing because attorneys don't have time for it. A VA can build and maintain your firm's marketing presence systematically.

44. Manage the firm's website and blog — Publish attorney-authored articles, update practice area pages, and ensure contact information and attorney bios stay current.

45. Run social media accounts — Create and schedule posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other platforms, sharing firm news, case results, legal insights, and community involvement.

46. Manage online reviews and reputation — Request reviews from satisfied clients, respond to reviews on Google and Avvo, and monitor your firm's online presence.

47. Coordinate CLE and networking event logistics — Research relevant events, register attorneys, book travel, and follow up on new contacts made at conferences and bar association functions.

48. Maintain referral relationship tracking — Log referral sources, send thank-you notes, and track which relationships generate the most new business for the firm.

General Administrative Support (49–50)

49. Manage office supply and technology procurement — Track inventory, research vendors, place orders, and coordinate with IT support for hardware and software issues.

50. Coordinate staff onboarding and HR documentation — Process new hire paperwork, schedule orientation sessions, set up system access, and maintain personnel files.

Summary: 50 Legal VA Tasks at a Glance

How to Get Started

Most law firms start by delegating client intake, calendar management, and billing—the three functions that have the most immediate impact on revenue and malpractice risk. As your VA learns your practice, expand into document preparation, research support, and marketing.

For a broader view of delegation, check our guide on 50 tasks to delegate to a virtual assistant and learn how much a virtual assistant costs.

Ready to reclaim your billable hours? Stealth Agents provides legal virtual assistants trained on Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, and court e-filing systems. Visit Stealth Agents today to book a free consultation and build your legal support team.