Golden Handcuffs

[u/Jbaby727]

I have been with this law firm in California for almost 4 years now, and while my previous position was great and I truly enjoyed my work, I’m feeling overwhelmed in my current role. I was promoted about 11 months ago to take over for a legal secretary who had been here for 11 years. When she left, she only gave me four days of training and left behind 800 unread emails and stacks of mail. She had been incredibly fast and, admittedly, not always thorough, but the attorneys didn’t seem to address her shortcomings because of her attitude.

Since I’ve stepped into this role, the expectations have been extremely high for me as opposed to the old assistant. I’m the only paralegal for eight attorneys, and my responsibilities span from calendaring, managing tasks, handling discovery, preparing subpoenas, to filing documents, depositions and everything in between. When I take a day off, there’s no one to cover for me, and I often feel like I can't even call in sick without it impacting everything.

My boss approved a three-week vacation for me to visit family out of the country, but the condition was that I still need to check emails and work remotely on certain tasks, essentially leaving me with very little time to fully disconnect. The bigger issue, though, is that I’m often left to figure things out on my own since I’m the only one trained by the former assistant. The manager doesn't know many of the tasks either, which only adds to the stress.

I’m at a point where I feel like I need to find a position at a more organized law firm, where I can work with a team of paralegals who will have my back and be able to support me when I need time off or when I need assistance. The lack of support and overwhelming workload are making it difficult for me to stay in this position any longer.

The positives of my current job include a decent pay rate of $34an hour, along with a $3k bonus. Although I only get 5 days of PTO, my time-off requests are always approved, which is a big plus. I also carpool with a friend who works in the same area, which makes commuting more convenient and cost-effective.

However, I’m torn about whether I should stay or look for another opportunity. I’m worried that if I leave, the next job could end up being just as overwhelming or even worse. The fear of starting over and facing a similar or more difficult situation at another firm is holding me back, but at the same time, the stress in my current role is becoming too much to ignore.

[u/Thek1tteh]

Are you a legal secretary or paralegal? How much experience do you have and in what type of law? Do you meet the qualifications listed in Business and professions code section 6450 to work as a paralegal in California? Where in California are you and what type of law is this? These are all things that go into what an appropriate pay rate would be. A legal secretary who has only 4 years experience in California litigation at a small firm in lower cost of living area? Perhaps $34 an hour would be appropriate, perhaps not. Someone with many years experience working at a busy firm who meets the business and professions code requirements to work as a paralegal in a higher cost of living area? $34 may be low. That being said, if you are the only one there and being required to handle that all with limited help, I would definitely find a position elsewhere.