Para-what? What does a paralegal actually do?

You've no doubt come across the term before: paralegal. But what does that role actually involve? And more importantly: what can a paralegal do for your business, and where does that role stop?

What actually is a paralegal?

A paralegal is a legal professional who supports businesses and individuals with legal work, without being a lawyer. Important to know: in Belgium, unlike “lawyer”, “paralegal” is not a legally protected title.

Think of a paralegal as the link between a purely administrative role and a lawyer: someone with solid legal grounding who takes on the preparatory and executional work, so that you, as a business owner, don't have to wade through legislation or lengthy contracts yourself, and so that a lawyer, if you need one, can focus on complex advice or proceedings.

What does a paralegal do in practice?

The scope of tasks is broad, and that's exactly what makes it so valuable for SMEs and sole traders who can't (or don't want to) have a full-time legal department. In concrete terms, this comes down to:

Drafting and reviewing contracts. From collaboration agreements to supply contracts: a paralegal drafts them, screens existing contracts for risks, and makes sure clauses fit your situation rather than being generic.

Terms and conditions. Not a copy-paste job from a competitor, but terms that are legally sound and tailored to how you do business, including the distinction between B2B and B2C obligations.

GDPR and privacy policy. Privacy notices, data processing agreements and a compliant cookie policy: all things a paralegal with knowledge of the GDPR can sort out for you.

Compliance research. Think of recent obligations such as the withdrawal-button rule for webshops (Directive 2023/2673) or the right of withdrawal: a paralegal keeps track of legislation and translates it into practical documents.

Administrative and preparatory legal support. Document management, filing, monitoring deadlines, preparing files. The work that eats up time but still needs to be done accurately.

What a paralegal does not do

Just as important as knowing what a paralegal can do, is knowing where the line is drawn. In Belgium, only lawyers have the right of audience before the courts.

A paralegal:

• does not represent you in court;
• does not give binding final legal advice, for which a lawyer bears responsibility;
• does not act as your lawyer in a dispute.

For those situations, you work together with, or are referred to, a lawyer. In practice, a paralegal and a lawyer complement each other perfectly: the paralegal makes sure your legal affairs are in order and prevents problems, while the lawyer steps in once a dispute does arise or when binding advice is needed.

Why this matters for your business

For most SMEs and solo entrepreneurs, the bulk of legal needs falls within that first, preventive stage: contracts, terms and conditions, privacy policy, compliance. Exactly the area where a paralegal excels, at a much more accessible rate than a law firm, and with the flexibility to bring one in only when you need it.

In short: a paralegal is not a “cheap alternative” to a lawyer, but a specialist for a different part of your legal needs. Knowing that distinction is how you get the most out of it.

Not sure whether your situation calls for support from a paralegal, a lawyer, or both? Feel free to get in touch. I'd be happy to think it through with you.