PAR1501 / 1 ASSIGNMENT 1_DUE DATE 17 MARCH 2021

PAR1501 / 1 ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE DATE 17 MARCH 2021 Assignment Question Why are paralegals (especially community-based paralegals) better equipped than legal professionals to deal with certain issues? INTRODUCTION Paralegals have found to play an important role within our communities due to the fact that they are inexpensive and are situated in areas where a basic legal service and advice would be appreciated and needed by the community at large. MAIN DISCUSSION Often paralegals use their skills knowing that they are only but trained or educated in the bare minimum of the legislature to assist where needed in poorer areas and communities to educate people on their rights according to the Constitution, however paralegals are not lawyers but merely advice givers. Hence, 1. Paralegals can interact and communicate better with the community that they live in, they can relate to the people within the community because they are born and breed in that community as well, the people will trust the paralegal to give advice because they would have understood the internal and structural components of the community at large. Paralegals often form part of the community they serve. 2. The people within the community will find it easier to talk and communicate in their own language and be more comfortable to speak to a paralegal that is from the community who would not judge their circumstances and surroundings than to speak to a lawyer who would come at a pretty penny in terms of legal fees and chargers as well as the travelling to the lawyers office or even court which would be scary. Thus, making a paralegal more approachable and easier to talk to by bringing across the constitution in an understandable manner to the people. 3. Paralegals have a better understanding and skill set when it comes to resolving issues and conflict between persons. Paralegals try to find the most suitable solution to resolve the case without needing legal procedure from an attorney or advocate by offering community education and training which empowers the community and equips them with legal knowledge. 4. Paralegals play a dual function in the legal systems, one being that they follow the rural communities set legal system and rules being indigenous law to resolve community issues as well as to bare in mind the written laws This study source was downloaded by from CourseH on :35:47 GMT -05:00 This study resource was shared via CourseH applicable to our country and thus applying both sets of legal systems when giving advice to the community to resolve issues. 5. Paralegals provide support that looks at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. The support should also consider their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing.