Independent Contractor Paralegal - Personal Injury
Rudez Law | Orlando, Florida
Engagement Type
Independent Contractor
Work Arrangement
Onsite or hybrid, based on firm and case requirements
Contract Rate
$25.00-$38.00 per hour, depending on experience and scope of services
About Rudez Law
Rudez Law is an Orlando-area law firm committed to providing responsive, professional, and client-centered legal representation. We value accuracy, accountability, strong communication, and careful attention to every matter entrusted to the firm.
We are seeking an experienced contract paralegal who can provide reliable legal support, manage assigned projects independently, and help attorneys and case-management staff move personal injury matters toward timely resolution.
Position Overview
The Independent Contractor Paralegal will provide project-based and ongoing paralegal support for the firm's personal injury caseload. The contractor will assist with legal research, document preparation, case-file organization, discovery, litigation support, medical-record review, court filings, and communication with clients and outside parties.
The ideal contractor is organized, dependable, detail-oriented, and experienced in Florida personal injury matters. This individual must be able to manage multiple assignments, meet established deadlines, protect confidential information, and produce accurate work with limited supervision.
The contractor will perform substantive legal-support services under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney. This position does not authorize the contractor to provide legal advice, establish attorney-client relationships, set legal fees, or independently practice law.
Scope of Services Case Investigation and Development
· Investigate and gather facts relevant to assigned personal injury matters.
· Review police reports, incident reports, photographs, witness information, insurance documents, and other case evidence.
· Assist with identifying missing records, evidentiary gaps, treatment issues, and other matters requiring attorney attention.
· Prepare factual summaries, chronologies, medical timelines, and damages summaries.
· Organize case information for attorney evaluation and strategy development.
Medical Records and Damages Documentation
· Request and obtain medical records, medical bills, diagnostic reports, treatment notes, and related documentation.
· Review medical records and prepare organized summaries of treatment, diagnoses, procedures, restrictions, and prognosis.
· Track outstanding medical records, bills, liens, subrogation interests, and provider balances.
· Assist with documenting lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage, and other claimed losses.
· Maintain organized medical-record and billing files within the firm's case-management system.
Legal Research and Drafting
· Conduct legal research involving Florida statutes, court rules, case law, insurance issues, damages, liability, and procedural requirements.
· Prepare research summaries and provide supporting authorities to supervising attorneys.
· Draft correspondence, notices, memoranda, discovery documents, subpoenas, affidavits, motions, and other legal documents for attorney review.
· Assist with preparing settlement demands and supporting exhibits.
· Proofread and cite-check legal documents for accuracy, completeness, formatting, and consistency.
· Revise documents based on attorney feedback.
Litigation and Discovery Support
· Assist attorneys with personal injury litigation from filing through settlement, mediation, or trial.
· Draft and organize interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and responses to discovery.
· Collect, review, redact, label, and organize documents for discovery production.
· Track discovery deadlines, deposition dates, hearings, mediations, expert deadlines, and court-ordered requirements.
· Prepare deposition, mediation, hearing, and trial-preparation materials.
· Organize exhibits, witness materials, medical documentation, demonstrative evidence, and trial notebooks.
· Assist with summarizing deposition transcripts, expert reports, and discovery responses.
Court Filing and Deadline Management
· Prepare documents for electronic filing in Florida state and federal courts, when applicable.
· Verify filing requirements, formatting rules, service lists, deadlines, and supporting documents before submission.
· File or coordinate the filing of approved documents as authorized by the supervising attorney.
· Maintain an accurate calendar of statutes of limitation, court deadlines, discovery deadlines, hearings, and follow-up dates.
· Immediately notify the supervising attorney of approaching deadlines, filing issues, scheduling conflicts, or other risks.
Client and Third-Party Communication
· Communicate professionally with clients regarding document requests, scheduling, treatment information, case updates authorized by the attorney, and administrative case needs.
· Coordinate with medical providers, insurance representatives, experts, court personnel, opposing counsel, vendors, and witnesses.
· Schedule depositions, meetings, conferences, medical examinations, mediations, and other case-related events.
· Document material communications and follow-up activities in the case-management system.
· Refer all requests for legal advice, settlement authority, or legal interpretation to the supervising attorney.
File and Information Management
· Maintain complete, accurate, and well-organized electronic case files.
· Enter and update case information, tasks, notes, deadlines, and documents promptly.
· Follow firm naming conventions, document-retention practices, security requirements, and quality-control procedures.
· Protect attorney-client privileged, confidential, medical, financial, and personally identifiable information.
· Return or securely destroy firm and client information at the conclusion of the engagement, as directed.
Required Qualifications
· Associate degree in paralegal studies, paralegal certificate, bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and substantive legal experience.
· At least three years of paralegal or advanced legal-support experience.
· At least two years of experience supporting personal injury, insurance, civil litigation, or related matters.
· Experience reviewing medical records and preparing medical chronologies or damages summaries.
· Experience drafting legal correspondence, discovery documents, pleadings, notices, and litigation-support materials.
· Working knowledge of Florida civil procedure, court-filing practices, litigation deadlines, and legal-document formatting.
· Strong legal research, writing, proofreading, and analytical skills.
· Ability to manage multiple assignments and deadlines independently.
· Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Adobe Acrobat, electronic court-filing systems, and cloud-based document platforms.
· Experience with personal injury case-management software such as Filevine, Needles, Litify, Clio, MyCase, or a comparable system.
· Reliable access to appropriate computer equipment, secure internet service, telephone service, and a confidential workspace when services are performed remotely.
· Authorization to perform contract services in the United States.
Preferred Qualifications
· Five or more years of personal injury paralegal experience.
· Experience supporting Florida plaintiff-side personal injury litigation.
· Florida Registered Paralegal status or nationally recognized paralegal certification.
· Experience preparing cases for mediation, deposition, arbitration, or trial.
· Experience with automobile negligence, premises liability, wrongful death, negligent security, or other bodily-injury matters.
· Experience reviewing insurance policies, coverage documents, liens, and settlement distributions.
· Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills.
Core Competencies
Legal Research and Writing: Ability to locate relevant legal authorities, analyze information, prepare concise research summaries, and draft accurate documents for attorney review.
Attention to Detail: Ability to identify inconsistencies, missing information, incorrect dates, calculation errors, formatting issues, and other problems that could affect a case.
Organization: Ability to maintain orderly files, track numerous deadlines, prioritize assignments, and adapt to changing case needs.
Communication: Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and respectfully with attorneys, clients, courts, providers, experts, insurers, and opposing parties.
Judgment and Confidentiality: Ability to recognize matters requiring attorney review, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and safeguard confidential information.
Reliability: Ability to complete agreed assignments accurately, meet deadlines, communicate availability, and promptly disclose anticipated delays or conflicts.
Contractor Deliverables and Performance Standards
The contractor will be expected to:
· Complete assigned projects by mutually established deadlines.
· Produce accurate, organized, and attorney-ready work.
· Maintain timely and complete case-management entries.
· Respond to firm communications within agreed service windows.
· Promptly report deadline concerns, incomplete information, ethical issues, or case risks.
· Correct errors or omissions within a reasonable period after receiving feedback.
· Maintain accurate invoices and service records.
· Comply with applicable confidentiality, data-security, and professional-conduct requirements.
Performance may be evaluated based on:
· Accuracy and completeness of work.
· Timeliness of deliverables.
· Quality of legal research and drafting.
· File organization and documentation.
· Calendar and deadline compliance.
· Responsiveness and communication.
· Ability to work independently.
· Attorney and client-service support.
· Compliance with agreed procedures and confidentiality obligations.
Independent Contractor Relationship
This position is intended to be an independent contractor engagement rather than an employer-employee relationship.
Subject to the requirements of assigned matters, court deadlines, client obligations, confidentiality rules, and attorney supervision of legal work, the contractor will generally control the manner and means used to complete accepted assignments.
The contractor will be responsible for:
· Applicable federal, state, and local tax obligations.
· Personal insurance, licenses, registrations, equipment, and business expenses.
· Maintaining any required professional or business documentation.
· Submitting accurate invoices in the format and frequency established by the firm.
· Managing the contractor's work methods and availability consistent with accepted assignments and deadlines.
The contractor is not eligible for employee benefits, including paid time off, health insurance, retirement benefits, unemployment benefits, or workers' compensation benefits, except as otherwise required by applicable law or stated in a written agreement.
The contractor may not bind Rudez Law, enter agreements on behalf of the firm, provide legal advice, accept or reject settlement offers, establish legal strategy, or make representations outside the contractor's authorized scope.
The engagement may be governed by a separate written independent contractor agreement addressing compensation, invoicing, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, data security, work product, record retention, termination, and other applicable terms.
Work Environment
Services may be performed onsite at the firm's Orlando office, remotely from an approved confidential workspace, or through a hybrid arrangement, depending on the assignment.
The contractor may occasionally be asked to attend depositions, mediations, hearings, client meetings, inspections, or trial-preparation sessions. Any travel, mileage, parking, or other reimbursable expense must be approved in advance and handled according to the written contractor agreement.
Schedule and Availability
Assignments will be offered based on the firm's caseload and operational needs. The contractor may accept assignments based on availability, subject to any workload or availability commitments stated in the contractor agreement.
Once an assignment is accepted, the contractor is responsible for meeting all agreed deadlines and promptly communicating any issue that may affect completion.
The engagement does not guarantee a minimum number of hours, assignments, or continued work unless expressly stated in a written agreement.
Pay: $25.00 - $38.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
