When current resources are stretched to their limits and you need help meeting demands, hiring staff can become essential. If you want someone who can work from wherever, a remote staff person is often the first thought—but you should also consider outsourcing to a virtual receptionist or assistant. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they contain key differences that set them apart:

• Remote staff. They work entirely remotely on either a part- or full-time basis. They can be an independent contractor or an employee, based on various factors. See our practice aid for more information about those classifications. You can find remote staff through networking, staffing agencies, popular job search websites like LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter, or other traditional job search methods.
• Virtual receptionists or assistants. They also work entirely remotely, but they are an independent contractor already employed by a professional staffing company. Depending on the services offered by the staffing company, these workers can fulfill various roles within your firm, ranging from basic administrative tasks to more specialized or complex projects. Generally, this would not be just one person, but various people assigned to your account. Virtual receptionists focus more on front-end administrative tasks like answering and transferring calls. They may also provide intake services like screening potential clients and scheduling meetings. While a virtual assistant may also offer call handling and intake services, they often go beyond that and provide additional services like calendar and email management, document drafting, legal research, data entry, and billing.

The comparison chart below describes pricing and common services provided by specific staffing agencies:

• What type(s)of services do I need and what does the company provide? If you only need someone to answer the phone, a virtual receptionist would be a good option. Find out whether they offer greeting customization, call screening, and answering callers’ questions. Additional receptionist services may include routing or blocking spam calls, recording and transcription, transfer to text, and scheduling appointments. You would need a virtual assistant for more complex services like legal research and document drafting. Determine whether the assistant should have additional expertise, such as experience preparing trial exhibits, knowledge of a particular practice area, or familiarity with a state court’s filing rules.

• What is the pricing structure? Most staffing companies offer tiered monthly or annual subscription plans. Before signing any plan, ask if they charge a cancellation fee. For call answering, are you charged per call or per minute? How many calls or minutes are included in the plan? Do unused minutes roll over to the next month? Can you purchase more time if needed before the end of your subscription period? If you are paying for virtual assistant services, is it a flat fee or billable? If billable, can you specify a maximum?

• Is there a time difference? If the person works in a different time zone, issues may arise if you need to communicate quickly or need projects completed by a certain time.

• Do I need someone who speaks a particular language? Many virtual receptionists speak English and Spanish. If you need additional languages, be sure to ask whether that is available and, if so, whether availability is impacted by the number of personnel or time zones.

• Can I work with the same person each time? Most staffing agencies, especially those offering virtual receptionist services, do not assign you the same person each time. But some companies, like Lawfecta and Get Staffed Up, can provide you a dedicated virtual assistant.

• What is their availability? If the virtual receptionist or assistant has other clients they’re serving, they may not be available for you immediately or within a short time period. If that is what you need, virtual staff may not be a good fit. Some virtual receptionists are available 24/7/365. Determine whether this is necessary for you and your clients, as it can be expensive and result in calls being routed to call centers outside the United States. Even if you have a dedicated virtual assistant, they may also be working other jobs. Be sure you understand their availability to you and whether they have a required response or turnaround time.

• What are my options if I’m unhappy with someone’s work? Do you receive a refund for what you’ve been charged? Can you request that you not be assigned that person again?

• Will they have access to my system? If you are allowing a virtual receptionist or assistant any access to your system—such as your calendar for scheduling appointments or client documents for drafting—be mindful of your ethical obligations, including confidentiality and non-lawyer supervision. Even if they have already signed a confidentiality agreement through the staffing agency, you should have them sign an additional agreement with you if possible. See our sample confidentiality agreement on our website at https://www.osbplf.org/services/resources/ > Practice Aids > Staff > Confidentiality in the Law Office.