The At-Home Paralegal: Tips & Tricks for Remote Work

Episode Notes

Transcript

The Paralegal Voice

The At-Home Paralegal: Tips & Tricks for Remote Work

04/23/2020

[Music]

Jill Francisco: Hello everyone. Thank you for joining me for another exciting and informative episode of The Paralegal Voice on the Legal Talk Network.

I am Jill Francisco, an advanced certified paralegal, current President of NALA, the Paralegal Association and your host of this episode of The Paralegal Voice.

I have over 22 years of paralegal experience and I am so excited to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for the paralegal profession with you.

We have a wonderful guest for today’s show, but before we welcome her we would like to thank our sponsors.

Today’s sponsor is Legalinc. Legalinc makes it easy for paralegals to digitally automate tasks like business formations, corporate filings and registered agent services nationwide. Visit legalinc.com/podcast to create your free account.

We would also like to thank ServeNow. ServeNow is a nationwide network of trusted prescreened process servers. Work with the most professional process servers who have experience with high-volume serves, who embrace technology, and understand the litigation process. Visit serve-now.com to learn more.

Thank you to NALA, the Paralegal Association. NALA is a professional association for paralegals providing continuing education, voluntary certification and professional development programs. NALA has been a sponsor of The Paralegal Voice since our very first show.

And also, thank you to CourtFiling.net; e-file court documents with ease in California, Illinois, Indiana and Texas. To learn more, visit CourtFiling.net to take advantage of a 30-day free trial. 

I am so excited to have Debbie L. Hrytzay, FRP as my guest today. Debbie is a Florida Registered Paralegal, employed by Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell in their Orlando, Florida office.

Debbie has been employed with Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell for nine-and-a-half years and has been working remotely for approximately five years.

Debbie is going to share with us today her experience, tips and guidance about how to effectively work remotely.

A lot of paralegals have been thrown in to working remotely and she is going to be giving us some very valuable information today that you don’t want to miss.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: Hi Jill. Thanks for having me. With working remotely you have the opportunity and flexibility of setting up your workspace to maximize your productivity. Working remotely requires discipline and is most effective when you find what works best for you.

Jill Francisco: Debbie, before we get started, could you please tell our listeners a little bit more about your background and your experience?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I have been a paralegal for over 35 years, practically almost 40, but then I would be dating myself.

Jill Francisco: Don’t tell on yourself.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I was employed with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for 24 years until they reorganized their legal department to operate out of hubs in Oregon and Indiana. Not wanting to relocate to either one of those locations because I enjoy the nice weather and beaches here in Florida, I joined Rumberger, Kirk in 2010.

I primarily do insurance defense, premises liability and personal injury.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, I am jealous on your living situation and plus my BFF is in Florida, so I am always looking to see if my firm is opening up any Florida offices.

Anyway, so I was saying earlier how a lot of paralegals now because of the situation with the COVID-19 have been thrown in to working remotely, and I say thrown in, but obviously we are very fortunate to still have our employment and that our employer has allowed for us to do that and all the paralegals are trying to do business as usual and be as efficient and effective as they were when they worked in the office.

So this is obviously not by choice. So how did you get yourself in to working remotely?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: It’s actually kind of an odd story. I live about an hour-and-a-half away from the office. In 2015 with all the construction in I-4, it was just stressing me out. It was taking me three plus hours a day going back and forth to the office. So I did find another employment opportunity that was much closer to my home, like less than 30 minutes away.

So after about three months Rumberger called me back and asked me if I would be interested in coming back and I said I don’t really know about that. I left because I didn’t want to commute and they offered to let me work remotely as one of the conditions of returning to their firm.

Jill Francisco: So that’s awesome because obviously you didn’t leave because you didn’t like working for them, it was just like you said that commute was killing you.

(00:05:01)

Debbie L. Hrytzay: That’s right. Exactly right.

Jill Francisco: Well, that’s awesome and like I said I like it because I think that’s a little bit of a contrast to where we are at now with paralegals being thrown in and you actually negotiated that in order to get back to an employer and a job that you loved, but you just needed to get that little part that you didn’t love, get rid of that part.

So let’s start talking a little bit about some tips and some tricks, because I will tell you, I personally need some, I have been trying to navigate my way through this and so hopefully you have a few tips and tricks for our listeners on working remotely and doing it obviously effectively too.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I think probably one of the most important things is having a dedicated workspace, preferably an office with a door that you can close so you can minimize your distractions, no TV or anything that could interrupt your thought process.

Sticking to a regular routine the same as when you work in the office is important. It just gives you a little bit of structure.

Getting dressed, and not staying in your PJs.

Jill Francisco: Sounds simple.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: Simple kind of commonsense, it just — I don’t know, just sets the tone for your day; for me anyway. And then just setting parameters and with the people that are in your home to not interrupt you and create an environment or a structure that works best for you, it’s kind of like commonsense.

Jill Francisco: So let’s go back and just talk a little bit about, maybe elaborate. It’s funny when you talked about get dressed, don’t stay in your PJs, because like I said I have been chatting with other paralegals and we have had some articles, there has been some webinars, there is a lot of stuff going on out there to help all professions adapt to their newly remote working situation.

And I saw at one place where they said you don’t have to get dressed for success because that’s the popular adage sometimes that’s used, you have to get dressed to answer the door. So if somebody comes to your door, be presentable, so to speak, it wouldn’t be a big deal if you had a guest at your door and you could meet somebody at the door.

But I do agree with you and I think it’s just tempting. I know that like the first couple of days because I think I am actually going on my third week; I think the last day I was in the office was March 12, and so I am going on my third week and I know in the beginning it was kind of like — I was still sitting, I had my dedicated workspace, I did have that set up, so I was all good to go on that because my personal — like I said, I was telling you my son — IT had it all set up for me, I was lucky to have that.

And I still sat down at around the same time that I would have been starting at work, but it was like I kind of just rolled out of bed and I felt like — I think when you — and then to elaborate on, you were talking about a routine, getting the structure that works, I think that might be a key and something that I need to work on.

Like I had the routine of getting up in the morning, getting dressed, doing the things I need to do at home. I got my son, I took him to school. I dropped him off. I went to work, that type of thing.

And then so when I got to work it’s like you are in that mode. I mean you are right ready, like that’s what you are doing, your brain knows that, your brain is trained, like that’s what comes next. And now it’s just kind of like, is it Saturday, is it Sunday, what’s going on, because that’s funny, all the girls that I am talking to and paralegals, we are laughing, it’s like we don’t have a clue. We mess up what day it is, we mess up what time it is, because it’s all like — it’s just unfamiliar. We are at home, that’s usually when we are not working, and so it’s just kind of all running together, but I think that’s a key.

I mean I know — I wonder, I think you will agree that to get a routine and like I said I think that’s something that if you are thrown in that it’s going to take a minute to get into that, because now, like I said I am almost three weeks in, now I get up and like I said I am doing the things that I used to do and getting my little breakfast, getting something to drink and then going over into my workspace and then I am starting and it’s kind of already now clueing everything in, training your brain, so to speak, that that’s what’s next, like now it’s time to work.

I just could roll out of bed and just sit in the chair and start getting on the laptop and it just wasn’t exactly I think the purposeful actions that needed to be taking place. So I like your advice about all that.

(00:09:48)

What do you think about communication? Like I feel like there has been a lot of things I have seen on boards and things on Facebook of the paralegal pages, where it’s like they worry either that their boss — they are trying to — like the communication line, like they worry — the boss may be worried are they working and then you may be worried, do they think I am not working. And so how can you kind of — do you use communication, do you communicate more, do you use some kind of thing where you just kind of keep each other informed, the employer and yourself?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: Well, that’s part of the structure. Let them know that you are working from home and I try to keep the same days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they know that I am out of the office and I can be reached on my cell phone and we do have a new phone system now that automatically rings to your cell after a certain amount of rings. So I am always available either by phone or by email and when I get an email, I try to respond like as quickly as possible if I am at my computer so they know that I am there. It’s kind of like if they had walked onto my office to talk to me, but it’s like we are talking through the computer. So I try to be diligent about that.

Jill Francisco: Yes, that’s exactly I think what I want to talk about. So like you said, even if it’s just like yes, I got it or I am working on it in a minute or like you just said, just acknowledging that you have received that communication, like they just, like you said, walking in their office and getting it, that’s a great point, because I wonder about it, because I was telling somebody the other day, I feel like I am working more because I don’t want them to think I am not working.

I mean that sounds silly but you know what I am saying.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: No, not at all. That’s true. When I first started working at home I literally was afraid to leave my chair and my back was hurting, my neck was hurting because I was just like so afraid that they would think I was not working.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, and like taking advantage when really like you said it’s like not even that, like I still think I am working more, but I think you are right, it’s like I think that — it’s like I am doing it because I want them to know I am dedicated, I am sitting here, I am doing it even though I am at home, but it’s like also, I think there is a flip side to that where you need to make sure like do you take dedicated breaks and dedicated lunch and then do you take those full time? Like how do you do your little — like kind of break it up a little bit?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I take a dedicated lunch and then I take maybe like a couple of minutes like in the morning and then it may be a couple of minutes in the afternoon. I don’t need that many breaks, but if I do I go ahead and take them so I can remain productive because if I don’t I just tend to feel very tired and not very efficient.

Jill Francisco: Well, yeah, and probably focus, like if you are sitting there working on something and then you break it up too much, it helps — it probably takes a little while to get back focused.

So let’s take a little break and before we move on to our next point of discussion we need to take a commercial break and we wi’ll be right back.

[Music]

Carl Morrison: Today’s episode is brought to you by Legalinc. Legalinc is empowering paralegals to embrace their inner legal rock star by automating the everyday tasks that hold them back. Through their free dashboard solution, paralegals can quickly and easily automate services like business formations, corporate filings, registered agent services, and more. Visit legalinc.com to create a free account and check out legalinc.com/podcast for a chance to win legal rock star swag.

[Music]

This episode of The Paralegal Voice is brought to you by CourtFiling.net, your solution for electronic filing in California, Illinois, Indiana and Texas. CourtFiling.net provides a better e-filing experience so you can spend more time helping clients. Because they know that work sometimes happens after hours, CourtFiling.net offers 24/7 phone, email and chat support. Visit CourtFiling.net to receive 30 days of unlimited free electronic filings and see how you too can e-file court documents with ease.

[Music]

Jill Francisco: Welcome back to The Paralegal Voice. I am Jill Francisco and my guest today is Debbie Hrytzay, FRP, and we are discussing working remotely.

We were just finishing up Debbie I think about you had some really great tips about working remotely. I think we were just talking about staying on task and getting focused, but I did want to ask you just one last thing about that. What’s your two cents about like I am sure it’s tempting, because I know I am tempted, but again, I am a newbie, I don’t know what I am doing, that midmorning or something, it’s like I finished something, finished a task or whatever, I am like oh, I could throw in some laundry or something like that.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: That is very tempting.

Jill Francisco: What do you think — what’s your two cents on that?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I try to arrange my chores so that they can be on my breaks. Like I will start before I begin work and then on my lunch break I will finish up and then after work I do more. I try not to let that interfere with my day.

(00:15:05)

Jill Francisco: Okay, because it is so tempting, because it’s almost like you think hey, I could get it all done, I could get all my work done, I could get all the laundry done and then like when it’s quitting time, it’s like oh, I am free from everything, but you and I know it never works out anyway. We would just have more stuff to do.

So anyway, but I did want to know your advice on trying to do the little tasks and things because I think it’s tempting.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: It is very tempting.

Jill Francisco: Especially for us that hadn’t been able to do that, like now I would never have been at home to do that, unless I am sick, which clearly I am not going to be doing my chores if I am sick, so that’s what I did want to address that. So I appreciate you saying it is tempting and I like how you were talking about too like you said start it, maybe do a little bit at your lunch break and then finish it up at the end of your workday.

So let’s get into a little bit of advantages, because clearly I mean — I think it’s a — I mean I think it’s a perk, like me from an outsider, I feel like I am still an outsider with working remotely, maybe I won’t be when this is all said and done, but I feel like it’s a perk. So what are some advantages that you think that you have and that that you have enjoyed by having the ability to work remotely?

Debbie L. Hrytzay: I like the flexibility of when I start my day, I can either sleep in or start early or work later. I don’t have to worry about being late for work because I am stuck in traffic. The flexibility is a wonderful thing. I like having less distractions and less interruptions. It makes me feel much more productive and if I am feeling better about my job and what I do, it’s good for me and the firm.

I like being able to, we already discussed this, catch up on chores at home. Getting dinner started early so we are not eating at 8 o’clock at night.

Jill Francisco: That is definitely a luxury. Sounds simple, but it’s not.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: Right, right. I am saving money on gas and tolls and just the wasted time in the car, and I get to spend more time on my hobbies and with my family. I am a gardener so I get to go out and check out my veggies when it’s still daylight out.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, those are all wonderful things and I love the thing that you said more with family, I was telling my son; I have a 15 year old son and of course he is off of school and he came down, I was fixing him some lunch, we were taking the same kind of lunch break today, and I looked at him and I said hey, you know, the last time that we had this much time at home together I was on maternity leave.

Debbie L. Hrytzay: Wow.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, exactly, I think that was pretty much his expression too, and I said you were a baby and now he is 15, and so there is something to be said and I am just trying to look to the positives of this situation that we are in. I mean, you have the luxury you were doing it and you are getting the perks of it and for us that have been thrown into it and we are doing it just to try to keep everything moving, keep everything turning. I am just trying to find the positives, and like I said, I definitely think one of the positives is that I get to spend time with JD.

Now I will say, I have seen a lot of things and I am sure you will agree with this, and obviously, you said you have been working at home for what did you say five or so years?

Debbie Hrytzay: Five years.

Jill Francisco: Five years, so you didn’t have to deal with it either, but I think it’s hard for paralegals that are now finding themselves working from home not by choice and they have young children and school’s out and they have to homeschool the kids, their children. I think that —

Debbie Hrytzay: Yeah, that’s a big problem.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, I think that’s probably a little bit much because my son has work to do, but he is up and doing it on his own. And of course he gets help from my husband in math when he comes home because I am not doing the math. As you know when you get the paralegal profession you don’t have to do math. Yeah, take that one math class and we are done with it. But, it’s been nice, so it’s like I can enjoy JD, being with him at the breaks just being around here and there, but although to me he’s not distracting to me because he’s upstairs, he’s on a different floor, I am down doing my work and we just kind of take breaks together, and like you said here and there and space them out. So it’s not a distraction to me. But I think that’s a very, very valid point and I know you treasured it even with your family or like you said your hobbies and just to enjoy being at your home. I mean, we spend so much time at the office usually and typically.

(00:19:58)

So to just be able to be at home and enjoy I think that’s a big perk and I think you probably obviously that’s what drew you back to the employer that you had left because they were going to afford you that luxury of being at home and able to enjoy some stuff. And I love you brought up save money because I didn’t even think of that. I didn’t.

Debbie Hrytzay: Not dry cleaning, I mean, everything, so.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, well and what’s so funny now, I mean, I am in West Virginia, I know that you are in Florida, so it’s like traffic and the stuff that you say is obviously not that big of a deal here with me but it’s hilarious that just gas. I mean, simple things like gas and things because I mean I haven’t filled my car up, I mean, I don’t know for two weeks probably, which of course we would have been going out a little bit more in a typical situation, but we are under our social distancing and our stay-at-home orders.

But, I love that you brought that up because that’s a big thing to keep in mind for paralegals because it’s going to save them money. So if they take a job and they are making decent money, that’s not going to cut in, those are all those expenses that wouldn’t cut in if they get afforded to work at home either exclusively or like you said did you mention you do it two times a week?

Debbie Hrytzay: Yes. And yeah, twice a week.

Jill Francisco: And you space it out, did you say Tuesday and Thursday?

Debbie Hrytzay: Right, so it’s any other day in the office.

Jill Francisco: That’s nice, that’s nice and also do you ever switch it or do you switch it according to your workload or activities too like — or assignments?

Debbie Hrytzay: I have had to when I have had trials. But it’s when I do switch it up it throws everybody at the office off a little bit, it’s like what day is today, it’s like you are not supposed to be here.

Jill Francisco: So you are confusing everybody like I am saying I’m confused now where I have no idea what day it is.

Debbie Hrytzay: So they like the predictability.

Jill Francisco: Well, before we move on to our last couple of things we are going to discuss here, we need to take another quick commercial break. So we will be right back.

[Music]

Advertiser: NALA offers continuing education, professional development and voluntary certification for all paralegals. The Certified Paralegal credential has been awarded to more than 19,000 paralegals. The Certified Paralegal program is also the first paralegal certification program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. NALA works actively with all those in the legal field to promote the value of paralegals and to advance paralegal professionalism. Learn more about NALA at www.nala.org.

[Music]

Looking for a process server you can trust? ServeNow.com is a nationwide network of local prescreened process servers. ServeNow works with the most professional process servers in the industry, connecting your firm with process servers who embrace technology, have experience with high volume serves and understand the litigation process and rules of properly effectuating service. Find a prescreened process server today. Visit www.serve-now.com.

[Music]

Jill Francisco: Welcome back to The Paralegal Voice, I am Jill Francisco and my guest today is Debbie Hrytzay, FRP. And before the break we were wrapping up our discussion on the advantages of working from home and working remotely. And so now, Debbie is going to go over I think because we all need to know this. We talked about the things that are positive and advantages to working from home but we also need to address and have people be advised of some pitfalls or some things to avoid. So I am sure, Debbie, you have some great pointers for people on that.

Debbie Hrytzay: I do, I think there are many more advantages than there are pitfalls, but I guess that’s an individual thing, your personality and how you do things. I think one of the biggest pitfalls is the distractions and interruptions. It’s like my husband has said, oh, you are at home — not working tomorrow, you are home tomorrow, it’s like, yes, I am working, I am just working from home, so there is like a misconception just because I am home I am not working and that I can be interrupted. So not having your routine, I don’t know how — I know I am very structured. So if I don’t set the parameters or boundaries then it’s just I don’t get what I need to get done.

I think the biggest thing is the less interaction with your peers and coworkers. I think I am missing that the most especially since I have been home for a couple weeks every day now.

Jill Francisco: Oh yeah, you are extending your work from home. So I need to remember that, so your usual two days has turned into, yes, five days like the rest of us.

(00:24:45)

Debbie Hrytzay: Yeah, so it’s been in an adjustment. I mean, I do not enjoy it but I do miss the people at work, and just it’s boundaries, setting ground rules for people at work and for people at home. It’s like, okay, I’m at work so don’t interrupt me or don’t call me like after 6 o’clock or whatever, try to take care of it during business hours. So you all need our personal time.

Jill Francisco: Yeah ,I like that you said “boundaries” but not just boundaries for people that might be in your — like you said your husband or your family or whatever while you are working from home but also boundaries on the other side, boundaries for the people you work with, because already like I had said earlier in our — in the show today that I already feel like that I am busier, and I don’t know if that’s the right word but I know I am working longer and I feel like it’s harder like I don’t quit because I am like, well, I will just — it’s harder to say I am going to leave the office, you have to leave. I had to go pick up my son, I have to leave and go do something. And so now it’s like I can just still keep sitting there and I look up and it’s 6:30, 7 o’clock.

Debbie Hrytzay: Right.

Jill Francisco: And I am like because — it’s easy, I mean, you are sitting there, you are in your home, whatever, and I just think I like how you brought up boundaries on both sides of that because I think it’s hard, you keep just telling yourself, well, I am just going to answer this last email or I am going to draft this last pleading or whatever and then like I said before you know it, you are way past your regular work hours, and I definitely think it could definitely be an issue, and I think that’s might be one of the hard things and that probably goes into routine like you were saying, and I think it’s going to be hard because I wonder if we are just going to get into our working remotely routine and then most of us have to go back to our working in the office routine.

Debbie Hrytzay: It’s not going to be easy.

Jill Francisco: Let me ask you just your opinion on this because it’s interesting to me, do you think that the whole thing with the COVID-19 is going to affect how the law offices let paralegals or permit paralegals or open their eyes to some of the advantages that may become the light because of the situation of the staff and things working from home?

Debbie Hrytzay: I do, I think that it is a positive thing if everybody in the office is doing what they are supposed to be doing. I think it saves, and in real estate you don’t have to have offices that you can have paralegals at home and not have to have an office. I think it’s a positive thing, it’s a good thing.

Jill Francisco: Yeah, and I agree with you, and I think you bring up a good point. It’s if everybody, because of course, I think you are probably — I think you said you were insurance defense and I am on the defense side too, and it’s like I feel like if the paralegals’ billables are where they usually are or even more because I don’t feel like that my work load has dropped off since I have been working from home, it’s not like I’m losing cases or we are not working the cases as we were. I think I have gotten even a couple of new cases since I have been at home and there’s plenty to do. And so I feel like — and I said you said if everybody is doing their work, I think if they see those numbers and they are on point and they are on par with what they usually are like you said I think it could be positive for paralegals to either go and negotiate and request like, hey, I know that I didn’t ever work from home but we had that period where I did and I really liked it and I was still productive. So could I do it again?

Debbie Hrytzay: Right, and the firm has happier employees because they have more time for themselves and as long as they are billing their time and it’s a win-win.

Jill Francisco: That’s a very good thing too, like you said just overall morale and happiness, because like you said I feel like I should be not mad but it’s not like we are in the greatest situation right now with the COVID-19 going on but it’s like I am not like depressed, I am feeling good, I am fortunate with my job, and then plus, like you said, I am at home, I am getting to go outside like I go outside and sit on my deck where you were saying that you were going out and you had your garden and things like that like I am going outside and get some little Sun and fresh air at the lunch break and obviously then in-between enjoying priceless time at least to me that I would have never had with my son at home.

My husband is a considered essential because he works at a pharmacy, manages a pharmacy, and he is a head tech there and so he is still going to work every day. So he is not here, but it’s still more time because he gets home and it’s I am not — like you said an hour more to get home and to start dinner or do whatever we wanted to do for the evening, it’s like we’re already here. When he comes through the door, we are already here and we are ready to go.

(00:29:55)

So I think that you are right and I hope that that’s what happens with business, and even just business in general, I mean, do you think that like businesses will realize — like you were just mentioned and cost with real estate and things like that businesses will realize that like now you can’t be saved, for instance, doing face-to-face depos. So they are doing them remotely, even though they wouldn’t have. It’s like hopefully they will see that maybe it’s effective and it’s very efficient and it saves people’s time and it’s cheaper, you would have to travel, maybe they will see some advantages to that and it will change the way we use technology. I mean, do you think that some of that kind of stuff will come about also?

Debbie Hrytzay: Yeah, it’s funny that you mentioned that because some of the older attorneys they are so used to doing face-to-face depositions and there was even some discussion about having a mediation done remotely with the technology that we have today. And the younger attorneys are coming around and I think we have one scheduled I think in the next couple of weeks.

Jill Francisco: Ooh, that will be super-cool, I have never seen the remote mediation. So that will be super-cool if that works out. So that’s again I think more opportunities and like you said paralegals are right, and I think paralegals are open to that, we are adaptable, we are just kind of rolling along, want to be the one that makes the process easier, wants to help out, not really afraid of change usually I think, I mean, it’s not probably everybody’s favorite, but I think usually we kind of go with it, we are up on technology. So again, I think it’s just positive for the paralegals, I mean, I think for the profession.

Debbie Hrytzay: I definitely think it’s a good thing.

Jill Francisco: Like I said, I like it so we will see, I will have to get back with you and see if I could negotiate whenever we are out of this if I have negotiated to be able to be at home a little bit.

So how about, like just kind of ending I wanted to see if you have any other general advice just to give our listeners, some other things, your comments, just to — like I said help them out, get through this time of working remotely?

Debbie Hrytzay: I think having the right office setup equipment and technology is key. If you don’t have that it doesn’t really work, you have to find out what works best for you and communicate to the people that you work with so they know what to expect.

Jill Francisco: I had somebody tell me the other day because like I said I have been reading and talking a little bit with people, they said almost it feels like you are over maybe communicating but it’s like you just said earlier where they email you, you want to email back real quick so they know you got it so you acknowledge that they have asked you to do a task, say for instance and maybe if you were in the office you wouldn’t, maybe you would just do it and then in 10, 15, 20 minutes or a half hour later you would just say here you go.

Debbie Hrytzay: Right, right.

Jill Francisco: But I think maybe so sometimes maybe it’s over communication, I mean, possibly just to kind of keep it flowing and like you said so they know you are working on it and you can keep it going back and forth and give a status maybe more then maybe usually would if you were in the office possibly, so just maybe communicate a little bit more?

Debbie Hrytzay: Yeah, I do the same thing in the office now. I have become conditioned to do it. So I wouldn’t say it’s over-communicating because knowledge is power, so if they know you are working on it and they get a call and say, hey, is this done? No, but my paralegal is working on it right now.

Jill Francisco: Right, so really like you said maybe how that started out to just do it like you said remotely it’s really now everybody’s used to it and it helped. It’s very helpful. So like you said to give the status and to be informative on your progress and things with your project. So that’s kind of cool that one thing turned into being a good thing to do all the time.

So anyway, Debbie, I think that that pretty much wraps up our advice and I really, really thank you for joining me today and being a guest on the show. You mentioned so much valuable information and gave us so much insight and I think also you just demonstrated that it’s work for you and you are very successful at it. And you are making your employer happy, and I think that’s a great example that you have set and your experiences that you have relayed to our listeners.

And so I think that they definitely may want to reach out to you. So what is the best way if a listener would like to contact you and follow up or they might have some questions for you?

Debbie Hrytzay: They can email me at — it’s [email protected] and I want to thank you for having me.

Jill Francisco: Oh, you are so welcome, and like I said, thank you so very much for joining us. I think that you’ve really helped our listeners get through this time of working remotely, and I don’t know, but I am definitely on the remote train. So I may be getting back with you to see how I can convince my employer to let me do it a couple of times a week. I don’t think I would like to do it every day, I really love your recipe that you have going on a couple days a week.

(00:35:10)

So, again, thank you so very much. I appreciate it. And thank you also to our listeners today who tuned in. If you have any comments or questions for me, please contact me at [email protected]. I hope you will join me for our next episode next month.

I am Jill Francisco for The Paralegal Voice, signing off.

Outro: The views expressed by the participants of this program are their own and do not represent the views of, nor are they endorsed by Legal Talk Network, its officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, shareholders, or subsidiaries. None of the content should be considered legal advice. As always, consult a lawyer.

[Music]