7 Lessons from 7 Years of KPS: Reflections on Building a Virtual Paralegal Business
7 Lessons from 7 Years of KPS: Reflections on Building a Virtual Paralegal Business
In August, Knoxville Paralegal Services (KPS) celebrated SEVEN years in business. What started in Knoxville as one paralegal (me, Brooke here 👋🏼) taking a leap of faith has now grown into a trusted team providing **virtual paralegal services to attorneys nationwide!
If you’ve ever run a practice (or any kind of business), you know it’s equal parts rewarding, overwhelming, and sometimes “what the heck did I just sign up for?!” Seven years in, I’ve learned a lot… some lessons the easy way, others the hard way.
So, in the spirit of our business anniversary, here are the seven biggest lessons I’ve learned while growing a paralegal support team for attorneys:
1. Relationships Matter
In the legal world, referrals and networking are everything. Most of our clients at KPS come through trusted connections and word of mouth. Attorneys need reliable partners, and relationships open the door to those opportunities. And personally? Every entrepreneur needs someone they can text and say: “OMG, have you ever dealt with this? How did you handle it?”
2. Learning and Adaptability is Key
Running a law practice (and a business) means constant surprises. You can think you’re prepared for anything, but unfortunately, that will never be the case. Court deadlines shift. Client needs evolve. Technology changes faster than we’d like to admit. Providing remote paralegal services has taught me that adaptability is non-negotiable. Being an entrepreneur means wearing multiple business hats AND being good at it.
3. Invest in Your Business
Whether you’re running a solo practice or building a team, your business is your greatest asset. Make that website cool as sh⚡t. Invest in software to run automations to eliminate the need for redundant tasks. Every hour saved on admin is an hour you (or your paralegal team) can spend on client work and save $.
4. You Can’t Be the Expert in Everything
When I first launched KPS, I wore every hat: intake, litigation prep, client calls, billing. But growth means learning to trust others (which I often preach to attorneys.) Now our team includes paralegals with deep experience in civil litigation, family law, personal injury, and more. When you can afford a team, ALLOW THEM to be those experts in the area of law that you are not, and trust them.
5. A Great Team Changes Everything
Building a damn good quality team that meets or exceeds the companies mission and recognizing excellent work and rewarding them for it is key. Basically, if an employee or contractor are exceeding you and your clients expectations - TELL THEM! They deserve to know. Then, reward them. Recognition builds retention, and retention builds a stronger firm.
6. Take Care of Yourself and Protect Your Mental Health
Learn to “turn that freakin’ switch off” at the end of the day. Do not be that person on “vacation” still checking emails, drafting or doing legal research. Spend time in nature and with your family and friends - BE PRESENT! The legal field will suck you in and expect you to perform 24/7 if you allow it. So, don’t. When you actually step away, you come back better - for yourself, your family, and your clients.
7. Stand Out
Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Don’t hire that coach… figure the sh⚡t out instead, and you’ll see growth within and that’s much more satisfactory than a hand holder (sorry, coaches!) These days, there’s a breast feeding coach, a sleep coach, a business coach, what the hell?! In my opinion, this is the equivalent of having a nanny raise your child. Do it yourself and it will be much more rewarding and fulfilling in the long run.
If there’s one thing seven years of KPS has shown me, it’s that limits only exist if you accept them. Attorneys and legal teams don’t have to choose between burnout and success - with the right support, you can have both productivity and balance.
My hope is that our story inspires you to keep innovating in your own practice, trust the process, and never underestimate what you can build from a single leap of faith.
Xo, Brooke
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