Cost guide · Updated 11 November 2026
Remote Legal Assistant Cost: Salary vs Agency vs Platform
A remote legal assistant costs from $8/hour through a Latin American legal staffing platform, $2,227–$2,545/month through an employer-of-record agency, and about $39–$65/hour on US hour bundles. A US in-house legal assistant at the BLS median costs about $5,240/month in wages before payroll costs.
Calculator: what each provider costs at your volume
Monthly cost at hrs/week from each provider's published rate card (hours × 52 ÷ 12 for hourly providers; the smallest bundle that covers your hours for bundle providers; full-time prices shown as published). Spanish adds only the surcharges providers publish.
| Provider | Model | Monthly | Unit cost | How it's priced |
|---|
Monthly cost at 4 volumes
Same maths as the calculator, at fixed volumes. "On request" means no published price.
| Provider | Model | 10 hrs/week | 20 hrs/week | 30 hrs/week | 40 hrs/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireParalegals | Hourly, dedicated | $347–$693 | $693–$1,387 | $1,040–$2,080 | $1,387–$2,773 |
| Virtual Legal Assistants | Hourly, dedicated | $347 | $693 | $1,040 | $1,387 |
| Virtual Latinos | Monthly, full-time | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| VirtualStaffing.com | Monthly, full-time | $2,227 | $2,227 | $2,227 | $2,227 |
| Legal Soft | Hourly, dedicated | $1,733 | $1,733 | $1,733 | $1,733 |
| Get Staffed Up | Monthly, full-time | $2,545 | $2,545 | $2,545 | $2,545 |
| Stealth Agents | Monthly, full-time | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Wyzer Staffing | Quote only | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| Wishup | Monthly, full-time | $999 | $999 | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| Zirtual Paralegals | Hour bundles | $3,999 | $4,332 | $6,498 | $8,664 |
| Back Office Betties | Hour bundles | $2,325 | $3,358 | $5,038 | $6,717 |
First-year cost at our reference scenario
A full-time remote legal assistant (40 hrs/wk). Monthly price × 12, plus any published one-time setup fee.
| Provider | Monthly | Setup | First year | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireParalegals | $1,387 | — | $16,644 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| Virtual Legal Assistants | $1,387 | — | $16,644 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| Virtual Latinos | $1,600 | — | $19,200 | full-time monthly price |
| Stealth Agents | $1,600 | — | $19,200 | full-time monthly price |
| Legal Soft | $1,733 | — | $20,796 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| Wishup | $1,999 | — | $23,988 | full-time monthly price |
| VirtualStaffing.com | $2,227 | — | $26,724 | full-time monthly price |
| Get Staffed Up | $2,545 | — | $30,540 | full-time monthly price |
| Back Office Betties | $6,717 | — | $80,604 | pro-rated above the 60-hour bundle |
| Zirtual Paralegals | $8,664 | — | $103,968 | pro-rated above the 80-hour bundle |
| Wyzer Staffing | Pricing on request | no public price for this role | ||
Total cost of each hiring route (full-time)
| Route | Example | Monthly (40 hrs/wk) | Who handles payroll and HR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US in-house employee | BLS median $30.24/hour | about $5,240 + 20–30% payroll costs | You | Recruiting, benefits, turnover |
| US hour bundles | Zirtual, Back Office Betties | several thousand dollars; built for part-time | Provider | Best below 10 hrs/wk |
| Employer-of-record agency (LatAm/South Africa) | Get Staffed Up $2,545; VirtualStaffing.com $2,227 | $2,227–$2,745 | Provider | Spanish +$200 at GSU |
| Legal staffing platform (LatAm) | HireParalegals, Virtual Legal Assistants | $1,387 at $8/hour; up to about $2,773 senior | Provider | Part-time allowed |
| Generalist VA company | Virtual Latinos ~$1,600; Stealth $1,600; Wishup $1,999 | $1,600–$1,999 | Provider | Legal screening is yours |
Costs people forget
- Your management time. Budget 2–3 hours a week in the first month, then about an hour.
- Software seats. Case management, phone app, password manager: often $50–$150/month per user, depending on your stack.
- Overlap hours. If the assistant is on a night shift (Philippines, India), you pay the same but get less live overlap.
- Turnover. Replacement terms matter: Legal Soft publishes a replacement guarantee and Virtual Latinos a conditional replacement; HireParalegals states you can replace talent at any time.
- Spanish. Free at most Latin American providers; +$150–$200/month at Get Staffed Up.
Part-time: where platforms beat everyone
Most agencies and generalist VA companies price full-time only. At 20 hours a week:
- HireParalegals / Virtual Legal Assistants: $693 at $8/hour
- Wishup half-day: $999
- Zirtual (US) legal assistant: about $4,332 (pro-rated beyond the 80-hour bundle)
- Full-time-only providers: full-time price
If you need fewer than 30 hours, an hourly platform is usually the cheapest legally experienced option.
Worked example: an immigration firm
A three-lawyer immigration firm wants a remote legal assistant for 30 hours a week: client document collection, form preparation for paralegal review, and client updates, mostly in Spanish.
- HireParalegals (mid-level, $13/hour): 30 × 13 × 52 ÷ 12 = $1,690/month. Spanish standard.
- Get Staffed Up: $2,745/month ($2,545 + $200 for English/Spanish), full-time.
- US hour bundle (Zirtual legal assistant): about $6,498/month at 130 hours.
- US in-house at the BLS median: about $3,931/month in wages for 30 hours, before payroll costs and benefits.
For this firm a Latin American platform hire is the clear cost leader, and Spanish is part of the job rather than an extra.
How each provider's price is calculated
HireParalegals — From $8/hour
Entry-level rate of $8/hour, mid-level $12–$14/hour and senior about $16/hour, per the pricing page. Model: Hourly, dedicated. Minimum: Part-time or full-time; hire for the hours you need. Setup: Starting rate stated as inclusive of all fees. Source ↗
Virtual Legal Assistants — From $8/hour
Support starts from $8/hour; the exact rate is confirmed before interviews. Model: Hourly, dedicated. Minimum: Schedule agreed per hire. Setup: No deposit and no placement fee; you pay only after choosing a candidate. Source ↗
Virtual Latinos — From about $1,600/month
Pricing page compares a Virtual Latinos assistant at $1.6K/month with $4K for US-based. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: Not stated. Setup: No recruitment, access or setup fees. Source ↗
VirtualStaffing.com — From $2,227/month
Full-time staff 'starting at $12/hr' with monthly prices per role. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: Full-time. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
Legal Soft — From $10/hour
Legal assistant pricing starts from $10/hour; custom quotes for multiple hires. Model: Hourly, dedicated. Minimum: Full-time only (40 hours/week). Setup: Promotion advertised on the page ($4,000 off). Source ↗
Get Staffed Up — From $2,145/month
Legal Assistant $2,545/month (+$200 for English/Spanish), Intake Specialist $2,395 (+$150), Receptionist $2,145 (+$150), Executive Assistant $2,245 (+$150), Client Happiness Coordinator $2,245, Billing Assistant $2,145, Marketing Assistant $2,645. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: Full-time placement (a part-time option is mentioned on request). Setup: Not stated on the pricing page. Source ↗
Stealth Agents — From $1,600/month
Core VA $1,600/month, Senior EA $2,400, Operations/Project Manager $3,000, each 160 hours/month. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: Full-time, 160 hours/month. Setup: One-time onboarding fee (amount not published). Source ↗
Wyzer Staffing — Role-based rates published
Publishes part-time and full-time rates by role on its pricing page; its site blocked our automated check on 11 November 2026, so rates are not reproduced here. Model: Quote only. Minimum: Part-time and full-time. Setup: See pricing page. Source ↗
Wishup — From $999/month (4 hrs/day)
Prime VA $999/month for 4 hours a day or $1,999/month for 8 hours a day; Elite VA $2,999 (8 hours); US-based VA $5,400/month. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: 4 hours/day. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
Zirtual Paralegals — From $549/month (10 hours)
Virtual paralegals: 10 hours $649/month, 20 hours $1,269, 40 hours $2,499, 80 hours $4,729. Model: Hour bundles. Minimum: 10 hours/month. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
Back Office Betties — From $338/month (answering) · $886/month (assistant)
Answering plans: 100 minutes $338–$375/month, 200 minutes $630–$700, 400 minutes $1,179–$1,310, 500 minutes $1,364–$1,515 (lower figure with yearly billing). Model: Hour bundles. Minimum: 20 hours/month (assistant) or 100 minutes (answering). Setup: $399 one-time 30-day onboarding. Source ↗