Remote Insurance Defense Paralegal

Role overview

Zirtual provides US-based virtual paralegals to law firms across a wide range of practice areas and states. For this opening, a California attorney serving as outside general counsel to an insurance company is seeking a highly organized, tech-comfortable paralegal to help run a busy insurance-defense style practice and support experimentation with legal AI tools.

The paralegal serves as the primary contact for assigned client(s), works independently, and partners closely with an Account Supervisor who helps support the client relationship, plan changes, feedback, delegation, and collaboration practices. The work centers on delivering dependable, high-quality support, staying aligned with each client’s preferences, and keeping communication and task execution on track.

This is a flexible, remote contractor role with preference for candidates available during Pacific Time business hours. The assignment begins at about 80 hours per month, with room for growth. Zirtual notes that this opportunity is for joining its contractor network and that hours or clients are not guaranteed.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a busy inbox, sort messages by priority, and surface urgent items quickly.
• Draft replies and keep correspondence organized so follow-ups and deadlines are not overlooked.
• Perform factual and legal research with the help of AI-enabled legal tools.
• Track AI-related workflows in an insurance claims setting and report on relevant outputs.
• Review information gathered from legal databases and AI platforms for accuracy and usefulness.
• Monitor roughly 140 active insurance claims, maintain status updates, and flag matters that need attorney attention.
• Support recordkeeping, database upkeep, and reporting tasks tied to claims and matters.
• Build and refine SOPs, workflows, and organizational systems that improve efficiency.
• Recommend tools and process improvements that make legal operations more productive.
• Assist with future case management software setup and implementation.
• Handle calendar coordination, meeting scheduling, project support, and other administrative tasks as needed.

Working style and expectations

The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, comfortable in a fast-moving environment, and genuinely interested in technology and continuous improvement. The role suits someone who likes creating structure, improving systems, and supporting busy legal professionals with calm, organized execution.

Paralegals are expected to be available during agreed-upon business hours for their client, but not around the clock. They should enter time daily in the provided tool, respond within the mutually agreed communication window, keep client profiles current, and follow Zirtual’s best practices for successful engagement.

Experience and role fit

Zirtual states that paralegals are generally expected to have at least 3 years of experience doing the kinds of duties described for the assignment. Clients are matched based on practice area and state, and actual tasks may vary depending on the specialty.

Compensation and engagement terms

This role is paid as a 1099 independent contractor engagement. When matched from the preferred network, paralegal work is expected to pay at least $28 per hour, while legal assistant work is expected to pay $20 per hour. Final pay depends on the client’s plan size, practice area, and needs. Any area-specific additions will be set out in the Statement of Work for the client assignment.

Zirtual also states that it does not guarantee a fixed number of hours or client assignments. The application is for consideration within the contractor network rather than a guaranteed direct placement.

Recruitment safety notice

Zirtual warns applicants about scam outreach impersonating its recruiters. The company says it will never request payment, banking details, credit card numbers, or social security numbers during hiring, and it does not provide equipment or ask candidates to pay for equipment. Legitimate recruiter emails come only from an @zirtual.com address. Suspicious messages, unusual requests, or communications with poor grammar should be treated carefully, and questionable outreach should be reported to support@zirtual.com.