Guide
How much does remote legal staff cost in 2026?
What remote paralegals, legal assistants, intake specialists and receptionists cost in 2026: published prices, answering-service rates and in-house pay.
Short answer: a dedicated, full-time remote legal staff member costs roughly $1,740 to $3,400 a month from legal-specific providers that publish prices, and $1,600 to $4,400 a month from general remote-staffing companies, depending on role and experience. A U.S.-based assistant billed by the hour costs far more per hour, and answering services bill per call or per minute instead. The same roles on your own payroll cost $4,500 to $9,200 a month once benefits and payroll costs are included.
Who wrote this. Legal Staffing Pros sells dedicated remote legal staff, so we are one of the providers below. Every competitor price comes from that company’s own public page, read on November 14, 2026, and linked in the sources. Prices change; check each site before you decide.
Legal-specific staffing companies
These providers place dedicated staff with law firms and manage them for a monthly fee.
| Provider | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Staffing Pros | $2,395 (assistant, receptionist), $2,495 (bilingual intake), $2,895 (case manager), $2,995–$3,395 (paralegal) per month | Part-time seat $1,395 for 80 hours. Bilingual at no extra cost. No setup fee. Month-to-month. |
| Legal Soft | “Starts at $10 per hour” for every role; the pricing page also shows $1,740 and $2,227 as a starting monthly cost | Full-time. No setup fees stated. Month-to-month. Per-role monthly prices not shown. |
| Get Staffed Up | $2,145 (receptionist), $2,395 (intake specialist), $2,545 (legal assistant), up to $2,645 per month | +$150 a month for English/Spanish (+$200 for a legal assistant). A startup fee, amount not published. Full-time only. 30-day cancellation. |
General remote staffing companies
These companies place assistants across many industries. Legal experience varies, and some leave training to you.
| Provider | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MyOutDesk | From $1,988 and from $2,500 a month (two tiers) | Full-time only. Recruiting, payroll and an account manager included. |
| Virtual Latinos | $1,600 to $4,400 a month, by experience tier | No recruiting or setup fees. The client trains the hire. |
| Hire Overseas | From $2,000 a month; most roles $2,000 to $4,000 | All-in fee. 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Boldly (U.S.-based) | $2,600 for 40 hours a month ($65 an hour) | Hour blocks, not a full-time seat. |
Answering services
Answering services share agents across many clients and charge for calls or minutes answered. They are a different product from a dedicated staff member, but firms often compare the two for reception and intake.
| Provider | Published price | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| Smith.ai (human receptionists) | $300 a month for 30 calls up to $2,100 for 300 calls | $7 to $10 per call; $1.00 per call extra for a dedicated Spanish line |
| Ruby | $250 a month for 50 minutes up to $1,725 for 500 minutes | $3.45 to $5.00 per minute of live answering |
A useful way to compare: Ruby’s 500-minute plan buys a little over eight hours of live answering a month. A full-time dedicated receptionist works about 173 hours a month, and can also book appointments, update your case system and follow up on missed calls. If your firm gets only a handful of calls a day, an answering service is usually cheaper. If your phones are busy, or callers need someone who knows your cases, a dedicated person usually costs less per hour of work. Our guide to answering services vs a dedicated receptionist works out where the break-even sits.
What the same roles cost in-house
| Role | U.S. median pay | U.S. cost per month, with benefits | California median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal BLS: paralegals and legal assistants | $62,890 | $7,487 | $77,390 |
| Legal assistant BLS: legal secretaries and administrative assistants | $55,570 | $6,615 | $62,860 |
| Receptionist BLS: receptionists and information clerks | $38,010 | $4,525 | $44,100 |
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 medians, via O*NET OnLine. Benefits and payroll costs: wages and salaries were 70.0% of private employers’ compensation costs in June 2026 (BLS), so total cost ≈ pay ÷ 0.70.
What moves the price
- Role and experience. Paralegals and case managers cost more than assistants and receptionists, and experienced candidates cost more within a role.
- Language. Some providers add $150 to $200 a month for Spanish-English staff; others, including us, don’t.
- Hours. Most providers sell full-time seats only. Part-time seats, evening coverage and weekend coverage are priced differently or not offered.
- What “managed” includes. Recruiting, payroll, training, check-ins and replacement may all be in the price, or some may be on you.
- Who employs the staff member. Some providers employ staff; others use contractors. Ask, because it affects what the provider is responsible for.
Costs that hide in the fine print
- Setup, startup or recruiting fees, which some providers charge but don’t publish
- Bilingual premiums
- Minimum terms (some general providers require 90 days)
- Notice periods for cancelling
- Annual price increases tied to staff raises or inflation
- Overage charges on answering-service plans
How to compare quotes
Turn every quote into the same three numbers: the monthly price for one full-time person in the role you need, every fee on top of it, and what happens if the person doesn’t work out. Then compare that with what the role costs on your payroll; our cost calculator does the in-house side with your own numbers. For the questions to ask beyond price, see how to choose a remote legal staffing company.
Sources
Provider prices as published on each linked page on November 14, 2026. In-house pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 medians via O*NET OnLine; benefits and payroll costs: BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026. Get Staffed Up terms: GSU FAQ. Legal Soft terms: Legal Soft FAQ.