Answer:
Because lawyers have a duty to charge their clients reasonable fees, paralegals should try to work efficiently to minimize the number of hours the client is charged for.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer choice here is the only option that would conform with legal ethics. To dig deeper into the incorrect answer choices:
- Spend as much time as possible doing research.
Frankly, this is wasting the time of the paralegal, lawyer, and client. Research should be conducted efficiently and in a timely manner.
- Not worry about how much time they spend doing research because paralegal time is not billed.
This statement would be both unethical and incorrect. Legally substantive work conducted by paralegals is in fact, billed. Only clerical work (i.e. issuing of subpoenas, filing,) is non-billable.
- Take their time doing research so the firm can charge for more hours and make more money.
This is again, a violation of legal ethics, and a waste of time. Research must be conducted in a timely manner.