How to Outsource Discovery Support for Your Law Firm

Discovery is one of the most time consuming phases of litigation. Preparing and responding to interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission can consume hundreds of hours across a single case. For small and mid size litigation firms, the administrative burden of discovery often forces a difficult choice: limit the number of cases you accept or stretch your team past its capacity.

Outsourcing discovery support to trained virtual assistants offers a third option. You maintain quality and control while gaining the capacity to handle more cases efficiently.

What Discovery Tasks Can Be Outsourced?

Not every aspect of discovery requires attorney judgment. Many tasks are administrative and procedural, making them ideal for delegation to a trained virtual assistant.

Document collection and organization. Gathering responsive documents from clients, organizing them by category or date, and preparing them for review. Your assistant can create organized folders, apply consistent naming conventions, and build document indices that make attorney review faster.

Discovery request preparation. Drafting interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission from templates and attorney outlines. The assistant prepares the initial draft, and the attorney reviews and finalizes before service.

Discovery response coordination. Tracking response deadlines, gathering information from clients to answer interrogatories, and assembling responsive documents for production. The assistant manages the logistics while the attorney makes substantive decisions about objections and privilege.

Privilege log preparation. Reviewing document metadata and attorney notes to create and maintain privilege logs in the required format. This is tedious, detail oriented work that is well suited to a dedicated assistant.

Deposition preparation. Organizing exhibits, preparing deposition outlines based on attorney direction, and managing the logistics of scheduling, reporter booking, and location coordination.

Benefits of Outsourcing Discovery

Cost reduction. A virtual assistant costs significantly less than a full time in house paralegal, and you only pay for the hours you need. During slow periods, you are not carrying idle salary expense. During busy periods, you can scale up quickly.

Faster turnaround. A dedicated discovery assistant can focus entirely on case preparation without being pulled away for office management, phone calls, or other administrative tasks. This focus translates to faster document processing and quicker response times.

Consistency. When one person or team handles discovery tasks across your cases, they develop consistent processes and templates that improve quality over time. This consistency also makes it easier for attorneys to review and approve work product.

Scalability. If your firm lands a large case or experiences a seasonal spike in litigation, you can add discovery support quickly without the time and expense of hiring and training a new employee.

How to Set Up Outsourced Discovery Support

Document your workflows

Before you bring on a virtual assistant, document your discovery processes step by step. How do you typically prepare interrogatories? What is your process for collecting documents from clients? How do you format privilege logs? Written procedures make delegation straightforward and ensure consistent quality.

Choose the right tools

Your discovery assistant needs access to your case management software, document management system, and any e discovery platforms you use. Ensure that your systems support secure remote access and that you can grant appropriate permissions.

Start with a defined scope

Begin by outsourcing one or two discovery tasks on a single case. Let your assistant learn your processes and preferences before expanding the scope. This approach minimizes risk and builds confidence on both sides.

Maintain attorney oversight

Discovery responses and productions are made under attorney signature. Always review your assistant's work before it goes out. Over time, as you develop confidence in their accuracy, you can streamline the review process, but never eliminate it entirely.

How DocketHire Supports Discovery

DocketHire virtual assistants are trained in litigation discovery workflows and familiar with common case management and document management platforms. We match you with assistants who have experience in your practice area and can contribute from day one. If discovery is slowing your firm down, our team can help you build the capacity you need.