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.
Explanation:
The correct answer choice here is the only option that would conform with legal ethics. To dig deeper into the incorrect answer choices:
<em>- Spend as much time as possible doing research. </em>
Frankly, this is wasting the time of the paralegal, lawyer, and client. Research should be conducted efficiently and in a timely manner.
- <em>Not worry about how much time they spend doing research because paralegal time is not billed.</em>
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.
- <em>Take their time doing research so the firm can charge for more hours and make more money.</em>
This is again, a violation of legal ethics, and a waste of time. Research must be conducted in a timely manner.