Despite what you may be told by others, there is a vast difference between an attorney and a paralegal in Arizona. For starters, it is not mandatory for one to have any special training, schooling, or a certificate to call themselves a paralegal in Arizona. There are several people in Arizona who call themselves paralegals who have not even ever worked at a law office. Additionally, paralegals can not represent people in court, even if you choose to be “represent yourself” in an Arizona divorce court. In fact, by Supreme Court Rule, paralegals are not allowed to give legal advice, many do, often poor advice which lead to major problems in the divorces of those they are trying to help. We are by no means saying that all paralegals are a poor choice. There are some excellent paralegals out there, most work for law firms. It is difficult to find out which paralegal has the right training and tools to effectively assist you in court. Another thing to keep in mind is that independent Arizona paralegals are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Arizona State Bar. If your Arizona divorce lawyer does something wrong, they may be subject to discipline as there are strict rules that govern Arizona lawyers. Unfortunately, there are no such safeguards if you choose to chance paralegal services instead of using an experienced Arizona divorce attorney.