Paralegals are not licensed to practice law and cannot give legal advice. Although there are undoubtedly some excellent paralegals, it is difficult to find out who has the experience and training necessary to assist you. Paralegals are precluded from providing any legal advice, although many do and this advice can be poor which leads to major problems.
Many people have had bad experiences with independent paralegal services. Often the forms are not prepared or filed properly, causing unnecessary delays. Paralegals sometimes attempt to represent both sides which is a conflict of interest, or align themselves with one side. Many people are not protected in the end. The biggest insult is that people sometimes end up paying more for a paralegal than they would have paid for a family law attorney to take care of them properly. Paralegals cannot represent you in court.
Paralegals are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Washington State Bar Association. If your attorney does something wrong, he or she may be subject to discipline. There are strict rules of conduct which govern attorneys. There are no such safeguards with regard to paralegal services.