These are some of the free services that paralegals can provide:

• Give legal and general advice to people on the law and their rights
• Write or distribute pamphlets, booklets and other resources to help educate people
• Refer people to social and health services, and other helpful organisations
• Refer people to attorneys where it is clear an attorney is necessary
• Help prepare people for formal legal procedures, such as what to expect in a court case
• Assist and prepare people to take labour problems to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)
• Run workshops to educate people about their rights
• Work as a link between a community and attorneys, and help with things like taking statements, interpreting and following up cases
• Assist in making contact with the press and in publicising events and problems in a community
• Help sort out problems in a community, and problems with the authorities through negotiation and mediation
• Help in the building and developing of community organisations
• Build contacts with other paralegals, resources and organisations regionally and nationally (See Best practices for paralegal case-workers)

Paralegals play an important role in the legal process because many people cannot afford attorneys and people sometimes find it intimidating to go to an attorney.