Verdict
Back Office Betties — From $338/month (answering) · $886/month (assistant). Best for: US-based, legal-trained receptionists and virtual legal assistants for small firms.
Wrong choice if: Budget is the deciding factor, or you need Spanish-language answering as standard.
Pricing as published
| Bundle | Price | Effective hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 20 hours/month | $886/month | $44/hour |
| 40 hours/month | $1,661/month | $42/hour |
| 60 hours/month | $2,325/month | $39/hour |
Source: https://backofficebetties.com/pricing/, checked 11 November 2026.
What it costs at different volumes
| Monthly hours | Back Office Betties | How it's priced | HireParalegals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 hrs/week | $2,325 | 60-hour monthly bundle | $347–$693 |
| 20 hrs/week | $3,358 | pro-rated above the 60-hour bundle | $693–$1,387 |
| 30 hrs/week | $5,038 | pro-rated above the 60-hour bundle | $1,040–$2,080 |
| 40 hrs/week | $6,717 | pro-rated above the 60-hour bundle | $1,387–$2,773 |
What Back Office Betties publishes
- Answering plans: 100 minutes $338–$375/month, 200 minutes $630–$700, 400 minutes $1,179–$1,310, 500 minutes $1,364–$1,515 (lower figure with yearly billing).
- Virtual legal assistant plans: 20 hours $886–$1,025/month, 40 hours $1,661–$1,950, 60 hours $2,325–$2,860.
- All plans start with a $399 one-time onboarding covering 100 minutes or 30 days.
- Receptionists are US-based and legal-trained.
Terms at a glance
| Model | Hour bundles |
|---|---|
| Minimum | 20 hours/month (assistant) or 100 minutes (answering) |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly billing |
| Setup / fees | $399 one-time 30-day onboarding |
| Team location | United States |
| Hours | US business hours |
| Spanish | Not stated on its pages |
| Replacement | Not stated |
| Time to start | 30-day fit-to-firm onboarding |
| Roles | Legal assistant, Receptionist, Intake specialist |
How we scored it
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Legal specialisation | 9/10 | Works only with law firms or recruits for legal roles |
| Cost at our reference scenario | 3/10 | $6,717/month at our reference scenario: a full-time legal assistant (40 hrs/wk) |
| Pricing transparency | 9/10 | Full price list published |
| Flexibility of commitment | 7/10 | Monthly plans, but a $399 onboarding first |
| Spanish / bilingual | 3/10 | No Spanish offer stated |
| Replacement terms | 4/10 | Replacement terms not published |
| Total | 35/60 | Scoring method |
Our assessment, criterion by criterion
Legal specialisation: 9/10
Works only with law firms or recruits for legal roles. Legal-only providers already know conflict checks, limitation dates and the line between taking facts and giving advice, so your script and training can be shorter.
What we measure: Whether the provider works only with law firms, or recruits specifically for legal roles. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (9), VirtualStaffing.com (9).
Cost at our reference scenario: 3/10
$6,717/month at our reference scenario: a full-time legal assistant (40 hrs/wk). More expensive than most options at our reference scenario; check whether its strengths justify the premium for you.
What we measure: What the provider would cost at the site's reference scenario, using only published prices. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (10), Virtual Legal Assistants (10), Virtual Latinos (9).
Pricing transparency: 9/10
Full price list published. You can price it against your own volume before talking to sales, which is what our calculator does.
What we measure: Whether you can see the price before a sales call: a full published price list scores 9, a starting rate 7, an approximate figure 6, 'on request' 3. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), VirtualStaffing.com (9), Get Staffed Up (9).
Flexibility of commitment: 7/10
Monthly plans, but a $399 onboarding first. Expect a full-time commitment, a setup fee or an unpublished minimum. Read the terms before you start a trial.
What we measure: How easy it is to start small and leave: part-time hours, no setup fees and no long contracts score highest. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (8), Zirtual Paralegals (8).
Spanish / bilingual: 3/10
No Spanish offer stated. Spanish is either extra or not offered. Check the cost before you rely on it for PI, immigration or workers' comp callers.
What we measure: Whether Spanish-speaking staff are standard (9), available at a surcharge (7) or not offered (3). Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (9), VirtualStaffing.com (9).
Replacement terms: 4/10
Replacement terms not published. Replacement isn't promised in writing. Ask for it in the contract before you sign.
What we measure: Whether the provider publishes a replacement or satisfaction guarantee (8) or says nothing about it (4). Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (8), Virtual Latinos (8), Legal Soft (8).
What Back Office Betties costs over a year
Twelve months at each volume, plus any published one-time setup fee.
| Volume | Monthly | One-time setup | First 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 hrs/week | $2,325 | — | $27,900 |
| 20 hrs/week | $3,358 | — | $40,296 |
| 30 hrs/week | $5,038 | — | $60,456 |
| 40 hrs/week | $6,717 | — | $80,604 |
Where it gets cheaper or dearer than a dedicated hire
| Hours | Back Office Betties | HireParalegals (entry rate) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 hrs/week | $2,325 | $347 | +$1,978 |
| 20 hrs/week | $3,358 | $693 | +$2,665 |
| 30 hrs/week | $5,038 | $1,040 | +$3,998 |
| 40 hrs/week | $6,717 | $1,387 | +$5,330 |
Pros
- US-based staff
- Both answering and part-time assistant plans from one vendor
- Legal-specific intake scripting and CRM integrations
Cons
- $399 onboarding before the monthly plan
- Higher per-hour cost than offshore staffing
- Plan prices quoted with yearly-billing discount as the headline
How Back Office Betties compares on price
Every provider on Legal Support Directory at our reference scenario (a full-time legal assistant (40 hrs/wk)), cheapest first. "On request" providers don't publish a price.
| # | Provider | Monthly | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HireParalegals | $1,387–$2,773 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| 2 | Virtual Legal Assistants | $1,387 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| 3 | Virtual Latinos | $1,600 | full-time monthly price |
| 4 | Stealth Agents | $1,600 | full-time monthly price |
| 5 | Legal Soft | $1,733 | 40 hrs/wk × published rate |
| 6 | Wishup | $1,999 | full-time monthly price |
| 7 | VirtualStaffing.com | $2,227 | full-time monthly price |
| 8 | Get Staffed Up | $2,545 | full-time monthly price |
| 9 | Back Office Betties | $6,717 | pro-rated above the 60-hour bundle |
| 10 | Zirtual Paralegals | $8,664 | pro-rated above the 80-hour bundle |
| 11 | Wyzer Staffing | On request | no public price for this role |
Questions to ask Back Office Betties before you sign
- What US law-firm experience does the candidate have, and in which practice areas?
- Which case-management and phone systems has the candidate used (Clio, MyCase, Filevine, Lawmatics, RingCentral)?
- Is the quoted rate all-in, or are there platform, payroll or equipment fees on top?
- What hours will the person work, and who covers sickness and holidays?
- What happens if the hire doesn't work out: is replacement written into the agreement?
- How is client data protected: company devices, VPN, virtual machines, confidentiality agreements?
- Who is the legal employer, and who handles payroll and local labour obligations?
- What is the notice period to end the engagement?
- Can you guarantee a Spanish-speaking candidate, and at what price?
Alternatives to consider
- HireParalegals — From $8/hour; Dedicated, mostly bilingual legal staff from Latin America on US hours, billed hourly.
- Virtual Legal Assistants — From $8/hour; A hiring service focused only on virtual legal assistants for US law firms.
- VirtualStaffing.com — From $2,227/month; Full-time English/Spanish legal staff with a published monthly price per role.