Job Description
My client is a growing legal practice, based in the historic market-town of Thame, Oxfordshire. We are currently looking to employ a Private Client Paralegal to support our clients and Solicitors with legal administration activities related to Wills, Trusts & Probate.
Your primary role will entail assisting a Solicitor in all manner of private client work, including wills and probate, LPA’s, trusts and estates. You'll be invaluable by taking ownership of the legal administration tasks, assist with the production of any marketing materials and seminar notes, maintain compliant files and assist with the drafting of client correspondence and reports. You'll become familiar with the firm's compliance procedures for letters of engagement, file opening and money laundering. You'll also get to brush up on those all-important client facing skills as you play a key part in gathering relevant information from clients to assist the lawyers with their enquiries.
Typical daily activities will include:
* Engaging with clients visiting the office in absence of a Solicitor
* Completion of non-taxable probate applications
* Manage all administrative aspects of the probate process from outset of matter to closure (initial letters, assets & liabilities spreadsheets, speaking to providers, account closure/transfer forms, collecting assets, recording funds received, communicating with clients)
* Advise clients on the probate process
* Completion of inheritance tax forms for HMRC
* Determine whether an estate requires HMRC involvement
* Creation of client invoices
* Update and maintain the case management system
* Track progress of each client case to adequately support the fee earner
* Understand the effects of different clauses in wills including those with complex trust arrangements
* Offer professional support to sometimes vulnerable clients, occasionally as the first point of contact following a bereavement
* Abide by SRA regulations and conduct AML compliance checks
We are looking forward to receiving applications from individuals that have had prior private client experience working in a private practice law firm .i.e. working with Wills, Probate, LPA's, Tax, and Trust matters. We are also open to receiving applications from candidates that have completed legal qualifications (e.g. Law Degree, CILEX, STEP, LPC) and are looking to gain further experience in practice. You will have a keen eye for detail, passion for private client work and a client-centric attitude in all the work that you do. Familiarity with systems such as MyHMCTS and Quill would also be advantageous.
The position can be fully office based, or we would also consider hybrid working, one-two days per week from home.