The role
Southern Housing is looking for a dedicated Solicitor (Litigation) - Arrears Recovery to join our Legal Services team on a part time basis (21 hours per week) until 31 March 2027. In this specialist role, you will mainly work on arrears recovery litigation (housing management matters), working closely with our Customer Accounts team to help deliver fair, effective and compliant income recovery across the organisation. You will be conducting on effective litigation to recover rent, service charges and other debts - including possession claims, money claims and forfeiture proceedings.
You will provide clear legal advice, prepare and manage litigation, support colleagues through training and case reviews, and contribute to shaping improvements in our processes. You will be guiding the team on pre-action compliance, notice validity, repayment plans and steps required under relevant protocols. Collaboration is key – you will work with colleagues across the business as well as external solicitors and will occasionally provide cover and advocacy (excluding trials) across our regions.
This is a great opportunity for a solicitor or barrister with strong litigation experience who wants to make a real impact within the social housing sector.
This role will be based at one of our main offices in either Farringdon, Croydon or Sittingbourne. This role operates in a hybrid way when appropriate and as agreed with your manager. The 21 hours per week must be covered in minimum of 3 working days.
What you’ll need:
1. Qualification as Solicitor or Barrister with a practicing certificate (authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation)
2. Previous litigation and housing management experience - particularly working in social housing or for other public sector bodies
3. Experience in arrears recovery litigation and/or routine housing management litigation, ideally within social housing or the public sector (desirable)
4. Understanding of housing management law applicable to social landlords and regulated housing and strong knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules and relevant pre-action protocols
5. Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships across teams and with external stakeholders
6. Experience handling a high-volume caseload and delivering strong outcomes
7. Excellent IT skills in particular Microsoft Office suite and Outlook, and able to work within a case management system
8. Ability to present information in a variety of forms to a high standard, including excellent verbal and written communication skills