Principal Solicitor

Matchbox; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Safewill is seeking a Principal Solicitor to lead the Wills & Estates practice, shaping pricing, resource allocation and growth strategy. You will work closely with the COO and Founder to scale complex matters and identify new practice areas.

You will provide senior oversight across estate planning, administration and contested estates, mentoring a team of senior lawyers and upholding high technical standards in a fast-growing environment.

Qualifications

• Principal Practising Certificate and experience in Wills & Estates law, spanning estate planning, administration and litigation.
• Demonstrated experience making commercial or operational decisions, not only legal ones.
• Current or prior experience leading or mentoring a legal team.

Responsibilities

• Own pricing and resourcing decisions for complex estate planning and administration matters.
• Determine where the Wills & Estates practice invests as it scales.
• Identify and launch new practice areas aligned with client and market need.
• Partner directly with the COO and Founder on the practice's growth strategy.
• Provide senior legal oversight across estate planning, administration and contested estates matters.
• Lead a team of lawyers and uphold technical standards across the practice.
• Mentor and develop senior lawyers within the team.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial decision-making

Mentoring senior lawyers

Education

Principal Practising Certificate

Wills & Estates law experience

Job description

Safewill Legal's Wills & Estates team is growing fast, and this seat is built to be commercial as much as legal. Rather than executing a fixed plan, the Principal Solicitor decides where the practice invests, prices and resources its most complex work, and identifies where new practice areas should open next.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial & Strategic Leadership

• Own pricing and resourcing decisions for complex estate planning and administration matters;
• Determine where the Wills & Estates practice invests as it scales;
• Identify and launch new practice areas aligned with client and market need;
• Partner directly with the COO and Founder on the practice's growth strategy.

Legal Practice Leadership

• Provide senior legal oversight across estate planning, administration and contested estates matters;
• Work alongside the existing Principal to lead a team of 14 Wills & Estates lawyers;
• Set and uphold technical standards across the practice;
• Mentor and develop senior lawyers within the team.

Team, Culture and Compliance

• Be an authority and thought leader within the business, fostering collaboration and sharing deep domain knowledge, best practices and already validated learnings;
• Champion a culture of creativity, learning, and high-impact results;
• Demonstrate Safewill's SAFE values in everything you do;
• Stay up to date with and adhere to all Safewill policies and applicable legislation; and
• Contribute to a safe and healthy environment for all.

Must Have

• Principal Practicing Certificate and experience in Wills & Estates law, spanning estate planning, administration and litigation;
• Demonstrated experience making commercial or operational decisions, not only legal ones;
• Current or prior experience leading or mentoring a legal team.

Nice to Have

• Experience in a scaling business or comparable high-growth environment;
• Exposure to complex asset structuring, superannuation, or contested estates work.

About Safewill Safewill is Australia's leading estate planning platform, making wills, Powers of Attorney and end-of-life planning simple, affordable and accessible. The business doubles in size every year, and Safewill Legal's Wills & Estates team is central to that growth.