Legal Assistant - (202541)

Town of Halton Hills; Halton Hills; Hybrid; CAD 71,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A local municipal government in Halton Hills is seeking a Legal Assistant to support legal functions. Responsibilities include drafting agreements, conducting title searches, and providing guidance on municipal planning. The ideal candidate will have strong drafting and analytical skills, along with relevant education. This position allows for a hybrid work environment and requires some overtime as needed.

Qualifications

• 3 years' experience in real estate and planning law preferred.
• Ability to conduct title searches and interpret parcel registers.
• Good understanding of Planning Act, Municipal Act, Land Titles Act.

Responsibilities

• Draft development agreements and legal documents.
• Independently conduct title and corporate searches.
• Liaise with applicants for fee payments and documentation.

Skills

Legal drafting

Customer service

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

Post-secondary diploma in Law Clerk, Legal Assistant, or related program

Primer on Planning Course (asset)

Tools

Teranet Electronic Land Registration System

Microsoft Office

Amanda system

Job description

Overview

Reporting to the Manager of Legal & Real Estate Services, this position supports the mandated legal and legislative functions of the Legal Section of the department. This position provides guidance to applicants and staff in areas of municipal planning and development, legal administration, and real estate law. The Legal Assistant will also help to develop and implement corporate policies, procedures, and templates with respect to development and real estate agreements, documents, processes. This position will also help with legal searches and registrations.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for drafting selected development agreements, i.e., site plans, model homes, conditional building permit agreements and other legal documents for review and approval by the Manager
• Review and revise draft legal documents based on feedback received
• Correspond with applicants and arrange for agreements to be signed and returned
• Independently conduct title searches and corporate searches and interpret and report information to staff
• Prepare draft Notices and other instruments for registration in Teraview
• Responsible for reviewing legal files and responding to all compliance requests from solicitors’ offices to assist with their due diligence
• Review data on subdivision assumption and respond to inquiries from solicitors and residents
• Retrieve archived files and assist with providing information requested by staff on previous applications and agreements
• Responsible for managing internal circulations, e.g., Land Titles Absolute Applications
• Represent the Legal Section at meetings with staff and / or applicants, including Development Review meetings, when required
• Make initial contact with applicants and communicate the submission requirements for preparing development agreements
• Liaise with applicants for payment of fees; and prepare and submit the documents required to make deposits with the Finance Section
• Open and prioritize correspondence and submit responses internally / externally, as required
• Set up and manage filing system in database and in Amanda, including archiving of files
• Prepare monthly journal entries for Teraview and managing the deposit account
• Responsible for filing legal publications and subscriptions, as required
• Provide back-up for Legal Coordinator and assist with other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Post-secondary diploma in a Law Clerk, Legal Assistant, or related program
• Primer on Planning Course completion through the Ontario Association of Committees of Adjustment and Consent Authorities (OACA) is considered an asset, or the intention to complete
• 3 years' experience in the areas of real estate and planning law, with directly related experience in a municipal work environment considered an asset
• Experience using Teranet Electronic Land Registration System to conduct title searches and prepare documents for registration
• Experience preparing agreements and documents related to municipal planning approvals such as site plans and subdivision developments
• Experience preparing real estate documents and general understanding of purchase and sale of lands
• Intermediate knowledge of the Planning Act, Municipal Act, Land Titles Act and Land Registry Act
• Ability to independently conduct corporate and title searches and to interpret parcel registers and some knowledge of registered plans
• Ability to handle assignments where the risk of error may have significant negative and financial consequences
• Innovative and proactive problem-solving skills
• Good analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make smart decisions
• Excellent customer service and communication skills including proofreading, writing, speaking, listening, keyboarding and legal office administrative abilities
• Well-developed legal drafting and report writing skills and the ability to effectively research, analyze and summarize large amounts of information
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize workload and competing demands
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat
• Knowledge of database management, GIS software and general legal record-keeping and experience working with the Amanda system

Compensation

The salary for this position (35 hours per week) is $71,216 - $84,781 per annum.

Location

This position allows a blend of working onsite and remotely based on the needs of the business, in accordance with the Town’s Work from Home Policy, and is subject to change. This position also requires occasional overtime to complete tasks as required.