Family Associate/Senior Associate

Realm Recruit; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Healthcare cash plan

Employer pension

Job summary

Realm Recruit is seeking a Senior Associate to join the Manchester Family team and become a pivotal figure in its growth. You will manage a mixed private family caseload, including financial remedy and private children matters, while mentoring junior lawyers and taking on leadership duties.

Working closely with the Head of Family, you’ll help shape the team’s development, maintain client relationships, and drive the expansion of the Manchester office as it relocates to larger premises.

Qualifications

• Experience in private family practice including financial remedy and private children matters.
• Proven ability to manage mixed caseloads with minimal supervision.
• Strong client relationship skills and professional communication.

Responsibilities

• Manage your own caseload of private family matters including financial remedy and private children work.
• Provide guidance, supervision and mentoring to junior colleagues.
• Work with Head of Family to support workload and growth of the Manchester team.
• Help ensure fair workload distribution and team support.

Skills

Family law

Leadership

Mentoring

Supervising

Client care

Business development

Commercial awareness

Team management

Complex cases

Strategic thinking

Job description

• Genuine opportunity to progress towards leading the Manchester Family team as the office continues to grow
• Become the Head of Family's right-hand person, combining private family work with mentoring and leadership responsibilities
• Flexible working built on trust, fair billing expectations and the opportunity to develop your own specialism

Looking for a Senior Associate role where you can have a real influence on the future of a growing family team?

This Manchester opportunity offers the chance to become a key figure in an expanding family department, with a genuine pathway towards leading the Manchester team. You'll work closely with the Head of Family, managing your own mixed caseload while supporting junior colleagues and gradually taking on greater leadership responsibility.

The wider firm is growing quickly, with around 240 employees and a Manchester office that's moving into premises approximately twice the size of its current space. Rather than stepping into a fixed structure, you'll have the opportunity to help shape how the team develops and grows.

You'll handle a mix of financial remedy and private children matters, with the freedom to develop your own specialist area if you wish. The Head of Family is particularly passionate about developing lawyers, ensuring workloads are fairly distributed and giving people the support they need to succeed.

The culture is built around trust and flexibility. You'll have the freedom to manage your working day around personal commitments, while any additional mentoring or management responsibilities will be reflected in your billing expectations.

Who we're looking for

• Experienced Family Solicitor operating at Senior Associate level, or an established Associate ready to take the next step (E)
• Strong experience managing a mixed private family caseload, including financial remedy and private children matters (E)
• Ability to manage complex cases independently with minimal supervision (E)
• Strong technical knowledge and confidence providing guidance to junior lawyers (E)
• Excellent client care and relationship management skills (E)
• Willingness to take on mentoring and supervisory responsibilities (E)
• Collaborative, proactive and committed to supporting the wider team's success (E)
• Commercial awareness and ambition to progress into a leadership position (E)
• Previous supervision or team management experience (D)
• Business development and networking experience (D)
• Experience supporting departmental growth or improving team processes (D)
• An established family law specialism, or ambition to develop one (D)

What you'll be doing

• Managing your own caseload of private family matters, including financial remedy and private children work
• Handling complex and sensitive matters independently
• Working closely with the Head of Family to support the Manchester team's workload and continued growth
• Providing technical guidance, supervision and mentoring to junior colleagues
• Helping ensure work is distributed fairly and the team has the support it needs
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships
• Contributing to the day-to-day management and organisation of the Manchester team
• Potentially supporting business development and networking activities
• Developing your own family law specialism if desired
• Progressively taking on greater leadership responsibility, with the potential to lead the Manchester team

Salary & Benefits

• £65,000–£85,000 salary, plus bonus scheme reflecting individual responsibilities
• Flexible working, with around 3–4 office days per week and freedom to adjust your hours around personal commitments
• Approximately 26–28 days' annual leave, depending on level (to be confirmed)
• Healthcare cash plan and 3% employer pension contribution
• No billing target for the first few months, with ongoing targets adjusted to reflect management and mentoring responsibilities
• Clear progression pathway, with the potential to lead the Manchester Family team
• Support to develop your own family law specialism, alongside mentoring from the Head of Family
• Collaborative culture with fair workload allocation and a genuine focus on professional development
• Opportunity to play a key role in the growth of the Manchester office as it expands into larger premises

Mel specialises in family law recruitment across the North West and can give you a clear picture of the leadership opportunity, the Manchester team's growth plans and how this position compares with other Senior Associate roles in the market.

You don't need an up-to-date CV to start a conversation. If you're considering a move that offers greater influence, progression and flexibility, Mel would be happy to talk things through confidentially.

While this advert sets out the criteria applicable to each salary band, the salary guidance given is purely indicative. The precise salary offered within that band will ultimately be determined by the hirer, taking into account the individual candidate's experience, qualifications and overall suitability for the role.