Paralegal (Agricultural Real Estate Team

FREETHS LLP; Oxford; Sur place; GBP 26 000 - 34 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

FREETHS LLP is seeking a diligent Paralegal to support our agricultural property/real estate team in Oxford. You will assist with legal drafting, client liaison, title investigation and lease review under supervision, with a focus on accuracy and timely delivery.

The role suits an organised individual who can manage multiple deadlines and work independently within set limits. Training will be provided for specific tasks within property/real estate law.

Qualifications

• Experience as a paralegal or legal support, preferably in property/real estate.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills with ability to work independently.
• Ability to draft and review leases, title information, and related documents.
• Excellent client liaison and communication skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in legal drafting.
• Not involved in post-completion tasks as described in the role.

Responsabilités

• Review leases and prepare draft lease summaries, transaction documents and substantive correspondence.
• Liaise directly with clients to gather information, provide updates, and respond to queries.
• Obtain and review title information and property search results, and draft enquiries and title summaries.
• Monitor pre-completion deadlines and outstanding legal issues and escalate concerns.
• Support fee earners with legal research, due diligence and the preparation of draft reports and advice.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and procedural requirements.
• Assist with pre-completion legal readiness by checking draft documents for completeness.
• Practical understanding of commercial leases and legal drafting; training provided.
• Ability to analyse legal documents and produce clear first drafts under supervision.
• Strong organisational skills and clear records of legal analysis.
• Confident and professional communication with clients and internal teams.

Description du poste

We are seeking a diligent and organised Paralegal to support our agricultural property/real estate team. The successful candidate will play a key role in legal drafting, client liaison, title investigation and lease review, under the supervision of a solicitor or other supervising fee earner. This role would suit someone with strong analytical and organisational skills who can work independently within agreed limits while managing multiple deadlines. N.B. This is a non-qualifying role, not a trainee solicitor position or an offer of a training contract. Administrative and post-completion work are excluded, including Land Registry applications and requisitions, file administration and billing. These tasks are allocated elsewhere.

• Review leases and prepare draft lease summaries, transaction documents and substantive correspondence using approved precedents, for review by a supervising fee earner
• Liaise directly with clients to gather information, provide updates, and respond to queries in a professional and timely manner
• Obtain and review title information and property search results, identify legal issues and draft enquiries and title summaries for review by a supervising fee earner
• Monitor substantive pre-completion legal deadlines and outstanding legal issues on allocated matters, and elevate concerns promptly to the supervising fee earner; routine diary administration is excluded
• Support fee earners with legal research, due diligence and the preparation of draft legal reports and advice for retail clients, within delegated authority and subject to supervising fee earner review
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory and procedural requirements throughout all tasks
• Assist with pre-completion legal readiness by checking the consistency and completeness of draft transaction documents and identifying outstanding legal requirements, without undertaking administrative completion arrangements or post-completion tasks Ideally, proven experience in a paralegal or legal support role, ideally within property/real estate law
• Practical understanding of commercial leases and legal drafting; specific job training will be provided
• Ability to analyse legal documents, identify material issues and produce clear, accurate first drafts and summaries under supervision.
• Ability to review title information and property search results and undertake focused legal research, with appropriate training and supervision.
• Strong organisational skills in managing substantive legal work and maintaining clear records of legal analysis and client instructions.
• Good legal research, analytical and organisational skills
• Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritise a varied workload
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Confidence working with numerical provisions in leases, including rent and service charge figures, and identifying points requiring specialist input.
• Ability to use initiative and progress allocated legal tasks within agreed parameters, recognising when to seek guidance or elevate an issue.
• Confident and professional communication skills, both written and verbal, for liaising with clients and internal teams

Desirable

• Previous paralegal experience in commercial real estate.
• Experience of agricultural property transactions and lease review
• Prior experience working with both external clients and in-house legal teams
• Experience of IT systems, document management software, and dataroom platforms

Personal Attributes

• Self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving
• Reliable and trustworthy when handling confidential client information
• Team player who can also work effectively without close supervision
• Calm and methodical under pressure, particularly when managing competing deadlines