Senior Leader, Childcare Litigation

Herts Legal Service - Hertfordshire County Council; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 63,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council in Stevenage invites applications for a Principal Lawyer - Childcare Litigation. You will jointly lead the Child Litigation Unit, guiding a team of lawyers and paralegals while ensuring high-quality service to Children’s Services.

The role combines client-facing responsibilities with budget monitoring, capacity planning and occasional caseload. You will liaise with external partners to shape efficient legal service delivery.

Qualifications

• Significant experience handling a diverse range of child litigation matters.
• Experience in managing a team of lawyers and support staff.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Exceptional time management and workload prioritisation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Child Litigation Unit alongside two other Principal Lawyers.
• Manage budget monitoring, capacity planning and service resourcing for the team.
• Maintain a reduced but active caseload of child litigation matters where appropriate.
• Engage with external partners (private practice, CAFCASS, Judiciary) to improve service delivery.

Skills

Experience in child litigation

Team management

Client relationship mgmt

Time management

Job description

Hertfordshire County Council in Stevenage invites applications for a Principal Lawyer - Childcare Litigation. You will jointly lead the Child Litigation Unit, guiding a team of lawyers and paralegals while ensuring high-quality service to Children’s Services.

The role combines client-facing responsibilities with budget monitoring, capacity planning and occasional caseload. You will liaise with external partners to shape efficient legal service delivery.