Wills and Estates Legal Assistant

Confidential; Colchester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

22 days annual leave + bank holidays +

Job summary

Confidential in Colchester is seeking an experienced Wills and Estates Legal Assistant to support a Senior Solicitor and Director in a busy private client department. You will prepare, format and proofread documents, manage calendars, and act as the first point of contact for clients, both on the phone and in person.

You should have substantial Private Client/Wills experience, solid organisational skills, and proficiency with Microsoft Office and document management systems.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Legal Assistant / Legal Secretary in Private Client, Wills and Estates.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment is highly desirable.
• Strong organisational and time management skills with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to a senior solicitor and director with a busy caseload.
• Prepare, format and proofread legal documents and correspondence for private client matters.
• Manage solicitor's calendar, schedule appointments and meetings.
• Handle correspondence, emails, letters and phone calls; draft as appropriate.
• Act as first point of contact for clients; arrange meetings.
• Prepare and manage documents such as Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Estate Planning documents.
• Assist with billing and track time entries for billable hours.
• Assist in probate applications and administration of estates.
• Ensure compliance on files via case management system; escalate as needed.
• Conduct legal research.

Skills

Legal Assistant experience

Private Client

Wills & Estates

Tools

Document management system

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Wills and Estates Legal Assistant

JS Legal Recruitment are excited to be working with highly regarded law firm based in Colchester, our client a LEXCEL accredited and a Legal 500 recommended practice. Due to continued growth our client has a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Wills and Estates Legal Assistant to join their Wills & Estates department on a full-time basis.

The Team

The Wills and Estates team is well established the department offers a high quality service to its clients. You will be responsible for providing exceptional support to a Senior Solicitor and Director with a very busy case load. You will be responsible for ensuring client satisfaction by pre- empting problems and identifying solutions, and by building and maintaining knowledge of clients and their matters. You should have significant and current experience working as a Legal Assistant / Legal Secretary ideally within a Private Client department.

The Role

• As a Legal Assistant / Legal Secretary You will provide support to a senior solicitor and director of the firm with a very busy caseload
• Prepare, format and proof read legal documents and correspondence related to private client matters
• Manage and organise solicitor's calendar including scheduling appointments and meetings
• Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence, including emails, letters, and phone calls and draft as appropriate
• Act as first point of contact for clients both on the phone and in person
• Arrange client meetings
• Prepare and manage legal documents such as Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Estate Planning documents
• Assist with Billing , track and manage time entries for billable hours
• Assist in the preparation of probate applications and the administration od estates
• Manage compliance on all files via the case management system, including conflict checks and risk assessments, escalating them to the lawyer if required
• Conduct legal research

Skills Required

• Previous experience as a Legal Assistant / Legal Secretary in Private Client, Wills, and Estates ,particularly in a fast-paced environment is highly desirable.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Audio, and document management system
• Strong organisational and time management skills, ability to prioritise and handle sensitive information with discretion

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 22 days annual leave, plus Bank Holidays, with an additional 3 days for the Christmas to New Year closure
• Medical benefits scheme and Employee Assistance Program upon completion of probation period
• Sick pay policy
• Staff Pension scheme upon completion of probation period
• Friendly and social environment with Regular social events