Trust & Estate Paralegal

Withers; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Withers seeks an experienced paralegal to join the Private Client & Tax team in Los Angeles. You will handle complex estate planning, post-death trust, and probate administration for high-net-worth clients, working alongside attorneys and fiduciaries.

You will collaborate across teams on substantial matters, providing ownership of workstreams while ensuring quality, timing, and client service at a high level. Expect cross-border coordination and sophisticated fiduciary work.

Qualifications

• 3–7+ years of experience as an estate and trust paralegal.
• Compliance with California Business and Professions Code.
• 6450 required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Excel, Word, Outlook; Visio and document management systems (iManage/FileSite preferred); Asana for project management preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple timelines and priorities proactively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail with sound judgment in escalating issues appropriately.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage substantial portions of estate and trust administrations in a sophisticated environment with supervision.
• Prepare asset inventories and assist with valuation, retitling, and distribution of assets.
• Draft and coordinate Federal estate and gift tax returns.
• Identify and analyze estate, gift, income, and property tax issues with attorneys.
• Support trust funding and ongoing trust administration.
• Prepare documentation for asset transfers and beneficiary distributions, including deeds, assignments, receipts, and releases.
• Draft probate and court filings.
• Assist in fiduciary accountings preparation and review.
• Review title documents and coordinate with title companies for title insurance.
• Prepare deeds, affidavits, deeds of trust, and related real estate docs.
• Analyze recording requirements across jurisdictions.
• Assist with Proposition 13 reassessment analysis and related filings.
• Interface with County Assessor offices on property tax matters.
• Prepare and file formation documents for corporations, LLCs, and partnerships across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate filings with Secretaries of State and other agencies.
• Assist with entity maintenance, governance, and compliance matters.
• Prepare organizational documents, minutes, and resolutions.
• Maintain corporate records and ownership ledgers.
• Support tax-exempt organization formation and compliance.
• Assist with entity restructuring and dissolution.

Skills

Estate & Trust paralegal

Cal. Business & Professions Code

Excel

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Visio

iManage/FileSite

Asana

Organizational skills

Written & verbal communication

Attention to detail

Independent & collaborative work

Fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Microsoft Word

Outlook

Visio

iManage/FileSite

Asana

Job description

Private Client and Tax Division

Today, we are the only truly global law firm dedicated to the personal and private capital needs of high-net-worth individuals and families.

Private Client and Tax Division

Today, we are the only truly global law firm dedicated to the personal and private capital needs of high-net-worth individuals and families.

Many of our clients are international families with interests in a number of locations. In a fast-moving and increasingly compliance focused world, the need for integrated advice that reaches across borders has never been greater. With offices across Europe, the United States and Asia-Pacific we provide coverage that other law firms in this area cannot match. Our team of experienced private client solicitors continually look for opportunities to ensure we have a strong presence in the locations where our clients live, work and invest.

Our advice to fiduciaries covers the design and implementation of new plans, as well as the modernization and consolidation of older trusts. We also assist them in complying with the complex rules surrounding investments, accounting, taxes, and compliance.

This practice generates approximately 55% of the partnership's revenues and is the largest in the world with over 300 people. We advise on domestic and international tax, estate planning, succession and mental capacity laws in Europe, the US and Asia, as well as facilitating our client's philanthropic endeavors. We have immigration teams in the major financial centers and are well placed to deal with tax investigation and litigation cases. Real estate is very important to our clients, and we have a specialist residential and rural team.

The Role

This role will sit in our Los Angeles office.

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable paralegal to join our Private Client & Tax team in Los Angeles. This role is designed for a professional who thrives in a sophisticated practice and is ready to take on meaningful responsibility across complex estate planning and administration matters.

Trust & Estate Administration

• Manage substantial portions of estate and trust administrations in a highly sophisticated environment, with appropriate supervision
• Prepare asset inventories and assist with valuation, retitling, and distribution of assets
• Draft and coordinate Federal estate and gift tax returns
• Identify and analyze estate, gift, income, and property tax issues in collaboration with attorneys
• Support trust funding and ongoing trust administration
• Prepare documentation for asset transfers and beneficiary distributions, including deeds, assignments, receipts, and releases
• Draft probate and court filings
• Assist in the preparation and review of fiduciary accountings

Real Estate Matters

• Review title documents and identify vesting and title issues; coordinate with title companies to resolve issues and obtain title insurance
• Prepare deeds, affidavits, deeds of trust, and related real estate documentation
• Analyze recording requirements across jurisdictions
• Assist with Proposition 13 reassessment analysis and prepare related filings, including change in ownership reports and exclusion claims
• Interface with County Assessor offices on property tax matters

Corporate & Nonprofit Support

• Prepare and file formation documents for corporations, LLCs, and partnerships across jurisdictions
• Coordinate filings with Secretaries of State and other agencies
• Assist with entity maintenance, governance, and compliance matters
• Prepare organizational documents, minutes, and resolutions
• Maintain corporate records and ownership ledgers
• Support tax-exempt organization formation and compliance
• Assist with entity restructuring and dissolution

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Key Skills And Experience

This role supports all aspects of estate planning, post-death trust and probate administration, and ongoing trust administration for high-net-worth clients.

You will have regular interaction with attorneys, senior paralegals, and clients, as well as outside advisors including accountants, appraisers, and fiduciaries.

The ideal candidate is comfortable taking ownership of substantive workstreams while also collaborating across the team to maintain quality, timing, and client service at a high level.

• 3–7+ years of experience as an estate and trust paralegal
• Compliance with California Business and Professions Code
• 6450 required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Strong working knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Word, and Outlook; experience with Visio and document management systems (iManage/FileSite preferred); use of Asana for project management preferred
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple timelines and priorities proactively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail with sound judgment in escalating issues appropriately
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team structure
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment

For California, the expected salary range for this position is between $100,000 and $125,000. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law

You Are Someone Who

• Enjoys being trusted with real responsibility
• Is detail-oriented but also understands the bigger picture
• Can move work forward independently while keeping others informed
• Is comfortable operating between junior support and senior strategic input
• Takes pride in precision, responsiveness, and client service

What Makes This Role Different

• Ownership: You will take the lead on discrete components of complex matters—not just assist
• Exposure: Direct interaction with senior attorneys, clients, and advisors
• Growth: Opportunity to deepen technical expertise while developing judgment and project management skills
• Impact: A central role in keeping matters organized, moving, and aligned across the team

About Withers

A law firm focused on people, performance, and collaboration.

For the past 130 years, we have supported some of the world’s most remarkable people and organizations at defining moments in their lives.

We are united in our commitment to integrity, quality and collaboration. We have a culture of high performance and deliver excellent service consistently across the firm. We provide tailored solutions built on trust and partner with our clients to achieve their goals.

Many of our clients are shaping the future and creating solutions to tackle many of the world’s problems. It makes for a fascinating and challenging practice.

Our role is to get to know each individual client, find out where they want to be, and help them to get there – whether they are building a business, buying a home or protecting and defending their interests.

To meet their unique needs we are exceptionally collaborative, working together across teams and time zones. And we are agile – focusing on strategy rather than rigid ideas and traditional hierarchy.

Join us to be part of a team that is always looking to the future. Where initiative, big ideas and bold moves are always encouraged. Where you can truly be yourself.

For more information on Withers, please visit the following links: General Career Site, LinkedIn, About Us

Equal Opportunities Employment Statement

The firm is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Equal employment opportunity has been and will continue to be a fundamental principle at the firm. Employment at the firm is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The firm prohibits and will not tolerate any discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these classifications or characteristics.