Paralegal

DMH Stallard LLP; Hassocks; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000

Job description

Working hours: Full-time (9.15 - 5.15) (Reduced Hours / Part-time will be considered)

Department: Private Client

Location: Hassocks

The firm

DMH Stallard is an award-winning South East law, Legal 100 firm with offices in London, Brighton, Gatwick, Guildford, Horsham, and Hassocks. Established in 1970, DMH Stallard has a headcount of approx 380 and provides a comprehensive range of commercial, dispute resolution and litigation, employment, cyber security and cyber-crime, corporate, intellectual property, real estate, and technology, media and telecoms advice to both businesses and individuals. Our clients, our people, and our professional networks are the keys to our success.

The department

Our Private Client Team works closely with clients, their families, and other professional advisers to achieve a whole-life view of care, wealth management, tax, and inheritance issues based on each client’s individual financial and family circumstances, their long-term goals, and priorities. The Team offers advice on wills, probate and estate administration, trusts, tax, contentious matters, powers of attorney, and protection of vulnerable family members, including retirement issues among other matters.

Job Purpose:

• To provide administrative assistance and support to the Partners, Senior Associates, Associates, and other fee earners of the Private Client team primarily in Hassocks (and on occasion other members of the Private Client department in other offices).
• Conduct a variety of tasks including general administrative tasks, answering the telephone, taking messages, arranging remote meetings, attending remote meetings, taking minutes, filing, printing, scanning and binding, photocopying, research, drafting correspondence, drafting simple wills and letters of wishes, trust documents, Lasting Powers of Attorney and all associated documents, assisting with simple probate administration and the preparation of Estate Accounts.
• We expect your role to develop as experience allows, with the balance of the role remaining flexible based on the mix of work at a given time.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• To work as part of the team to assist with providing private client services, undertaking non-fee earning and fee-earning work and time recording accordingly. To deliver a high-quality service to clients, dealing with them on the telephone and face-to-face in client meetings.
• Responsibility, under supervision, for assisting others within the Private Client group with their matters as detailed above.
• Preparation of correspondence and drafting wills and trust documents (with support) from precedents, in compliance with DMH Stallard house style guide.
• Proofreading, fact-checking, and the ability to send confidential documents to clients and others unsupervised.
• To learn and adhere to the firm’s systems (to include use of DMH Stallard case management system, Isokon accounts package), and the requirements of third-party referrers.
• To assist with the development of our case management system.
• Data inputting and basic accounting transactions following the provision of training on the firm’s accounts package and systems detailed above.
• Case management and dealing with incoming emails.
• Arranging appointments, taking messages, receiving and delivering documents.
• Open and close files in Case Manager.
• Attend department meetings and such internal or external training courses as required.
• Preparation of correspondence, reports, memos, forms, legal documents, and bills from audio dictation, manuscript and precedents in compliance with DMH Stallard house style guide.
• Costing and preparation of bills for approval of fee-earners.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required:

• Previous legal work experience or academic knowledge. Ideally private client services experience (estate accounts and simple trust administration).
• A commitment to excellent client care and enthusiasm for private client work.
• Excellent IT skills with experience in Word, Axxia (preferred but not essential), Excel, PowerPoint, Email, Office Practice, and Internet. Ideally previous experience of digital dictation and a case management system.
• Ability to communicate well orally and in writing, including dealing directly with clients when required.
• Exceptional organisational skills.
• Numerate.
• Strong team working ethic.
• Flexibility.
• Accurate and efficient time recording skills.
• Able to identify problems, complaints, and risk management.
• Ability to work well under pressure and be proactive.
• Experience in a case manager system desirable, but full training will be given.
• 25 days holiday (of which 3.5 are taken during the Christmas period), plus Birthday holiday, plus Bank Holidays.