Job Description

Job summary

The purpose of this role is to provide legal secretarial support to his/her fee earner with a view to developing the role and enhancing support.

Main duties and requirements

Provide enhanced support to their fee earner and be confident and willing to use own initiative. Full generic secretarial support to fee earners, as required, including preparing correspondence and documents through fast and accurate typing and word processing. Prepare documents from instruction sheets. Administer both manual and electronic filing daily. Complete conflict checks and open new matters on case management systems as well as preparing the file. Ensure client details are accurate and kept up to date on both electronic and paper files. Closing, storing and retrieving client files. Prepare mail and enclosures for dispatch. Arrange for all copying to be done. Make appointments, arrange meetings and maintain an up-to-date diary for his/her fee earner(s). Provide support to other secretaries as required. Provide guidance to new and temporary staff when required to do so. Attend clients, both in person and on the telephone, and provide such support in a professional and friendly manner in-keeping with the Company's standards for client care. Undertake any specific training when required by the Company and to have overall responsibility towards self-development. Ensure Client confidentiality of all the Company's and the Company's clients' information and documentation. To contribute as a team member and provide sickness and other absence cover for other members of the team when required. To contribute as a team member in the continual review of efficiencies within the department.

Preferred skills and experience

Experience of working in a legal environment along with relevant departmental experience is desirable. Experience in performing completion tasks on residential sale and purchase transactions preferred but not essential as full training will be given. Fast and accurate audio and copy typing skills, including digital dictation and integrated legal software systems. Experience of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word and Excel. Excellent English grammar/spelling; familiarity with legal terminology and numerical skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including experience in dealing with a range of clients via telephone and face-to-face. Discretion and confidentiality is essential. Ability to organise and prioritise your workload to the required standard and within the required timescales. Ability to work effectively within a team as well as independently. Ability to work to strict deadlines as and when required; this may involve some flexibility in working hours and occasional overtime where deadlines need to be met. Proactive and able to use own initiative within guidelines as set by the Partners and fee earners.

Person specification

Self-motivation: energy; positivity; can-do attitude. Flexibility. Confidentiality and discretion. Proactive; willing to use initiative. Able to work well independently as well as part of a team.

Any other duties

This job description is not restrictive in any way and should be regarded only as a guideline to the duties required and may be amended in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. The job description does not form part of the Contract of Employment.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount Health & wellbeing programme Private medical insurance Referral programme Sick pay
Schedule:

Day shift Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:

Barnard Castle DL12 8NG: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:

Secretarial: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Legal Secretary/Paralegal Assistant - Residential Conveyancing