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Department: Shakespeare Martineau - Agriculture & Wealth - Private Client - Private Client - 1302

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Birmingham

Reporting To: Hannah Tait

Meet the team Our award winning, highly skilled and experienced Private Capital group provide a wide range of services and advice to empowering families to define their unique long‑term goals and legacy. We undertake various Family and Private Client work at all levels and across many sectors.

Our Private Client team, including 13 members of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) offers advice on the following areas of Private Client law: Capital Tax planning including advising on the most appropriate structures via Wills, Trusts & Family Investment Companies, the creation and administration of Trusts including tax compliance, accounting services and professional Trusteeship, administration of estates (simple to complex), Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection work, the creation and administration of Charitable Foundations and personal tax advice and compliance.

Our clients’ profiles consist of family business owners, landed estates, newly acquired wealth, private individuals with inherited wealth and their families and Trustees of substantial trusts. Our team was recently voted the winner of the “National Private Client Team” in the Modern Law Awards 2023.

• assisting with probate and estate administration cases, running your own cases where appropriate and under supervision
• Using case management programmes to run cases
• Liaising with clients (taking messages, arranging meetings etc.), so you should demonstrate professionalism, diplomacy and sensitivity in all your communications.
• Liaising with other professionals; e.g. financial advisers and accountants
• Document production; e.g. preparation of PowerPoint presentations and seminar materials creating and updating Excel spread sheets; marketing material
• Legal research
• You will develop your experience in these areas and, in time, handle your own cases.

This is a busy role, with deadlines to manage and competing priorities, so you will be required to work quickly, accurately and efficiently and remain calm under pressure. You will be expected to think ahead to meet the needs of our lawyers and clients.

You may also be involved in other activities as required, including helping others team members during busy periods, and to cover absences from work.

The role may include travel to visit clients in the local area and while a hybrid role based from our Birmingham hub, office attendance will be required 2‑3 days per week.

• 6 months’ previous experience in a legal team [and/or area of law] would be preferrable
• experience of [detail as relevant]
• working knowledge at basic level of terminology and documents used in [detail if relevant] transactions

• As an experienced Private Client Paralegal role you will have a caring nature, seeing this role as more than a ‘job’, taking your responsibilities to our clients very seriously, whether the task is big or small. When it comes to individuals’ lives, every detail matters, so you will be someone who considers the wider implications of what you do, and who likes to go the extra mile.
• You will be personable, approachable and with a genuine interest in dealing with individuals and their families.
• This role involves some basic accountancy skills for reconciling client accounts, so good numeracy skills and a competent knowledge of Microsoft Excel is important.
• You will also need strong written and oral communication skills, being able to adapt your style to communicate effectively with a wide range of clients and fellow professionals alike.
• You will be exceptionally organised and used to working efficiently and accurately, in a busy and varied role. You pride yourself on your professionalism, with a personal touch and a high standard of honesty and integrity.
• We are open to candidates from a variety of backgrounds. What is important is your attitude, personality fit and interest/knowledge in private client work, due to the nature of the work it is essential that you have Probate Estate Administration experience.
• Training will be provided to enable you to succeed in this role and make a real difference to the lives of our clients.

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solihull, Stratford upon Avon & Tunbridge Wells.

Want to find out more about our amazing benefits?

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.