Legal Assistant - Private Client, Norwich
The Firm
Ashtons Legal is a growing firm in the East of England with a focus on providing excellent legal advice to a diverse range of individuals, institutions and executives across our region and beyond.
We are a friendly and supportive team of professionals working together to make sure our clients get the best advice possible. Our firm has a flexible reward and benefits structure and a culture of openness with an innovative leadership looking to the future.
The Role
You will be required to provide high quality and experienced legal administrative support to the team of partners and fee earners.
As a Legal Assistant in our team, you will:
- Update client records on databases as required and to maintain records of client enquiries, change of address and contact information
- Work with and instruct the central admin team to ensure all files are up to date, either by e-filing or hard copy filing
- Arrange appointments for your fee earners
- Comprehensive diary management for your fee earners
- Ensure meeting rooms are booked, including any equipment and refreshments
- Work proactively with your fee earners to forward plan meetings, travel etc
- Liaise with clients by telephone, passing on detailed updates as requested by your fee earners
- Liaise with third parties (such as OPG, Probate Registry, HMRC) by telephone on behalf of your fee earners
- Work closely with all Central Services teams to ensure that work is carried out in an efficient and timely manner
- Co-ordinate the return of typed documents from Central Secretarial Services and action next steps including amendments where necessary
- Assisting with drafting letters and legal documentation as required working alongside other team members
- Co-ordinate document/deed requests and archiving with Central Office Services (Records)
- Co-ordinate document release procedure following the department protocols
- Carry out searches where appropriate
- Working with fee earners to manage their matter balances and write-offs
- Manage transaction requisitions and arrange payment of supplier invoices
- Initiate and drive the billing process with your fee earners
- Run matter reports for billing, matter balances, and file closing
- Draft and send file closing letters to clients
- Proactively identify matters for closure and prepare final invoice and/or return of client monies
- Prepare expenses claims
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations when required
- Support the wider team when necessary such as holiday and sickness cover
- Proactively support business development activities
- Ensure you maintain continuous knowledge improvement and embrace learning and development opportunities
Knowledge, skills and experience required
- Ideally, similar experience gained within a comparable environment and at an appropriate level
- High degree of competence in the use of Microsoft Office
- Excellent verbal and written communication, with appropriate and effective use of grammar and punctuation
- Attention to detail
- Be respectful, working with integrity and professionalism at all times
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet client needs
